To: GraceCity Community
From: Dr. Bob Bingham
Re: Immigration – Children, Family & Non-Citizen Resources Summer, 2019
“… I was a stranger and you invited me in.”— Matthew 25:35
Hello GraceCity friends and neighbors. Many of you have indicated a desire to respond substantively to the reports of conditions in facilities housing children and families at the border. Others wish to advocate for immigration policies that combine border security, justice, goodness and mercy.
World Vision posts a good starter page herefor a Biblical foundationaround how we treat the stranger among us, and the resources you will find below, all of whichoutline legal rightsavailable to citizens and non-citizens, and are thus respectful of government authority per Romans 13:1-7.
The Southern Borders Communities Coalition lists many faith-based (and non-faith based) organizations that directly aid immigrant families on the southern border on this page.
Below you will find additional methods and links to strategize more ways to be involved, or to refer immigrants to in your network of relationships. We do not advocate for any political positions held by any of these groups. We simply seek to open doors for supporting children, families and non-citizens in ways that honor our call as followers of Christ.
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If you desire to joina group of GC folks and other neighbors who will continue to pursue active response and presence in these arenas, please feel free to reach out to Pastor Bob at rcbingham@gracecitybaltimore.org. We’ll keep you in the loop.
Speak up: Call Congress, your mayor and local representatives. Contact your representative and tell them you want detention conditions improved. You can also reach out to your local representatives to ask that they initiate plans to help immigrant communities around Maryland and beyond. This official government website has provided links to finding your officials.
Share responsibly. Verify all social media posts before sharing or retweeting.
Support humanitarian efforts. Many immigrants are not informed of their legal and civil rights as they pursue asylum or face deportation. Several nonprofits are providing free legal representation and other services for immigrants and the families of those detained. United We Dream, the American Civil Liberties Union, Mijente and Immigrant Justice Corps are coordinating advocacy and services at a national level. Local organizations providing legal aid include New Sanctuary Coalition in New York, Las Americas in El Paso and Raices in Texas, Americans for Immigrant Justice in Florida and Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund in Colorado.
Inform yourself and your community. The A.C.L.U., who joined forces with Brooklyn Defender Services, has shared a “Know Your Rights” page for non-citizens.
Hold political candidates accountable. While the presidential primaries are at least seven months away, you can prepare to cast your ballot for a more humane border policy by following what each candidate has shared about their plans for immigration reform.