Separation of Families: What You Can Do
“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” Matthew 18:5
We, the bishops of the Episcopal Church in California, write to express our opposition to the inhumane conditions in which our government is holding migrant children. Our commitment to our Christian faith compels us to speak out for justice and care for the most vulnerable.
The recent news stories of lawyers visiting detained children in an overcrowded facility in Clint, Texas underscore the humanitarian crisis at our southern border. Lawyers sent there to assess the conditions found traumatized children, many of whom have relatives waiting for them in the United States. They were untended by adults, fending for themselves, and sleeping on concrete floors with no blankets. The lawyers described filth and stench due to a lack of basic sanitation supplies such as soap, toothbrushes, and showers. Our practice of separating migrant children from their families and neglecting them in detention centers not only threatens their physical health; it also creates serious emotional and spiritual trauma.
We who follow Jesus Christ know that he showed a special love for children. Jesus reminds us that children are to be welcomed, nourished, and cherished. As Christians, we honor the image of God in all human beings. The inhumane treatment of these children violates our most basic Christian values.
We thank Congress for their passage of an emergency aid bill, and we ask our representatives and senators to continue to work on immigration reforms, especially the reuniting of children with their loved ones.
We also call upon our elected leaders to recognize the need to welcome refugees who flee from danger, and to follow international law regarding those seeking refuge and asylum.
Finally, we ask all Episcopalians to offer whatever financial, practical, and spiritual aid you can to care for those seeking refuge. Our dioceses will publish a detailed guide of ways you can help migrant families. Meanwhile, please pray with us that God will move the hearts of all in our land to respond with love and compassion for those who seek safety, liberty and justice.
In Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Susan Brown Snook – Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of San Diego
The Rt. Rev. Marc Andrus – Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of California
The Rt. Rev. Diane Jardine Bruce – Bishop Suffragan, Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles
The Rt. Rev. Mary Gray-Reeves – Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real
The Rt. Rev. David C. Rice – Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin
The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor – Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles
The Rt. Rev. Megan Traquair – Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Northern California
What You Can Do
Ways to Help Immigrants Seeking Refuge and Asylum
Advocate
- Speak out to your Congressional representatives as well as local officials. Tell them you oppose the threatened ICE raids and want them to be called off. Urge them to advocate for better conditions in detention centers, the end of child detention centers, and the reunification of families torn apart by family separation policies. If you don’t know who your elected representatives are, find out here.
- Work with Immigrant Families Together, which has branches through the nation.
- The Episcopal Public Policy Network offers this suggestion: “Ask your members of Congress to co-sponsor the GRACE Act: The Guaranteed Refugee Admissions Ceiling Enhancement Act, S.1088 & H.R.2146.
March in Protest
Provide Legal Assistance
- Contact your local American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which advises immigrants of their rights and helps them navigate asylum applications as well as other immigration matters.
- Inform both migrants and citizens of their rights regarding searches and raids by asking the ACLU to host a Know Your Rights workshop. Pass out Know Your Rights cards.
- Volunteer with and donate funds to organizations doing immigration law work at the border:
- Provide transportation to immigration court hearings.
- Accompany people to their ICE check-ins.
- Help arrange for legal services and advice.
- Sponsor an immigrant: Some immigrants can be released from detention as they await their asylum hearing if they have a sponsor. The sponsor must be a US citizen or permanent resident, and they must provide housing, food, clothing, and other basic necessities as immigrants await their final hearing, which may take 3-12 months. If you are interested in sponsoring someone, contact one of the organizations above that offer legal assistance.
Donate Goods and Money
Build Relationships with Local Department of Homeland Security Office
Pray
Separación de Clomid buy in USA legally Comprendre les troubles musculosquelettiques Familias: Que puedes hacer?
¿Qué puedo hacer?
Maneras de Ayudar a los Inmigrantes que Buscan Refugio y Asilo
Abogacía
- Hable con sus representantes en el Congreso, así como con los funcionarios locales. Dígales que se opone a las redadas amenazantes de ICE y que quiere que se cancelen. Pídales que aboguen por mejores condiciones en los centros de detención, el fin de los centros de detención de niños y la reunificación de familias destrozadas por las políticas de separación familiar. Si no sabe quiénes son sus representantes electos, infórmese aquí.
- Trabajar con Immigrant Families Together, que tiene sucursales en todo el país.
- La Red de Políticas Públicas Episcopales ofrece esta sugerencia: “Pida a sus miembros del Congreso que copatrocinen la Ley GRACE: The Guaranteed Refugee Admissions Ceiling Enhancement Act, S.1088 & H.R.2146.
- Este proyecto de ley garantizaría que los EE. UU. mantenga su compromiso histórico de reubicar a los refugiados al exigir que el Presidente establezca el número de refugiados que los EE. UU. Reubicarán en un año fiscal determinado en un piso de 95,000. El número promedio de refugiados que los presidentes de los Estados Unidos han autorizado para ser reasentados en un año fiscal entre 1980 y 2017 ha sido de 95,000. “En los últimos años, este número ha disminuido drásticamente, de modo que este año, el Presidente autorizó a solo 30,000 refugiados a venir a los EE. UU. El proyecto de ley también exigiría informes trimestrales sobre la admisión, la transparencia, la responsabilidad y la supervisión de los refugiados.”
Marchar en Protesta
Brindar Asistencia Legal
- Póngase en contacto con su ACLU local, que informa a los inmigrantes sobre sus derechos y les ayuda a navegar las solicitudes de asilo, así como en otros asuntos de inmigración.
- Informe a los inmigrantes y a los ciudadanos sobre sus derechos con respecto a las búsquedas y las redadas pidiéndole a la ACLU que organice un taller de “Know Your Rights” (Conozca Sus Derechos). Reparta tarjetas de “Know Your Rights”.
- Ofrézcase como voluntario y done fondos a organizaciones que realizan trabajo de leyes de inmigración en la frontera:
- Proporcionar transporte a las audiencias de la corte de inmigración.
- Acompañar a las personas a sus registros de ICE.
- Ayudar a organizar servicios legales y asesoramiento.
- Patrocinar a un inmigrante: algunos inmigrantes pueden ser liberados de la detención mientras esperan su audiencia de asilo si tienen un patrocinador. El patrocinador debe ser ciudadano estadounidense o residente permanente, y debe proporcionar alojamiento, comida, ropa y otras necesidades básicas mientras los inmigrantes esperan su audiencia final, que puede demorar entre 3 y 12 meses. Si está interesado en patrocinar a alguien, comuníquese con una de las organizaciones mencionadas anteriormente que ofrecen asistencia legal.
Donar Bienes y Dinero
Construir Relaciones con el Departamento Local de la Oficina de Seguridad Nacional
Orar