Breaking: UUSC is part of an interfaith coalition in regular communication with people accompanying the Honduran migrant caravan, now identified as “The Exodus” (El Éxodo). Please see below for opportunities to support asylum-seekers on their journey through Mexico and arrival at the U.S. border, as well as assist local welcoming organizations in El Paso, Tex.
- Volunteering. Volunteers are urgently needed at the Annunciation House in El Paso, Tex. The UU College of Social Justice is accepting applications for individuals able to volunteer for at least one week on site. Please visit uucsj.org/volunteer/us-asylum to learn more and apply.
- Clergy Accompaniment. The Interfaith Immigration Coalition, which includes UUSC and the UUA, has identified a need for U.S. clergy to physically accompany the caravanthrough parts of Mexico. This role will be physically and emotionally demanding and requires at least conversational Spanish. Interested clergy should contact Deva Jones, UU College of Social Justice senior associate for service learning and volunteer placements, for more information.
- Witness. For those unable to volunteer but who are called to the border, Let Our Families Go! Pilgrimage, Protest, and Prophetic Witness will be held in El Paso and Tornillo, Tex., November 14-16. While UUSC is not a sponsor of this event we encourage participation. Please find details and contact information at the link.
The Trump administration’s immigration policy is an affront to basic humanitarian principles and human rights values. The latest news, which includes threats to close the southern U.S. border and mobilize the U.S. military, are preposterous attempts to hijack the conversation about immigration and asylum in the United States, deliberately stoking fear and racism. As we resist this anti-immigrant administration, we need your support in helping people fleeing violence and instability in their home countries and seeking asylum in the United States. Read our suggestions on how to get involved below.
Take direct action
Contact your elected officials to share your concerns about human rights violations happening at the border and along the migrant trail:
- Defend TPS: Ensure Temporary Protection Status holders can continue to build their lives in the United States and are not deported to unsafe conditions.
You can also speak out on immigrant rights and family separation by responding to local news articles and op-eds with a letter to the editor (LTE). Learn about how to submit an LTE and get sample content here.
Provide protection
- Accompaniment: Accompaniment helps stop deportations, reduce bond fees, and keep families together. By centering people’s dignity and choices in a system that takes away dignity and choices, we care for those who are criminalized for their being. Learn more at Love Resists.
- Learn more about the anti-racist practice for expanded sanctuary, accompaniment, and resistance through the online course, Changing Systems, Changing Ourselves.
- Offer physical or expanded sanctuary: More information can be found at Love Resists and in the Sanctuary Toolkit.
