March 2012:   From Service to Solidarity with Immigrant Communities 

Dear Immigrant Justice Leaders,

This month’s issue includes the story of our congregation in Cedar Falls, Iowa, who are building relationships in their community following the 2008 Pottsville workplace raid. They’ve sponsored a local family who were deported – and returned – to the US and have joined other churches in a wider ministry for immigrant justice in their community. 
 
If your congregation wants to keep ICE from breaking up your community, do check out our resources for grassroots action to break ICE’s hold in our neighborhoods.  Also, we’ve updated our film resources – film discussions are a great way to introduce immigration justice in to our congregations.

As always, let us know what is happening in your congregation and community, what you need, and how we can help. 

In faith,
Audra, Craig, Dan, Kat, Meredith, Schuyler, Susan, and Taquiena
UUA Witness Ministries staff

Best Practice: From Service to Solidarity: Unitarian Universalist Society of Black Hawk County, Cedar Falls, IA supports local immigrant family

After the devastating 2008 Postville, IA workplace raids that led to the arrest and deportation of more than 300 workers, the UU Society of Black Hawk County in Cedar Falls, IA has entered in to an interfaith partnership with other congregations and organizations to provide support and community for affected families.  Beginning with service to one Guatemalan family, the congregation is developing a lasting relationship with a local Mennonite church, immigrant rights groups, and the immigrant community.  Read the full story to learn the background and ways the congregation began this transformational journey.

Take Action:  Restore Trust to Our Communities by Breaking ICE’s Hold!

The UUA is part of a coalition of migrant rights organizations and faith communities that have launched a national campaign to Restore Trust to Our Communities by Breaking Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE’s) Hold. ICE holds, also known as immigration detainers, are the lynchpin of the Secure Communities (S-Comm) program. Through S-Comm ICE uses local police and jails to funnel thousands of people into deportation. See our page with a congregational toolkit for grassroots organizing, one hour webinar, map of local interfaith partners, and one community's step to stop ICE.  We are gaining momentum as legislation is being introduced in CA to support local discretion on ICE detainers. Participants are invited to a monthly briefing call. Contact Witness Ministries Director Rev. Craig Roshaven at croshaven@uua.org.

New Resources: Immigration Films for Your Congregation 

For congregations seeking to join the movement to stop mass detention and deportation, show these films. Chosen based on quality and/or subject breadth, these movies touch on many different aspects of immigration and many have discussion guides available.  Maria Hinojosa, producer of Lost in Detention will be the 2012 Ware Lecturer at GA, and Luis Argueta, director of the documentary abUSed: The Postville Raid, will be offering a workshop at this GA.

Justice GA:  Registration and housing is now open. Requests for scholarships (for registration and up to $500) and volunteer opportunities (in exchange for registration costs) are due March 31st.  This year our various partners for migrant, racial and economic justice will be conducting workshops and our Arizona Immigration Ministry is planning some powerful witness events in partnership with Puente, the local barrio commitees, and others to support their campaign to remove Sheriff Joe Arpaio from office, overturn SB1070 and its spread to other states, and stop the mass detention and deportation of immigrants.  There will also be opportunties for service and voter registration and getting to know each other at a community dinner and celebration! 

Join the conversation on Cooking Together: Recipes for Immigration Justice Work blog.
See www.uua.org/immigration for resources, congregational stories, policy information and more!