|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dear PDX IMIrJ Supporters,
Thank you to the large group who joined us Tuesday night to meet and welcome IMIrJ's new director, Alaide Vilchis Ibarra! Alaide will officially join us in Portland in January; in the meantime, she's taking advantage of her last few weeks in Washington DC to meet with IMIrJ's national partners and strengthen those relationships.
The Election and Beyond: It was energizing to be together to celebrate the defeat of Measure 105; share moments of heart, hope and learning from the campaign; and consider what's on the horizon as we continue our work for immigrant justice into 2019. (Notes here.)
Will you take a moment to e-mail sarah@imirj.org with a sentence or two about what you and your faith community did to help contribute to the defeat of Measure 105? We want to track and celebrate your work!
The Exodus / Caravan: We also created space to hold in our hearts the thousands of Central Americans fleeing violence, persecution, and poverty in their home countries, traveling northward in search of safety, security, and a better future for themselves and their families. We invite you to take a moment to read this poem, listen to this song, and consider offering a prayer for those on this journey.
Learn more about the migrant caravan here and here. Then find out how you can be in active solidarity with our immigrant kin of the exodus here and here.
Locally, our partners at PIRC (Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition) are organizing a community forum about the caravan/exodus for Thursday, November 29th from 6:00-8:00pm (location TBD), featuring Honduran activists Isaac Delcid & Maribel, asylum-seeker Wendi Garcia, and Emma - a member of the International Migrant Alliance.
IMIrJ is also tracking several opportunities with faith-based organizations that are organizing delegations to Mexico and the border to accompany and support the caravans. Watch for more info soon.
Defending Sanctuary: Scroll down for info about ongoing ICE activity at the Washington County courthouse and a related action there on Monday at 12 noon. Please share the word in your community and attend if you are able. Our leaders and members in Washington County could use the cross-county solidarity!
Your IMIrJ staff team,
Sarah, Ron, Jimmy, Alyssa
|
|
|
Dear IMIrJ Washington County,
Last week, voters in Washington County voted overwhelmingly to uphold Oregon's 31-year-old sanctuary law.
The week before that, plainclothes ICE agents were at the Washington County courthouse again, where they arrested an immigrant community member inside the courthouse, without a warrant.
Next week, people of faith and goodwill throughout our county will be back at the courthouse to celebrate the defeat of Measure 105, amplify our demand that ICE stay out of our courthouses and out of our communities, hear the testimony of impacted community members, and present local officials with a statement regarding recent arrests. Join us:
Sanctuary Everywhere Vigil
Monday, November 19th
12:00 - 1:00 pm
Washington County Courthouse
123 E Main St, Hillsboro, OR 97123
Organized by Hillsboro United Methodist Church and Las Naciones.
Please help spread the word in your communities this weekend. A strong showing will:
- demonstrate to ICE that we will not stand silently by as they violate our communities' commitment to Sanctuary Everywhere,
- show local officials that they have community support to make our courthouse a safe space for immigrants, and
- let our immigrant kin know that Washington County faith communities have their backs.
In solidarity,
Your IMIrJ Washington County Leadership Team
Rev. Jorge Rodriguez, Cristina Delgado, Rev. Adam Hange, Marilyn Grendele, Sarah Loose, Rev. Ron Werner
|
|
Needed: Bilingual Accompaniment Volunteers
IMIrJ is seeing a sharp uptick in the number of requests we are receiving from immigrant community members for accompaniment to ICE check-ins, to immigration hearings, and to the courthouse. Our accompaniment team will offer full accompaniment trainings early next year. In the meantime, we are in need of documented, bilingual Spanish-English community members with daytime flexibility who can be fast-track trained as accompaniers.
Can you help? Please e-mail accompaniment@imirj.org with your name, phone number and faith community (if applicable) and we'll be in touch! |
|
|
|
“Public charge” is a term used in immigration law to refer to a person who is likely to become primarily dependent on the government to meet their basic needs. If someone is found to be a public charge, the government can deny admission to the U.S. or refuse an application for lawful permanent residency. Under the new proposed rule, the government now wants to redefine “public charge” more expansively, as an immigrant who receives one or more listed public benefits. Learn more and comment. Comments due December 10th!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
