NationBuilder

Heading into this holiday weekend, we want to share some truly inspiring news about our Immigration Freedom Project that was featured in the Los Angeles Times earlier this month.

Thank you for being part of an organized, connected, interfaith community of justice. You're making safe shelter a reality for our vulnerable neighbors.

Linda Pederson, vicar, left, Guillermo Torres of CLUE, third from right and Bishop John Harvey Taylor, right, pose with the four asylum seekers now staying at St. John’s Church, San Bernardino. From second right, the asylees are George (from Nigeria), Guadalupe and Maria (from Mexico) and, between Torres and Taylor, Drar (from Eritrea). Photo: Janet Kawamoto

They come from Nigeria, Mexico, Eritrea, and beyond. They fled extreme poverty, violence, and death threats in their home countries.

Then in our country, they were treated like criminals and experienced the inhumane, anti-immigrant policies of the Trump administration. They were, like thousands of others, detained indefinitely and likely to be deported.

Thanks to faithful people like you they have found welcoming hospitality at a San Bernardino parish church as they await immigration hearings that will decide whether they will have the opportunity to find refuge in the United States.

Their freedom from terrible conditions at the Adelanto ICE Detention Center was only possible because they had a safe place to go.

Without an immediate address and sponsor they would have faced indefinite inhumane detention, or even expedited deportation to the countries from which they fled.

Because you supported CLUE, they were connected to St. John’s Episcopal Church through the ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles.

“It’s a great honor...that we can serve our neighbors,” says parish vicar Linda Pederson.