Thousands of churches are coming together to launch a rapid-response action plan to help congregants as they face increased immigration enforcement actions, reports Adrian Carrasquillo of The xxxxxx.
Evangelical pastor Doug Pagitt and his group Vote Common Good conceived the idea to gather 5,000 churches and provide them with resources and emergency planning for their communities.
“Faith traditions call us to welcome the stranger, protect the vulnerable, and love our neighbors,” reads the action plan. “In the face of renewed ICE enforcement actions and immigration raids, we must be ready to act swiftly, courageously, and in solidarity.”
Faith leaders across the board have stepped up to speak up for their immigrant neighbors in recent months. In San Diego, the Catholic Diocese launched Faithful Accompaniment in Trust & Hope (FAITH) which encourages people to accompany immigrants before, during and after their court hearings, reports Tyler Arnold of Catholic News Agency.
Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala of Washington, D.C. urges the Catholic Church to renew its prophetic calling, reports Michael Tangeman of U.S. Catholic.
An immigrant himself, Menjivar-Ayala came from El Salvador when he was 19-years-old and now hopes that the church proves its commitment with the vulnerable in these difficult times.
“You begin to realize that inside, deep down, within each person, there is first of all fear, yes, but beyond that, behind that, there’s love, too,” said the Auxiliary Bishop. “And there’s [also] hope: to be able to bring out that love, bring out that compassion that fear and lack of information have been obscuring.”
Welcome to Thursday’s edition of The Forum Daily. During August, we will take a break on Fridays — we’ll be back in your inbox on Monday. I’m Clara Villatoro, the Forum’s assistant VP of strategic communications, and the great Forum Daily team also includes Marcela Aguirre and Jillian Clark. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected].
UNIFIED SUPPORT – Advocates are speaking out as over 200,000 Afghans who were once eligible for asylum face fewer options and no answers from the U.S. government, reports Andrew Dyer of KPBS. Meanwhile, veterans are stepping in to support Afghan allies facing deportation, as many have lost protections, reports Regan Morris of BBC News. A bipartisan group of legislators introduced the Enduring Welcome Act on Tuesday, a bill that aims to reinstate resettlement efforts of Afghans, including allies who helped U.S. troops, reports Rebecca Kheel of Military.com. This is the third initiative that seeks to support Afghan allies. For more on these bipartisan initiatives check out this Forum resource.
LABOR IMPACT– Shifts in immigration policy are placing added strain on an already understaffed care sector, reports Ginger Christ of HR Dive. Meanwhile, in Florida, the absence of workers is forcing farmers to cut back on crop production, reports Jasmine Garsd of NPR. Separately, a team at Axios San Francisco analyzes the most recent data that shows the industries that are being most affected by the immigration crackdown in the Bay Area.
STORM SEASON — With the beginning of hurricane season, comes new fears and difficult choices for undocumented immigrants in vulnerable areas, reports Gabriela Aoun Angueira of the Associated Press. Many fear that finding shelter or assistance during a hurricane means exposing themselves to immigration enforcement.
MEANWHILE IN MAINE — A pastor who has been waiting ten years for asylum while living and serving in Maine was detained by immigration enforcement officers, reports Emily Allen of the Portland Press Herald. Michel Tshimankinda and his family escaped violence in his home country of the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2016. He’s known in his community for his pastoral work. Elsewhere in the state, a police officer self-deports to Jamaica after being detained by immigration officers, reports Patrick Whittle of the Associated Press.
