Immigration Response in Ohio
Good afternoon,
In February, I organized an event called Immigration Response, which gathered around 100 church leaders from Northeast Ohio to talk about how to better prepare for the arrival of asylum seekers in the state. So far, small, mostly Latino churches have been responding to the arrival of asylum seekers, often very suddenly as they get calls in the middle of the night alerting them to new arrivals being dropped off in parking lots. Complicated processes and a lack of communication between federal, state, and local officials have made welcoming new asylum seekers to cities difficult. If cities were able to prepare in advance and knew people were coming, they would have time to create space and better help welcome them into the community. Church leaders in Northeast Ohio decided to do just that and prepare a network of their fellow leaders in the area.
After hearing that churches with language proximity were assisting with the majority of new arrivals, this group of church leaders and I decided to make the arrival of asylum seekers in Ohio more widely known in the community. Cleveland pastors, city officials, and other leaders gathered to discuss a better way to respond and serve. Leaders learned about what is happening in Cleveland, received immigration explainers, heard testimonies from asylum seekers, and learned about theological foundations for welcoming immigrants. We called for people to join networks and build bridges, so that as people arrive, we are prepared to welcome them.
Church leaders gathered in Cleveland to learn about how their communities can better welcome asylum seekers in Ohio. (Source: Christy Staats)
The first gathering has inspired a group of pastors and nonprofit leaders to lead a second gathering where leaders will work together on areas that need to be addressed such as the provision of legal services, housing, work permits, advocacy, and more.
The world is on the move. There are 108 million globally displaced people in the world, which is almost double the number from the past decade. People are crossing borders everywhere looking for safety and hope for their children’s future. Many are crossing the US-Mexico border. Our politics are a mess with political wars and confusing policies, and in the middle of the chaos, migrants are being transported from Texas to New York, from New York to Ohio. What we are really talking about are people... human beings.
The border might be complicated. We know our federal and state politics are complicated. But responding to people in need should be something we move towards as we figure out the complications along the way.
Cleveland and Northeast Ohio can be the blueprint that shows state and federal officials how communities across the country can band together to welcome. We can also use our voices and call elected officials to better support comprehensive
bipartisan immigration reform. We can lead the call for reasonable immigration reforms that both address border security needs as well as treat asylum seekers with dignity and respect. As those of us who are Christians deeply believe that people are made in God’s image and have dignity and worth, this belief can drive the way we seek and call for solutions.
Stay healthy and hopeful,
Christy
Christy Staats
Bibles, Badges, and Business
Mobilizer OH-PA-IN-KY
National Immigration Forum
NEWS CLIPS TO NOTE:
CLEVELAND 19 NEWS: Community leaders meet to coordinate support for asylum seekers in Northeast Ohio
CBS NEWS: Texas immigration law blocked again, just hours after Supreme Court allowed state to arrest migrants
AP: Negotiators race to finish government funding bills after reaching deal on Homeland Security bill
THE TEXAS TRIBUNE: El Paso judge blocks Ken Paxton’s efforts to subpoena Annunciation House
AXIOS: How immigration is driving U.S. job growth
NBC NEWS: Biden’s proposed budget includes $4.7 billion emergency fund for border migrant surges
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