“A migrant is a person like everyone else,” Katia Bonté, migration justice leader and UUSC partner says. In a world where state powers work tirelessly to dehumanize people in migration, the fact of their humanity bears repeating. At UUSC, we know that migration is a human right. People in migration should be protected, supported, and championed.
International Migrants Day was established by the United Nations in 2000 to reaffirm the rights of people in migration and raise awareness about the challenges they face. Every December 18, we reflect on our partners’ migration justice work. Check out some highlights below and then make a contribution to support these essential organizations:
People in Migration Cultivate Joy with the Community Accompaniment Program for Asylum Seekers (CAPAS)
UUSC’s CAPAS initiative connects congregations and community groups with people seeking asylum. CAPAS volunteers accompany folks as they navigate an increasingly hostile legal system and find their footing in new communities. Rites of passage can be tricky for people in periods of transition, and two CAPAS congregations recently supported families in planning Quinceañeras. In one case, the CAPAS community partnered with another local congregation to make a traditional celebration possible. In the other case, the CAPAS family has made the difficult decision to self-deport due to state terror. This child chose to forego the cost of a traditional Quinceañera given the financial strain of moving. Instead, the CAPAS congregation threw an alternative event to honor the child’s momentous birthday — a pajama party. No matter the circumstances, CAPAS supports families in creating stability and belonging.
SOA Watch and the Border Patrol Victims Network Advocate for Justice
UUSC partner School of the Americas Watch and the Border Patrol Victims Network held a powerful convening this November called Fronteras de Lucha (Frontiers of Struggle). The event advocated against United States’ Border Patrol violence, commemorating the lives of individuals murdered in cross-border shootings. According to the Southern Border Communities Coalition, 351 people been killed by U.S. Border Patrol since 2010. No agent has ever been convicted of criminal wrongdoing while on duty. During Fronteras de Lucha, families of victims testified in front of the Mexican Senate. In addition to essential legal advocacy and strategy, families also took part in activities to promote healing and community connection.
National TPS Alliance Challenges the Department of Homeland Security
In partnership with several civil rights organizations, our partners at the National TPS Alliance have filed lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s unlawful attempts to strip Venezuelans and nationals of Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua of their Temporary Protected Status (TPS). These orders threaten the livelihoods of nearly 700,000 people. UUSC invites our members to take collective action in response to the administration’s attacks on TPS, as Haitians and people from Burma may now lose their protection as well. Stay tuned to our email alerts and join the Resistance Network to receive updates.
On this International Migrants Day, we reaffirm the simple fact that people in migration are people. We grieve that such a statement is necessary amid villainizing state rhetoric and violence. Humans have a right to migrate.
You have the opportunity to uplift the humanity of people in migration by supporting the work of UUSC partners. We invite you to make a contribution today that furthers migration justice in the U.S. and around the globe. Together, we can co-create a world where people in migration are safe, stable, and nourished.
