The following is the English transcript for the Solidarity with the Sojourner webinar:
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- Well, good evening,
everyone, and welcome
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to Solidarity with the Sojourner:
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Understanding US Immigration
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and Our call to Respond webinar.
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Before we dive into today's discussion,
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just a few housekeeping points.
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We have Spanish and ASL
interpretation available
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thanks to Pastor Audrey,
Pastor Leo, and Sarah Yates.
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To access interpretation in the Zoom room,
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please go to the bottom
toolbar in the Zoom,
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select the globe with the word
Interpretation underneath,
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and then choose your language.
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For those on YouTube, and
please be patient with us,
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we love technology in multiple ways,
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but sometimes it don't work.
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So please just be patient with us.
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So, Zoom folks, it will hopefully
be coming to you shortly.
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But for those who are on the YouTube,
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excuse me, I'm talking
to folks on the YouTube,
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Spanish translation will
only be shared via captions.
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And then at a later time,
the audio will be added.
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For question and answers,
please submit the questions
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using the box that's at the
bottom of the Zoom screen,
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for those of you in the Zoom room.
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For those of you who are
watching via YouTube,
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you can submit them in
the comments section.
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So there will be two
times, I repeat, two times,
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for question and answer.
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The first are in the legislative landscape
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and how the church can respond
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and then the second will be
from stories on the ground.
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So please submit those relevant questions
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after each presentation.
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And of course I will prompt you
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when you can submit
those questions as well.
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Please understand, so our attention
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is towards our discussion today.
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The chat is disabled.
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And just thank you for your
understanding with that.
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And then who am I?
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So I'm Reverend Laura Kigweba.
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I serve as the Director
of Grassroots Organizing
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at the General Board of Church and Society
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of the United Methodist Church.
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This webinar is co-organized
by many collaborators,
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the General Board of Church and Society,
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the General Commission
on Religion and Race,
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Immigration Law & Justice Network,
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the Council of Bishops
Immigration Task Force,
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El Plan for Hispanic
and Latino Ministries,
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United Methodist Communications,
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and with co-sponsorship from
the United Women in Faith
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and the United Methodist
Committee on Relief.
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Thank you all so much for your
help in making today happen.
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So we're grateful for our panelists
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to discuss both the
realities and the challenges
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of the US immigration system
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and our collective
responsibility as people of faith
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to uphold dignity and rights
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for those who are directly impacted
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and for all of us who are confronting
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and journeying with one
another through this time.
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And with so many avenues y'all
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to acquire information
in this world today,
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knowledge is knowing what is going on
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and also how things work.
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And this is the first
step to create change.
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And so this conversation today
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is about really the information
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and understanding how we
can use it to navigate
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this current climate.
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So I'd like to welcome our speakers,
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Bishop Julius C. Trimble,
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who's the General Secretary
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of the General Board
of Church and Society
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of the United Methodist Church.
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Welcome, Rev. Dr. Giovanni Arroyo,
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General Secretary of
the General Commission
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of Religion and Race of the
United Methodist Church.
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Rev. Kendal McBroom, Director
of Civil and Human Rights,
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the General Board of Church and Society
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of the United Methodist Church.
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We welcome Melissa Bowe
and Alba Jaramillo,
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co-executive directors
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of the Immigration Law & Justice Network.
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We welcome Rev. Dr. Lydia Munoz,
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the lead of the El Plan for
Hispanic and Latino Ministries.
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And Bishop Minerva G. Carcano,
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the Council of Bishop's Chair
of the Immigration Task Force.
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Thank you all for your
presence and leadership today.
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And thank you all who said
yes to joining us on the Zoom,
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on YouTube, everywhere.
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We need each of you and we're so grateful
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that you're here tonight.
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So with that, I will turn it
over to you, Bishop Trimble,
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for opening prayer and
our theological grounding.
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- Thank you, Laura.
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United Methodists affirm our
faith in the living God.
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God's grace is available to all.
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The Apostle Paul describes in
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Romans 8:38, "Nothing can separate us
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from God's love in Jesus Christ."
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So we declare all individuals,
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no matter their circumstances
or social standing,
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are entitled to basic
human rights and freedoms.
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We are not ambiguous or hesitant
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in affirming the dignity of migrants,
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immigrants, and refugees.
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We oppose all laws and policies
that attempt to criminalize
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or punish people because of their status.
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United Methodists are not in the business
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of giving up on people
in their time of need.
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Let me tell you why.
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God is not in the business
of giving up on people.
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Just yesterday, at Foundry
United Methodist Church,
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the pastor shared in her sermon,
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"No act of love is ever wasted.
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No act of justice goes unnoticed by God."
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The United Methodist's response
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is a response of compassion over cruelty.
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We as a church have been called
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to promote the dignity of every person
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and resist the temptation
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to embrace criminalization,
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incarceration, and mass deportation
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as these are somehow
best or only solutions
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to a complex issue of US Immigration.
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Mass deportations is incompatible
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with our recently
adopted Social Principles
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of the United Methodist Church.
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And many of the proposed actions
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of the current administration,
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including executive orders and policies,
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are deeply unchristian.
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Let me recite just a portion
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of our Social Principles on this matter.
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We affirm the dignity, worth,
and rights of migrants,
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immigrants, and refugees,
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including displaced and stateless people.
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We urge United Methodists,
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we urge United Methodists,
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to welcome migrants,
refugees, and immigrants
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into their congregations
and commit themselves
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to providing concrete support,
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including help with navigating restrictive
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and often lengthy immigration policies
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and assistance with securing
food, housing, education,
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employment, and other kinds of support.
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This is from the United
Methodist Social Principles:
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Migrants, Immigrants, and Refugees.
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The president's proposed plan
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to deport millions of immigrants
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highlights a question
of moral significance.
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If we claim that we want to do no harm
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and address the problem
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of undocumented immigrants in
the US, this is not the way.
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Jesus does not give us the
example of building walls
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and excluding the poor and
the sojourner on the move.
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Jesus does not foster faith and build hope
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by devaluing those who are
desperate or different.
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In fact, the Bible declares
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that the judgment of
nations is based on a choice
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of compassion over
cruelty and indifference,
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attentiveness and mercy over selfishness,
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grace over greed, and love over hatred.
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When folks were hungry,
the question will be,
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did we offer food?
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When they were thirsty,
were we there with water?
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A person sick or in prison, did we visit?
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If they needed clothes,
did we provide clothing?
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When we saw strangers or
those who were sojourning,
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did we welcome them?
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"Truly, I tell you,
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just as you did it to one
of at least of these,"
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Jesus declares,
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"Brothers and sisters of
mine, you did it to me."
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Henri Nouwen says on the matter of prayer,
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"When we pray for others,
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we are declaring in the presence of God
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that we are one family, we are siblings."
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So let us be in an attitude of prayer
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as we begin this time of conversation,
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and education, and commitment.
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Let us pray.
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God of grace and mercy,
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God who does not abandon us
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but abides with all of your children,
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that our words and our witness,
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that our weeping and our willingness,
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allow us to walk together,
to pray together,
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to stay together, to learn together,
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to struggle together.
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Let our love and your law
be magnified through us,
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that the church be edified.
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And let our neighbors be satisfied
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knowing that they are never alone.
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And at the end of this day, this night,
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may God be glorified in
our witness and our work.
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In Jesus' name we pray.
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Amen.
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- Amen.
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Thank you, Bishop Trimble,
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for your grounding prayer and words.
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I'm gonna turn it over to
Rev. Dr. Giovanni Arroyo.
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Welcome.
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- Thank you, Reverend Laura.
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Beloved siblings in Christ, it
is an honor to join you today
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as we engage in this vital
conversation about immigration,
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a topic that's not just
political or social
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but is deeply theological,
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as we just heard from Bishop Trimble.
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It is a call to faithfulness
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at the intersection of
religion, race, and culture.
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The United Methodist
Church, through the work
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of the General Commission
on Religion and Race,
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is committed into addressing
systemic injustice,
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dismantling racism, and ensuring
that our faith communities
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reflect the inclusive and
transformative love of Christ.
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When we talk about immigration,
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we must talk about it through this lens,
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understanding that immigration
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is not merely about policies
and borders but about people,
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our siblings in Christ
who bear the image of God.
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Scripture is very clear about God's call
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to care for the immigrants.
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And our faith is rooted in God,
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in a God who journeys with the displaced,
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the persecuted, and the outcast.
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But the question
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is not whether we should
engage in this work
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but how faithfully will we
respond to this divine call.
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Immigration is at the
intersection of race and culture.
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This is not just a theological issue,
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it is a racial justice issue.
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Immigration policies and enforcement
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disproportionately affect people of color.
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Xenophobia, racism, cultural biases
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shape the way immigrants are perceived
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and treated in our communities.
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And too often, Black and brown
immigrants are criminalized,
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their dignity diminished,
their humanity questioned.
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Policies that separate
families, detain children,
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deny asylum seeker safety
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are rooted in systems of oppression
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that we as disciples of Christ
are called to dismantle.
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As a church, we cannot be silent
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in the face of these injustices.
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We must actively engage
in the anti-racist work
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and challenge narrative
that dehumanize immigrants.
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The General Commission
on Religion and Race
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calls on us to recognize
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how racism intersects with immigration
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and to work toward a church in a world
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where all are welcomed, all are valued,
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all are treated with dignity.
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So we must challenge
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unjust immigration policies
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and amplify the voices of
those directly impacted.
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Our faith compels us to
speak truth to power.
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We must engage and ensure
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that our churches are
sanctuaries of welcome,
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where our immigrant siblings
find refuge and belonging.
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00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:59,760
We must be willing to
educate our congregations
264
00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:03,270
about immigration through
a racial justice lens,
265
00:14:03,270 --> 00:14:05,823
dismantling fear and
replacing it with love.
266
00:14:06,900 --> 00:14:10,950
We must stand alongside
immigrant community
267
00:14:10,950 --> 00:14:13,950
not as saviors
268
00:14:13,950 --> 00:14:18,303
but as co-laborers in God's
work of justice and liberation.
269
00:14:19,350 --> 00:14:20,940
We love it.
270
00:14:20,940 --> 00:14:23,010
This is our sacred calling.
271
00:14:23,010 --> 00:14:27,990
The work in justice is not
easy, but it is holy work.
272
00:14:27,990 --> 00:14:31,410
And as followers of
Christ, we must be bold,
273
00:14:31,410 --> 00:14:35,790
we must be faithful, and
we must be unwavering
274
00:14:35,790 --> 00:14:38,640
in our commitment to love our neighbors,
275
00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:42,570
especially those who the
world seeks to marginalize.
276
00:14:42,570 --> 00:14:46,200
So I invite us to walk
this journey with courage,
277
00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:48,510
with compassion, and with the conviction
278
00:14:48,510 --> 00:14:52,500
that every person, regardless
of where they come from,
279
00:14:52,500 --> 00:14:54,270
is beloved by God.
280
00:14:54,270 --> 00:14:58,413
May we be the church that
truly embodies that love.
281
00:14:59,790 --> 00:15:03,652
May God continue to bless us in this work.
282
00:15:03,652 --> 00:15:04,485
Amen.
283
00:15:07,890 --> 00:15:08,723
- Amen.
284
00:15:08,723 --> 00:15:10,260
Thank you, Rev. Dr. Arroyo,
285
00:15:10,260 --> 00:15:12,150
for those grounding words as well
286
00:15:12,150 --> 00:15:14,250
of making these connections.
287
00:15:14,250 --> 00:15:17,670
And now I will turn it over
to Rev. Kendal L. McBroom,
288
00:15:17,670 --> 00:15:19,020
the Director of Civil and Human Rights,
289
00:15:19,020 --> 00:15:21,750
to lay out this legislative landscape
290
00:15:21,750 --> 00:15:23,400
of then how as people of faith
291
00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:25,710
do we move with this understanding
292
00:15:25,710 --> 00:15:26,850
of these different lenses?
293
00:15:26,850 --> 00:15:27,840
How do we move?
294
00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:30,210
And then we will move directly
295
00:15:30,210 --> 00:15:32,580
into a conversation from Melissa and Alba
296
00:15:32,580 --> 00:15:34,830
from Immigration Law & Justice Network.
297
00:15:34,830 --> 00:15:36,330
Kendal, I turn it over to you.
298
00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:40,140
- Thank you, Reverend Laura.
299
00:15:40,140 --> 00:15:42,120
Throughout its history, the United States
300
00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:44,130
has shaped its immigration policies
301
00:15:44,130 --> 00:15:45,990
based on shifting economic,
302
00:15:45,990 --> 00:15:48,780
political, and racial considerations.
303
00:15:48,780 --> 00:15:51,330
While the country has
often celebrated itself
304
00:15:51,330 --> 00:15:53,190
as a nation of immigrants,
305
00:15:53,190 --> 00:15:56,100
it has simultaneously
enacted laws and policies
306
00:15:56,100 --> 00:15:57,870
that have criminalized immigration,
307
00:15:57,870 --> 00:16:01,353
particularly targeting specific
racial and ethnic groups.
308
00:16:03,150 --> 00:16:05,520
The roots of immigrant criminalization
309
00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:08,040
can be traced back to the 19th century,
310
00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:10,110
when the US began restricting immigration
311
00:16:10,110 --> 00:16:12,360
based on race and nationality.
312
00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:16,020
The Page Act of 1875 was one
of the earliest federal laws
313
00:16:16,020 --> 00:16:19,860
targeting immigrants,
effectively barring Chinese women
314
00:16:19,860 --> 00:16:22,890
under the pretext of
preventing prostitution.
315
00:16:22,890 --> 00:16:24,420
This law laid the groundwork
316
00:16:24,420 --> 00:16:27,840
for the more expansive
Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882,
317
00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:30,990
which prohibited Chinese laborers
from entering the country
318
00:16:30,990 --> 00:16:34,623
and set a precedent for
racialized immigration bans.
319
00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:38,280
Following the Chinese Exclusion Act,
320
00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:40,470
the Immigration Act of 1917
321
00:16:40,470 --> 00:16:43,350
introduced the concept of
the Asiatic Barred Zone,
322
00:16:43,350 --> 00:16:46,290
which restricted immigration
from a vast region,
323
00:16:46,290 --> 00:16:49,710
including mostly Asia
and the Pacific Islands.
324
00:16:49,710 --> 00:16:53,280
Additionally, the National
Origins Act of 1924
325
00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:54,690
established strict quotas
326
00:16:54,690 --> 00:16:57,090
that favored Western European immigrants
327
00:16:57,090 --> 00:17:00,300
while severely limiting or
entirely excluding immigrants
328
00:17:00,300 --> 00:17:03,780
from Southern and Eastern
Europe, Asia, and Africa.
329
00:17:03,780 --> 00:17:06,390
These early policies
criminalized immigration
330
00:17:06,390 --> 00:17:10,170
by associating certain
racial and ethnic groups
331
00:17:10,170 --> 00:17:13,173
with illegality and social undesirability.
332
00:17:14,580 --> 00:17:17,130
These continued through the 20th century.
333
00:17:17,130 --> 00:17:20,640
And the US government
increasingly used the legal system
334
00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:22,740
to categorize certain immigrant groups
335
00:17:22,740 --> 00:17:26,310
as threats to national
security and public order,
336
00:17:26,310 --> 00:17:30,480
from the Bracero Program from 1942 to 1964
337
00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:35,190
to the federal operation and
mass deportations of 1954,
338
00:17:35,190 --> 00:17:36,480
which resulted in the removal
339
00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:38,790
of over a million Mexican immigrants,
340
00:17:38,790 --> 00:17:40,773
often without due process.
341
00:17:41,670 --> 00:17:45,060
By the late 20th century, the
criminalization of immigration
342
00:17:45,060 --> 00:17:48,540
became deeply entrenched in
the US, as we've seen today,
343
00:17:48,540 --> 00:17:52,050
particularly through what was
the Illegal Immigration Reform
344
00:17:52,050 --> 00:17:55,083
and Immigrant Responsibility Act of '96.
345
00:17:55,950 --> 00:17:59,250
This legislation significantly
expanded the grounds
346
00:17:59,250 --> 00:18:02,880
for deportation, eliminated
many forms of judicial relief
347
00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:04,440
for undocumented immigrants,
348
00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:07,140
and established the
framework for collaboration
349
00:18:07,140 --> 00:18:08,730
between local law enforcement
350
00:18:08,730 --> 00:18:11,190
and federal immigration authorities.
351
00:18:11,190 --> 00:18:14,160
It also introduced the concept
of aggravated felonies,
352
00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:17,160
which disproportionately
affected immigrant communities
353
00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:22,160
by reclassifying minor infractions
as deportable offenses.
354
00:18:22,500 --> 00:18:25,950
In recent years, policy such
as the zero-tolerance policy
355
00:18:25,950 --> 00:18:27,960
under the Trump administration,
356
00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:31,680
which led to family separations
at the US-Mexico border,
357
00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:35,880
that has also signed off
on the Laken Riley Act,
358
00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:40,380
have further demonstrated
how immigration enforcement
359
00:18:40,380 --> 00:18:43,050
criminalizes migrants,
360
00:18:43,050 --> 00:18:46,353
particularly asylum seekers and refugees.
361
00:18:47,220 --> 00:18:51,210
The use of detention
centers, private prisons,
362
00:18:51,210 --> 00:18:55,230
and mass deportations
underscores a broader system
363
00:18:55,230 --> 00:18:59,910
that continues to treat
migration as a criminal act
364
00:18:59,910 --> 00:19:02,133
rather than as a human right.
365
00:19:03,450 --> 00:19:06,690
I bring up this information,
the history of immigration
366
00:19:06,690 --> 00:19:09,090
and the criminalization of immigration,
367
00:19:09,090 --> 00:19:12,840
to allow you to know that we
did not get here overnight,
368
00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:15,150
but by systems of administrations
369
00:19:15,150 --> 00:19:18,450
and a pattern of racial discrimination,
370
00:19:18,450 --> 00:19:20,373
we have arrived at this moment.
371
00:19:21,420 --> 00:19:23,010
The history of the criminalization
372
00:19:23,010 --> 00:19:24,600
of immigrants in the United States
373
00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:29,340
reflects a longstanding pattern
of exclusion and punishment
374
00:19:29,340 --> 00:19:33,330
shaped by racial, political,
and economic interests.
375
00:19:33,330 --> 00:19:37,620
From the Chinese Exclusion
Act to the Laken Riley Act,
376
00:19:37,620 --> 00:19:40,260
the US has repeatedly
used legal frameworks
377
00:19:40,260 --> 00:19:43,830
to control and marginalize
immigrant communities.
378
00:19:43,830 --> 00:19:47,130
Understanding this history
is crucial for advocating
379
00:19:47,130 --> 00:19:52,130
for a more just and humane
immigration policies
380
00:19:52,170 --> 00:19:54,600
that recognize the
dignity and contributions
381
00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:58,350
of all immigrants rather
than perpetuating cycles
382
00:19:58,350 --> 00:20:00,633
of criminalization and exclusion.
383
00:20:06,330 --> 00:20:08,040
- Thank you, Rev. Kendal McBroom,
384
00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:12,090
for just kind of making these connections.
385
00:20:12,090 --> 00:20:13,620
And now what do we do?
386
00:20:13,620 --> 00:20:15,930
How do we engage what has happened?
387
00:20:15,930 --> 00:20:18,000
And I wanna welcome Melissa and Alba
388
00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:20,460
from the Immigration Law & Justice Network
389
00:20:20,460 --> 00:20:23,520
to talk through the
current executive orders
390
00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:25,320
and how we can show up as a church.
391
00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:26,153
Thank you.
392
00:20:27,990 --> 00:20:28,823
- Thank you.
393
00:20:28,823 --> 00:20:31,830
I am so happy to be here and grateful
394
00:20:31,830 --> 00:20:33,720
for your participation.
395
00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:35,100
I'm Alba Jaramillo.
396
00:20:35,100 --> 00:20:38,490
I'm an immigration lawyer
and co-executive director
397
00:20:38,490 --> 00:20:41,760
of Immigration Law & Justice Network.
398
00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:44,970
I speak to you from the border in Arizona
399
00:20:44,970 --> 00:20:48,150
as a former undocumented person.
400
00:20:48,150 --> 00:20:49,290
Almost my entire life,
401
00:20:49,290 --> 00:20:52,710
my family and I have experienced firsthand
402
00:20:52,710 --> 00:20:54,150
what it's like to live in fear
403
00:20:54,150 --> 00:20:57,270
being detained by Border Patrol or ICE
404
00:20:57,270 --> 00:21:01,380
and consequently being
disappeared from this country.
405
00:21:01,380 --> 00:21:03,240
But my family was fortunate enough
406
00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:06,840
to eventually get our papers
through a family petition,
407
00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:09,990
even though that took over 20 years.
408
00:21:09,990 --> 00:21:13,560
The fear, the acute
stress, and the xenophobia
409
00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:17,070
that immigrant families are experiencing
410
00:21:17,070 --> 00:21:20,370
as ICE raids every city in America
411
00:21:20,370 --> 00:21:23,250
is sustained in our nation's history.
412
00:21:23,250 --> 00:21:26,130
It is cruel and it is immoral.
413
00:21:26,130 --> 00:21:29,820
We must speak out against the
detention, the deportation,
414
00:21:29,820 --> 00:21:32,850
and the separation of immigrant families.
415
00:21:32,850 --> 00:21:36,780
While immigration is
often a polarizing topic,
416
00:21:36,780 --> 00:21:40,230
we must never allow empathy and compassion
417
00:21:40,230 --> 00:21:43,470
to be left out of the
immigration conversation.
418
00:21:43,470 --> 00:21:45,750
Lives depend on it.
419
00:21:45,750 --> 00:21:49,110
We thank you for taking the
time to join this webinar
420
00:21:49,110 --> 00:21:51,510
and hope that you will
join the immigrant movement
421
00:21:51,510 --> 00:21:55,530
as an ally because it
is a moment to show up.
422
00:21:55,530 --> 00:21:56,850
And I'd like to introduce
423
00:21:56,850 --> 00:21:59,673
my co-executive director, Melissa Bowe.
424
00:22:00,690 --> 00:22:03,090
- Hi, everyone, nice to be here.
425
00:22:03,090 --> 00:22:04,350
Again, my name's Melissa Bowe.
426
00:22:04,350 --> 00:22:07,020
I'm the co-executive director with Alba.
427
00:22:07,020 --> 00:22:10,650
And we lead the Immigration
Law & Justice Network,
428
00:22:10,650 --> 00:22:14,430
which has a network of sites,
18 sites across the country,
429
00:22:14,430 --> 00:22:18,660
that provide free or low cost
immigration legal services.
430
00:22:18,660 --> 00:22:23,520
We are serving our most
marginalized immigrants
431
00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:25,050
in our communities.
432
00:22:25,050 --> 00:22:27,150
And we've been around for quite some time.
433
00:22:27,150 --> 00:22:29,940
We were actually founded
as a program of UMCOR,
434
00:22:29,940 --> 00:22:33,870
the United Methodist
Committee on Relief, in 1999
435
00:22:33,870 --> 00:22:38,793
and became our own
501c3 nonprofit in 2013.
436
00:22:40,050 --> 00:22:42,600
So that's all to say we
have deep Methodist roots.
437
00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:44,700
We're so proud of these roots.
438
00:22:44,700 --> 00:22:48,563
In fact, our work wouldn't be
possible today without UMCOR.
439
00:22:49,860 --> 00:22:54,300
So now Alba and I would
like to give you an overview
440
00:22:54,300 --> 00:22:55,710
of what we're facing.
441
00:22:55,710 --> 00:22:58,200
First, in immigration policy and law.
442
00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:01,140
We're gonna talk through these
executive orders with you.
443
00:23:01,140 --> 00:23:03,090
And then I'm gonna pass
it back over to Alba,
444
00:23:03,090 --> 00:23:06,690
and she's gonna speak specifically
about knowing our rights.
445
00:23:06,690 --> 00:23:08,910
Just by standing on US soil,
446
00:23:08,910 --> 00:23:11,580
we are afforded Fourth Amendment rights.
447
00:23:11,580 --> 00:23:13,890
It does not matter what your status is.
448
00:23:13,890 --> 00:23:16,530
We wanna make sure
everybody walks away today
449
00:23:16,530 --> 00:23:20,700
with clarity on that,
empowered with information,
450
00:23:20,700 --> 00:23:23,070
so we can act accordingly.
451
00:23:23,070 --> 00:23:26,430
So let's start with
these executive orders.
452
00:23:26,430 --> 00:23:30,360
On day one of the Trump
administration's second term,
453
00:23:30,360 --> 00:23:35,070
January 20th, Trump announced
a series of executive orders
454
00:23:35,070 --> 00:23:37,110
and an emergency declaration
455
00:23:37,110 --> 00:23:39,930
that expand the detention machine
456
00:23:39,930 --> 00:23:42,000
and our country's will and capacity
457
00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:45,393
to carry out mass deportations
against immigrants.
458
00:23:46,290 --> 00:23:49,800
Immigration and Customs
Enforcement, which we call ICE,
459
00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:53,790
is now raiding and detaining
immigrants across the country.
460
00:23:53,790 --> 00:23:56,130
Raids usually mean that ICE
461
00:23:56,130 --> 00:23:59,430
is arresting multiple
people at their homes,
462
00:23:59,430 --> 00:24:03,150
on the streets, in a public place,
463
00:24:03,150 --> 00:24:05,910
workplace, or business.
464
00:24:05,910 --> 00:24:08,730
We're seeing right now that
immigrant-owned businesses
465
00:24:08,730 --> 00:24:12,360
are particularly being targeted,
466
00:24:12,360 --> 00:24:17,360
as are businesses that are
known to employ immigrants.
467
00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:21,600
ICE is targeting immigrants who
have final orders of removal
468
00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:23,580
or maybe some criminal convictions.
469
00:24:23,580 --> 00:24:25,380
But really, the way this is playing out
470
00:24:25,380 --> 00:24:30,210
on the ground, everyone, is
that raids are being carried out
471
00:24:30,210 --> 00:24:33,330
as something that we
call collateral arrests,
472
00:24:33,330 --> 00:24:35,640
meaning anybody in the vicinity
473
00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:37,890
who is presumed to be undocumented
474
00:24:37,890 --> 00:24:40,923
is then targeted and
detained in the encounter.
475
00:24:43,650 --> 00:24:45,240
So that's one thing we're seeing.
476
00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:48,360
It's not just affecting undocumented folks
477
00:24:48,360 --> 00:24:50,010
with criminal histories.
478
00:24:50,010 --> 00:24:51,930
It is scooping up anyone,
479
00:24:51,930 --> 00:24:55,350
sometimes including
United States citizens.
480
00:24:55,350 --> 00:24:57,330
And something we like to point out
481
00:24:57,330 --> 00:25:00,420
is citizens cannot be deported.
482
00:25:00,420 --> 00:25:01,980
But if the government finds
483
00:25:01,980 --> 00:25:04,650
that someone obtained
citizenship through fraud,
484
00:25:04,650 --> 00:25:08,250
they can try to take away
United States citizenship.
485
00:25:08,250 --> 00:25:09,720
Okay, so that's one piece
486
00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:12,540
and that's within a few executive orders.
487
00:25:12,540 --> 00:25:14,040
Another executive order
488
00:25:14,040 --> 00:25:17,370
rescinds something called
the sensitive locations memo.
489
00:25:17,370 --> 00:25:20,070
A lot of you have had
questions about this.
490
00:25:20,070 --> 00:25:23,100
That memo was established in 2011,
491
00:25:23,100 --> 00:25:25,740
and it discouraged ICE from
entering certain places,
492
00:25:25,740 --> 00:25:29,490
like places of worship,
schools, hospitals.
493
00:25:29,490 --> 00:25:31,800
But now, through that executive order,
494
00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:35,250
we are seeing ICE enter these locations
495
00:25:35,250 --> 00:25:36,810
or wait in the parking lots
496
00:25:36,810 --> 00:25:39,930
to pursue immigrants of interest to them.
497
00:25:39,930 --> 00:25:43,530
The Fourth Amendment protects
a facility like a church
498
00:25:43,530 --> 00:25:46,110
from a warrantless search, okay?
499
00:25:46,110 --> 00:25:50,610
And staff at your facilities
can deny ICE entry
500
00:25:50,610 --> 00:25:54,240
unless they present a warrant
with a signature of a judge
501
00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:58,020
that lists the precise
location of the facility.
502
00:25:58,020 --> 00:25:59,910
Now, don't worry, we're
gonna go more into this.
503
00:25:59,910 --> 00:26:02,700
We're gonna show you what a
judicial warrant looks like
504
00:26:02,700 --> 00:26:05,430
as compared to these tricky
administrative warrants
505
00:26:05,430 --> 00:26:06,690
that they're presenting.
506
00:26:06,690 --> 00:26:09,603
But I'm gonna move on now to
a few other executive orders.
507
00:26:10,950 --> 00:26:12,970
Multiple executive orders
508
00:26:14,190 --> 00:26:18,690
essentially closed the Southern
border to almost everyone.
509
00:26:18,690 --> 00:26:22,020
They prevent arrival of
immigrants to the country.
510
00:26:22,020 --> 00:26:24,000
They end various parole programs
511
00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:26,190
that allowed people to enter the country
512
00:26:26,190 --> 00:26:28,290
and live and work temporarily,
513
00:26:28,290 --> 00:26:31,590
like parole programs for
immigrants from Cuba,
514
00:26:31,590 --> 00:26:34,920
Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
515
00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:38,820
We're also seeing that the
CBP One app is not functional.
516
00:26:38,820 --> 00:26:41,250
All appointments have been canceled.
517
00:26:41,250 --> 00:26:45,360
In addition, the Remain in
Mexico program has restarted,
518
00:26:45,360 --> 00:26:48,630
which forces people seeking
asylum to remain in Mexico
519
00:26:48,630 --> 00:26:51,150
while their asylum case is ongoing.
520
00:26:51,150 --> 00:26:54,360
The military is now sending 1,500 troops
521
00:26:54,360 --> 00:26:56,250
and military equipment to the border
522
00:26:56,250 --> 00:26:59,940
to enforce this more
or less border closure.
523
00:26:59,940 --> 00:27:03,090
So that sits within a
few executive orders.
524
00:27:03,090 --> 00:27:05,010
We have a separate executive order
525
00:27:05,010 --> 00:27:07,530
that challenges birthright citizenship.
526
00:27:07,530 --> 00:27:10,320
It essentially instructs
government agencies
527
00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:13,650
to stop issuing citizenship
documents like passports
528
00:27:13,650 --> 00:27:16,110
to children born inside the United States
529
00:27:16,110 --> 00:27:19,560
on or after February 19th, 2025
530
00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:21,870
if the father was not
a United States citizen
531
00:27:21,870 --> 00:27:23,310
or a lawful permanent resident
532
00:27:23,310 --> 00:27:27,360
and the mother is undocumented
or has temporary status,
533
00:27:27,360 --> 00:27:30,450
such as like a student or work visa.
534
00:27:30,450 --> 00:27:33,000
But something we wanna
make sure is clear tonight
535
00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:37,860
is that on January 23rd,
so just a little while ago,
536
00:27:37,860 --> 00:27:39,870
this directive was put on pause
537
00:27:39,870 --> 00:27:44,310
at least temporarily for 14
days by a federal court judge.
538
00:27:44,310 --> 00:27:46,230
The judge called the executive order
539
00:27:46,230 --> 00:27:48,240
blatantly unconstitutional
540
00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:50,970
because the Fourteenth
Amendment to the Constitution
541
00:27:50,970 --> 00:27:54,750
guarantees that everyone
born in the United States
542
00:27:54,750 --> 00:27:56,610
is a United States citizen.
543
00:27:56,610 --> 00:27:57,810
So there is an injunction,
544
00:27:57,810 --> 00:27:59,610
and we're gonna see how this plays out.
545
00:27:59,610 --> 00:28:01,710
And we need you all to stay tuned
546
00:28:01,710 --> 00:28:04,530
to make sure that we're clear and informed
547
00:28:04,530 --> 00:28:07,833
about how this particular
executive order is playing out.
548
00:28:09,150 --> 00:28:11,790
Last but certainly not least,
549
00:28:11,790 --> 00:28:13,560
we wanna make sure it's clear tonight
550
00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:15,690
that immigration legal relief
551
00:28:15,690 --> 00:28:18,540
in and of itself has diminished.
552
00:28:18,540 --> 00:28:20,340
That means more and more people
553
00:28:20,340 --> 00:28:24,000
are gonna be falling
into undocumented status.
554
00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:25,530
You may have heard something on the news
555
00:28:25,530 --> 00:28:27,990
about Temporary Protected Status.
556
00:28:27,990 --> 00:28:30,990
We believe that this form
of relief for immigrants
557
00:28:30,990 --> 00:28:33,300
is gonna slowly disappear
558
00:28:33,300 --> 00:28:35,490
for all countries that are protected
559
00:28:35,490 --> 00:28:37,740
because the Trump administration
560
00:28:37,740 --> 00:28:40,560
will not renew TPS designations
561
00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:43,590
as the renewal date comes up, okay?
562
00:28:43,590 --> 00:28:46,860
So as soon as that happens,
as soon as it's not relieved,
563
00:28:46,860 --> 00:28:49,203
they lose their protection immediately.
564
00:28:51,690 --> 00:28:54,870
We're gonna keep everyone up
to date on these expirations.
565
00:28:54,870 --> 00:28:59,670
We've already seen a challenge
to TPS for Venezuelans
566
00:28:59,670 --> 00:29:03,753
who were recently granted
Temporary Protected Status.
567
00:29:04,770 --> 00:29:08,460
But please be aware that
more and more communities
568
00:29:08,460 --> 00:29:12,030
who have TPS may very
well lose their status
569
00:29:12,030 --> 00:29:14,403
and fall into undocumented status.
570
00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:19,500
Now, we really hope we're
wrong on this next one, okay?
571
00:29:19,500 --> 00:29:21,630
We hope we are wrong.
572
00:29:21,630 --> 00:29:23,970
But we think that the Trump administration
573
00:29:23,970 --> 00:29:28,170
might also take away the
DACA program as well,
574
00:29:28,170 --> 00:29:32,970
which means hundreds of thousands
of folks with DACA status
575
00:29:32,970 --> 00:29:34,710
who've been submitting for their renewals
576
00:29:34,710 --> 00:29:37,293
would fall into
undocumented status as well.
577
00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:42,930
Lastly, the Trump administration
recently released a rule
578
00:29:42,930 --> 00:29:46,920
that expands expedited
removal effective immediately.
579
00:29:46,920 --> 00:29:48,210
So what is that?
580
00:29:48,210 --> 00:29:49,440
It means that the government
581
00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:52,230
can now use a fast track process
582
00:29:52,230 --> 00:29:55,440
to deport undocumented
immigrants who cross the border
583
00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:57,630
between ports of entry.
584
00:29:57,630 --> 00:30:00,180
Ports of entry are like
designated locations
585
00:30:00,180 --> 00:30:03,660
where you're allowed or
lawfully enter the country.
586
00:30:03,660 --> 00:30:07,560
So if you enter between
those places and cannot prove
587
00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:10,440
that you've been in the
country for at least two years
588
00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:11,823
before an arrest,
589
00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:16,500
you're put into a speedy proceeding
590
00:30:16,500 --> 00:30:18,630
where you do not have the opportunity
591
00:30:18,630 --> 00:30:20,610
to bring your case forward
592
00:30:20,610 --> 00:30:23,370
and you are deported from the country.
593
00:30:23,370 --> 00:30:25,770
Now we know that immigrants
rights organizations
594
00:30:25,770 --> 00:30:29,070
have sued to stop the implementation
595
00:30:29,070 --> 00:30:31,950
of the expansion of expedited removal.
596
00:30:31,950 --> 00:30:34,650
And we're gonna follow
this lawsuit closely.
597
00:30:34,650 --> 00:30:37,440
So we really encourage all of you here
598
00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:40,650
to keep up with the news, okay?
599
00:30:40,650 --> 00:30:44,520
To please join our newsletter,
follow our organization.
600
00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:47,280
We are following these
injunctions closely,
601
00:30:47,280 --> 00:30:49,860
these executive orders closely.
602
00:30:49,860 --> 00:30:51,960
And one of the tools
of this administration,
603
00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:54,330
and we learned this the last time,
604
00:30:54,330 --> 00:30:58,713
is they release policy
announcements usually on Fridays,
605
00:30:59,610 --> 00:31:01,320
many at a time.
606
00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:04,293
And one of the strategies
for this is to exhaust us.
607
00:31:05,291 --> 00:31:09,090
It is exhausting, it is chaotic,
it is emotionally violent.
608
00:31:09,090 --> 00:31:12,510
So the best thing we can
do here is stay connected,
609
00:31:12,510 --> 00:31:16,410
stay in community, and keep ourselves,
610
00:31:16,410 --> 00:31:19,320
each other up to date, ask questions,
611
00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:21,690
so we're all armed and informed
612
00:31:21,690 --> 00:31:23,940
to be able to meet the moment.
613
00:31:23,940 --> 00:31:26,610
And this moment requires so much of us.
614
00:31:26,610 --> 00:31:28,950
I'm now gonna turn it over to Alba,
615
00:31:28,950 --> 00:31:31,983
who will speak about your
Fourth Amendment rights.
616
00:31:33,750 --> 00:31:37,020
- Well, we know that there are
likely to be impacted people
617
00:31:37,020 --> 00:31:40,470
on this call, and that is
why we wanted to address
618
00:31:40,470 --> 00:31:43,380
basic know-your-rights information.
619
00:31:43,380 --> 00:31:48,380
First and foremost, the
Constitution is the law of the land.
620
00:31:48,450 --> 00:31:50,370
And the Fourth Amendment protection
621
00:31:50,370 --> 00:31:51,930
against search and seizure
622
00:31:51,930 --> 00:31:54,420
applies to everyone in this country
623
00:31:54,420 --> 00:31:57,210
regardless of their immigration status.
624
00:31:57,210 --> 00:32:01,110
So this is what you need to
know if you're stopped by ICE,
625
00:32:01,110 --> 00:32:02,970
Immigration and Customs Enforcement,
626
00:32:02,970 --> 00:32:05,430
or anyone acting as their proxies,
627
00:32:05,430 --> 00:32:10,430
which could be US Marshals,
FBI, or local law enforcement.
628
00:32:12,270 --> 00:32:15,210
If an immigrant is detained on the street
629
00:32:15,210 --> 00:32:17,250
and they're undocumented,
630
00:32:17,250 --> 00:32:21,090
first of all, make sure you
understand your state law
631
00:32:21,090 --> 00:32:24,210
on what information you have to provide.
632
00:32:24,210 --> 00:32:27,450
Some states require that
you provide your name only,
633
00:32:27,450 --> 00:32:29,910
others require that you
provide your address,
634
00:32:29,910 --> 00:32:32,220
and some states will require
635
00:32:32,220 --> 00:32:34,890
that you provide a copy of an ID.
636
00:32:34,890 --> 00:32:38,280
You do not have to answer
any questions whatsoever
637
00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:40,860
about your immigration status.
638
00:32:40,860 --> 00:32:45,090
You may simply respond by saying,
"I wish to remain silent."
639
00:32:45,090 --> 00:32:48,690
And you should ask, "Am I free to leave?"
640
00:32:48,690 --> 00:32:51,330
If you are detained in a car,
641
00:32:51,330 --> 00:32:54,420
you may ask why you were detained.
642
00:32:54,420 --> 00:32:58,950
Law enforcement must have
a valid reason for a stop.
643
00:32:58,950 --> 00:33:01,140
Some states do allow people to drive
644
00:33:01,140 --> 00:33:04,740
with a foreign driver's
license, but not all.
645
00:33:04,740 --> 00:33:07,410
If you don't have a
valid driver's license,
646
00:33:07,410 --> 00:33:10,320
never provide fraudulent paperwork
647
00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:12,690
'cause that will create more problems.
648
00:33:12,690 --> 00:33:15,360
And again, do not answer any questions
649
00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:17,610
about immigration status
650
00:33:17,610 --> 00:33:22,383
and exercise your constitutional
right to remain silent.
651
00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:26,040
If ICE shows up at your home
652
00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:29,910
and if you are undocumented
during these political times,
653
00:33:29,910 --> 00:33:32,310
keep your door closed at all times.
654
00:33:32,310 --> 00:33:35,250
I know that this is
not what we usually do,
655
00:33:35,250 --> 00:33:38,400
but undocumented immigrants are at risk
656
00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:41,310
and it is really important
to keep the door closed.
657
00:33:41,310 --> 00:33:44,820
Do not open the door to
anyone you do not know.
658
00:33:44,820 --> 00:33:49,260
If ICE tells you that they
have a warrant for your arrest,
659
00:33:49,260 --> 00:33:51,870
ask them to slip the
warrant under the door
660
00:33:51,870 --> 00:33:55,020
or ask them to show it through a window.
661
00:33:55,020 --> 00:33:57,990
90% of the time, ICE will show up
662
00:33:57,990 --> 00:34:02,990
with what is actually an
administrative warrant for arrest.
663
00:34:03,450 --> 00:34:06,450
This is a document that
they signed themselves.
664
00:34:06,450 --> 00:34:08,160
It is not reviewed by a judge,
665
00:34:08,160 --> 00:34:11,370
and therefore they do not
have the legal permission
666
00:34:11,370 --> 00:34:15,270
to enter your home and arrest
without a judicial warrant.
667
00:34:15,270 --> 00:34:18,753
If we can see the example of
a judicial warrant, Melissa.
668
00:34:20,520 --> 00:34:23,970
So this is the difference
between a judicial warrant
669
00:34:23,970 --> 00:34:26,490
and an administrative warrant.
670
00:34:26,490 --> 00:34:28,650
On the left, you'll see
the judicial warrant.
671
00:34:28,650 --> 00:34:33,650
And you will see that it
has a signature by a judge.
672
00:34:34,230 --> 00:34:38,400
It has the actual name of the court.
673
00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:40,650
It often has, it's always
gonna have, actually,
674
00:34:40,650 --> 00:34:42,450
the case docket number.
675
00:34:42,450 --> 00:34:44,100
It's going to have a name
676
00:34:44,100 --> 00:34:45,690
and it's going to have an address.
677
00:34:45,690 --> 00:34:50,610
But more importantly, it is
always signed by a judge.
678
00:34:50,610 --> 00:34:53,850
On the right, you will see
an administrative warrant.
679
00:34:53,850 --> 00:34:55,260
An administrative warrant
680
00:34:55,260 --> 00:34:58,500
is going to say Department
of Homeland Security.
681
00:34:58,500 --> 00:35:00,153
It might say ICE.
682
00:35:01,020 --> 00:35:04,830
It might say Department of Justice.
683
00:35:04,830 --> 00:35:08,133
And it's always signed by
an immigration official,
684
00:35:10,260 --> 00:35:11,160
not a judge.
685
00:35:11,160 --> 00:35:13,050
So they will trick you.
686
00:35:13,050 --> 00:35:15,540
They will say that they
have a warrant for arrest,
687
00:35:15,540 --> 00:35:18,510
but it is a form that they
have filled out themselves
688
00:35:18,510 --> 00:35:20,280
and signed themselves.
689
00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:23,760
This does not allow ICE
or any of their proxies
690
00:35:23,760 --> 00:35:28,760
to enter your home, or
any private business,
691
00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:31,350
or the private locations of a church,
692
00:35:31,350 --> 00:35:33,633
which I will get to in just a second.
693
00:35:34,560 --> 00:35:38,490
But do know that what ICE
calls as an arrest warrant
694
00:35:38,490 --> 00:35:42,873
is not a valid warrant to
enter private property.
695
00:35:44,070 --> 00:35:49,070
So you may be asking, what
if ICE shows up at my church?
696
00:35:49,770 --> 00:35:53,910
While churches are semi-public places,
697
00:35:53,910 --> 00:35:55,680
they're still private property
698
00:35:55,680 --> 00:35:58,740
and you can ask for a judicial warrant.
699
00:35:58,740 --> 00:36:01,740
If the officer does not
have a judicial warrant,
700
00:36:01,740 --> 00:36:03,870
you can ask them to leave.
701
00:36:03,870 --> 00:36:06,030
It's really important in church settings
702
00:36:06,030 --> 00:36:10,320
to have designated private
spaces with closed doors
703
00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:12,420
and also proper signage.
704
00:36:12,420 --> 00:36:14,910
Areas that are considered public places
705
00:36:14,910 --> 00:36:18,480
can be the waiting rooms, the sanctuaries,
706
00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:20,010
or the parking lots.
707
00:36:20,010 --> 00:36:21,300
Most of the time,
708
00:36:21,300 --> 00:36:24,570
ICE is going to be
surveilling a parking lot.
709
00:36:24,570 --> 00:36:26,940
And do know that they're not showing up
710
00:36:26,940 --> 00:36:29,700
in ICE official attire.
711
00:36:29,700 --> 00:36:32,160
They're showing up wearing normal clothes
712
00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:34,590
and driving normal cars.
713
00:36:34,590 --> 00:36:37,620
So if you see suspicious behavior,
714
00:36:37,620 --> 00:36:39,750
especially in your church parking lot,
715
00:36:39,750 --> 00:36:42,570
you should go ask what
they're doing there.
716
00:36:42,570 --> 00:36:45,630
And if it turns out that
it's an ICE official,
717
00:36:45,630 --> 00:36:48,540
you may ask them to leave,
and they must leave.
718
00:36:48,540 --> 00:36:51,480
They cannot remain in in the parking lot
719
00:36:51,480 --> 00:36:54,360
because it's still private property.
720
00:36:54,360 --> 00:36:57,120
There are many things that
faith leaders can do right now
721
00:36:57,120 --> 00:37:00,360
to help immigrants during
these difficult times.
722
00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:03,990
First of all, show up
in organizing spaces.
723
00:37:03,990 --> 00:37:07,140
Build partnerships with
community organizers.
724
00:37:07,140 --> 00:37:09,240
You don't have to reinvent the wheel.
725
00:37:09,240 --> 00:37:11,130
There's already organizations
726
00:37:11,130 --> 00:37:13,521
doing know-your-rights trainings
727
00:37:13,521 --> 00:37:15,480
and organizing at the local level
728
00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:18,360
to fight against mass deportation.
729
00:37:18,360 --> 00:37:21,273
Attend rallies, marches, protests.
730
00:37:22,560 --> 00:37:24,960
Organize a faith leaders press conference.
731
00:37:24,960 --> 00:37:27,510
We're actually doing that
here in Arizona this week
732
00:37:27,510 --> 00:37:29,280
for Valentine's Day.
733
00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:33,600
Draft letters to the editors,
draft position statements.
734
00:37:33,600 --> 00:37:36,570
Please donate to immigration nonprofits
735
00:37:36,570 --> 00:37:38,820
and grassroots organizers.
736
00:37:38,820 --> 00:37:41,700
Right now, our federal funding is at risk.
737
00:37:41,700 --> 00:37:44,760
It is likely we are going to lose funding
738
00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:46,590
for immigration legal services,
739
00:37:46,590 --> 00:37:50,970
so please consider giving to an ILJ site,
740
00:37:50,970 --> 00:37:52,290
to our national office,
741
00:37:52,290 --> 00:37:56,520
or to your local immigration
justice organization.
742
00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:58,710
Create healing spaces.
743
00:37:58,710 --> 00:38:02,790
Faith leaders are experts at
providing emotional support.
744
00:38:02,790 --> 00:38:05,190
Or partner with mental health experts.
745
00:38:05,190 --> 00:38:08,550
Actually, at a local church
here, in a couple of weeks,
746
00:38:08,550 --> 00:38:11,430
we'll be holding an
emotional support conference
747
00:38:11,430 --> 00:38:13,980
for impacted immigrants.
748
00:38:13,980 --> 00:38:16,410
Help immigrants create safety plans.
749
00:38:16,410 --> 00:38:19,470
You can partner with family law attorneys
750
00:38:19,470 --> 00:38:23,250
and help immigrants fill
out power of attorneys
751
00:38:23,250 --> 00:38:24,810
should they be deported
752
00:38:24,810 --> 00:38:28,350
so that the children
could have a caregiver.
753
00:38:28,350 --> 00:38:30,510
You can help them fill
out power of attorneys
754
00:38:30,510 --> 00:38:32,790
for their financial resources
755
00:38:32,790 --> 00:38:35,370
and help them create emergency plans
756
00:38:35,370 --> 00:38:37,200
should they be detained.
757
00:38:37,200 --> 00:38:40,170
Meet with local, state,
and federal legislators
758
00:38:40,170 --> 00:38:42,990
and demand that they do not participate
759
00:38:42,990 --> 00:38:45,000
with mass deportation.
760
00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:49,320
Mass deportation can only
happen if localities,
761
00:38:49,320 --> 00:38:54,320
if local law enforcement, if
local legislators allow it.
762
00:38:54,510 --> 00:38:56,610
And please guard your parking lots.
763
00:38:56,610 --> 00:39:00,180
These are very dangerous places.
764
00:39:00,180 --> 00:39:02,850
Right now, we're seeing that ICE
765
00:39:02,850 --> 00:39:05,580
is often at church parking lots
766
00:39:05,580 --> 00:39:08,250
or at the parking lots of businesses.
767
00:39:08,250 --> 00:39:10,890
But it is the moment to step up.
768
00:39:10,890 --> 00:39:14,820
It is the moment to show up
for your immigrant community
769
00:39:14,820 --> 00:39:16,230
and their safety.
770
00:39:16,230 --> 00:39:19,380
And their wellbeing will depend on it.
771
00:39:19,380 --> 00:39:20,213
Thank you.
772
00:39:20,213 --> 00:39:21,603
And now back to Laura.
773
00:39:24,240 --> 00:39:25,073
- Wow.
774
00:39:27,180 --> 00:39:28,440
Y'all, I just wanna name,
775
00:39:28,440 --> 00:39:32,190
there are over a thousand
people on this call,
776
00:39:32,190 --> 00:39:34,893
300 still in the waiting room.
777
00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:38,343
May you know that you are not alone.
778
00:39:39,600 --> 00:39:41,880
Yes, that was a lot of information,
779
00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:45,420
but that is the knowledge that we need to,
780
00:39:45,420 --> 00:39:47,910
one, know what is going on,
781
00:39:47,910 --> 00:39:50,280
know how things work,
782
00:39:50,280 --> 00:39:54,570
and to figure out how in our capacity,
783
00:39:54,570 --> 00:39:58,800
in my ability, can I get
involved to create the change
784
00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:03,210
that our community, our
church, and world needs,
785
00:40:03,210 --> 00:40:05,190
which is we need you to show up right now,
786
00:40:05,190 --> 00:40:06,693
just as Alba just named.
787
00:40:09,180 --> 00:40:12,030
We're gonna move into a
time of question and answer.
788
00:40:12,030 --> 00:40:16,050
There's already a couple of
questions that came through.
789
00:40:16,050 --> 00:40:20,850
Okay, I'm hearing that the
webinar is now live on Facebook.
790
00:40:20,850 --> 00:40:24,840
Shout out to the UMCOM
team for making it work.
791
00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:26,433
We give you thanks.
792
00:40:28,350 --> 00:40:32,370
And we will figure out how to
get that link out to you all.
793
00:40:32,370 --> 00:40:35,910
If you registered, we'll get
that link out to you all.
794
00:40:35,910 --> 00:40:39,360
And since we are a community
that is resourced together,
795
00:40:39,360 --> 00:40:41,460
if you already have that link,
796
00:40:41,460 --> 00:40:45,690
as Alba said, organizing is a
way to share these resources.
797
00:40:45,690 --> 00:40:48,900
So we invite you, if you
find that Facebook link,
798
00:40:48,900 --> 00:40:51,990
pass it on to your neighbor,
share it on your Facebook.
799
00:40:51,990 --> 00:40:53,940
If you're the admin of
your church Facebook,
800
00:40:53,940 --> 00:40:55,830
go ahead and share it.
801
00:40:55,830 --> 00:40:58,980
And we can make sure
that that gets around.
802
00:40:58,980 --> 00:41:00,270
Wonderful.
803
00:41:00,270 --> 00:41:02,760
Just wanna see if there's
any other updates.
804
00:41:02,760 --> 00:41:05,250
Okay, so let's jump into a, time,
805
00:41:05,250 --> 00:41:07,320
this is the first time
of question and answer.
806
00:41:07,320 --> 00:41:10,440
And then after Rev. Dr. Munoz shares,
807
00:41:10,440 --> 00:41:12,810
we'll have a second time
of question and answer.
808
00:41:12,810 --> 00:41:16,590
So for you, Melissa and Alba,
809
00:41:16,590 --> 00:41:19,530
I have a couple of
questions, as well as Kendal.
810
00:41:19,530 --> 00:41:21,123
Just give me a second.
811
00:41:22,432 --> 00:41:23,265
Okay.
812
00:41:29,200 --> 00:41:31,653
Okay, this question goes
to Alba and Melissa.
813
00:41:33,420 --> 00:41:37,890
The sign saying church
is off limits to ICE,
814
00:41:37,890 --> 00:41:39,150
does it accomplish anything,
815
00:41:39,150 --> 00:41:42,930
especially when sanctuary
is open for public worship?
816
00:41:42,930 --> 00:41:45,063
What should churches do instead?
817
00:41:47,160 --> 00:41:51,060
- I do think the signage
is very important.
818
00:41:51,060 --> 00:41:55,500
In the resources, we did
share a sample signage.
819
00:41:55,500 --> 00:41:58,890
I would encourage you, if
you're going to put up signs,
820
00:41:58,890 --> 00:42:03,420
to make it applicable to all
law enforcement, not just ICE,
821
00:42:03,420 --> 00:42:08,420
because ICE will also work
with law enforcement partners.
822
00:42:09,862 --> 00:42:12,090
And I do wanna mention that you also have
823
00:42:12,090 --> 00:42:14,850
the First Amendment right to film.
824
00:42:14,850 --> 00:42:19,380
So if you film ICE doing these harms,
825
00:42:19,380 --> 00:42:22,083
you know, that serves also as a deterrent.
826
00:42:24,026 --> 00:42:28,050
So, yes, signage is really important.
827
00:42:28,050 --> 00:42:32,370
And that actually creates
a reasonable expectation
828
00:42:32,370 --> 00:42:35,880
of privacy and a deterrence.
829
00:42:35,880 --> 00:42:37,500
- I'll also just add
830
00:42:37,500 --> 00:42:41,250
that you can get together with your church
831
00:42:41,250 --> 00:42:45,360
and create a team that's
gonna prepare for this moment.
832
00:42:45,360 --> 00:42:47,340
So, yes, you might have a sign.
833
00:42:47,340 --> 00:42:51,240
And then who on that
team, maybe it's a pair,
834
00:42:51,240 --> 00:42:55,563
I often need a buddy, is
gonna be brave and say,
835
00:42:57,187 --> 00:43:00,397
"You must present a judicial
warrant to enter today."
836
00:43:00,397 --> 00:43:01,260
"I'm so sorry.
837
00:43:01,260 --> 00:43:02,100
Please stand here.
838
00:43:02,100 --> 00:43:03,630
I must see a judicial warrant."
839
00:43:03,630 --> 00:43:05,850
And then if they hand you something,
840
00:43:05,850 --> 00:43:08,910
again, this is very
counterintuitive for me,
841
00:43:08,910 --> 00:43:11,820
but how do I summon up that bravery
842
00:43:11,820 --> 00:43:15,330
to take five minutes to
really look at something,
843
00:43:15,330 --> 00:43:17,430
even if my hands are shaking,
844
00:43:17,430 --> 00:43:19,113
and then say, "I'm so sorry.
845
00:43:21,480 --> 00:43:23,100
I don't see a judge's signature.
846
00:43:23,100 --> 00:43:25,020
This is not a judicial warrant.
847
00:43:25,020 --> 00:43:28,410
You are not permitted to
come into the church today."
848
00:43:28,410 --> 00:43:31,410
So, you know, there are
multiple steps here,
849
00:43:31,410 --> 00:43:32,640
between the sign,
850
00:43:32,640 --> 00:43:37,323
but then also being human
bodies in the front,
851
00:43:38,790 --> 00:43:40,863
invoking your constitutional rights.
852
00:43:41,790 --> 00:43:43,620
- Thank you so much.
853
00:43:43,620 --> 00:43:45,090
Thank you both.
854
00:43:45,090 --> 00:43:47,820
Okay, and I'll open this question
855
00:43:47,820 --> 00:43:51,540
to Melissa, Alba, and Kendal.
856
00:43:51,540 --> 00:43:54,150
So the question is, is
the Trump administration
857
00:43:54,150 --> 00:43:59,003
legally permitted to use the
information provided by DACA
858
00:43:59,003 --> 00:44:00,570
and TPS applicants
859
00:44:00,570 --> 00:44:03,483
to initiate deportation
proceedings against them?
860
00:44:08,370 --> 00:44:10,140
- I think that's a really,
861
00:44:10,140 --> 00:44:11,820
well, that's a really good question
862
00:44:11,820 --> 00:44:13,650
and it's really hard to answer.
863
00:44:13,650 --> 00:44:16,620
What we're seeing from
the Trump administration
864
00:44:16,620 --> 00:44:21,060
is that unconstitutional
things will be demanded,
865
00:44:21,060 --> 00:44:23,970
including taking away
birthright citizenship.
866
00:44:23,970 --> 00:44:27,870
So we do expect, I know that here locally,
867
00:44:27,870 --> 00:44:32,400
our DACA organizers are
already preparing for that
868
00:44:32,400 --> 00:44:35,760
in having disclosed the
identity of their parents.
869
00:44:35,760 --> 00:44:40,530
So, yes, I would not put it
past the Trump administration.
870
00:44:40,530 --> 00:44:45,530
And also even sharing the
identities of migrants
871
00:44:45,540 --> 00:44:49,260
who have used ITIN numbers,
individual tax IDs,
872
00:44:49,260 --> 00:44:51,633
from the IRS to work.
873
00:44:54,708 --> 00:44:55,541
- [Laura] Thank you.
874
00:44:56,557 --> 00:44:58,140
And then, Kendal and Melissa,
875
00:44:58,140 --> 00:45:00,040
did you wanna add on anything to that?
876
00:45:02,460 --> 00:45:05,670
- Nothing, just to emphasize,
as Alba has shared,
877
00:45:05,670 --> 00:45:08,220
I think, you know, we are
seeing a lot of things
878
00:45:08,220 --> 00:45:12,750
that are, I would say,
under normal circumstances
879
00:45:12,750 --> 00:45:15,780
would be considered and
would be known to be,
880
00:45:15,780 --> 00:45:18,243
without any question, unconstitutional.
881
00:45:19,110 --> 00:45:22,830
But we are dealing with a
different administration,
882
00:45:22,830 --> 00:45:27,360
a different term, a different
second term, if you will.
883
00:45:27,360 --> 00:45:32,360
So I believe, as Alba
and Melissa have shared,
884
00:45:32,700 --> 00:45:34,230
it's important to be on guard.
885
00:45:34,230 --> 00:45:35,850
It's important to be aware
886
00:45:35,850 --> 00:45:38,433
because things are changing
on a day-to-day basis.
887
00:45:39,330 --> 00:45:42,633
Lawsuits will be a major thing.
888
00:45:43,763 --> 00:45:48,763
And so just to be aware
and stay up to date
889
00:45:48,900 --> 00:45:50,523
on the most recent information.
890
00:45:52,196 --> 00:45:53,867
- Thank you, thank you, thank you all.
891
00:45:53,867 --> 00:45:57,300
So the last question that I have is,
892
00:45:57,300 --> 00:45:59,730
what is the status of Native Americans,
893
00:45:59,730 --> 00:46:03,660
especially those living off
their tribal reservations?
894
00:46:03,660 --> 00:46:06,993
If there's any examples that
we can name or offer there.
895
00:46:08,040 --> 00:46:09,990
And I'll open that to the three of you.
896
00:46:12,690 --> 00:46:14,880
- Well, I can say that it's,
897
00:46:14,880 --> 00:46:18,060
you know, Native Americans of course are,
898
00:46:18,060 --> 00:46:21,840
due to being native, are US citizens.
899
00:46:21,840 --> 00:46:24,933
But I do believe, you know,
here, I'm at the border,
900
00:46:27,192 --> 00:46:30,810
and their constitutional
rights as US citizens
901
00:46:30,810 --> 00:46:32,700
are being challenged.
902
00:46:32,700 --> 00:46:37,700
And especially with tribes
that are split by the wall,
903
00:46:38,160 --> 00:46:42,439
and that now we're seeing that
the wall will be finished,
904
00:46:42,439 --> 00:46:44,490
and now that immigration enforcement
905
00:46:44,490 --> 00:46:46,860
and that our border is being militarized,
906
00:46:46,860 --> 00:46:49,950
those families, those tribes
907
00:46:49,950 --> 00:46:51,300
that are split by the border
908
00:46:51,300 --> 00:46:54,630
will have an even harder time
visiting their loved ones
909
00:46:54,630 --> 00:46:56,220
and will have a harder time
910
00:46:56,220 --> 00:46:58,413
going back and forth across the border.
911
00:47:02,490 --> 00:47:03,393
- Thank you, Alba.
912
00:47:05,220 --> 00:47:07,590
Well, we know that you
all have many questions.
913
00:47:07,590 --> 00:47:09,180
Thank you.
914
00:47:09,180 --> 00:47:11,040
Continue to submit them.
915
00:47:11,040 --> 00:47:13,710
But we do have to move on.
916
00:47:13,710 --> 00:47:15,480
And we will gather your questions
917
00:47:15,480 --> 00:47:18,630
and for those happy to answer them
918
00:47:18,630 --> 00:47:21,510
and put them on the ResourceUMC page,
919
00:47:21,510 --> 00:47:25,530
where the toolkit that
Alba and Melissa shared
920
00:47:25,530 --> 00:47:28,110
from Immigration Law & Justice
network will be shared,
921
00:47:28,110 --> 00:47:30,600
as well as for Church and Society.
922
00:47:30,600 --> 00:47:33,180
We do have civic engagement resources.
923
00:47:33,180 --> 00:47:36,630
And almost every organization on this call
924
00:47:36,630 --> 00:47:40,020
has deeper resources to walk alongside you
925
00:47:40,020 --> 00:47:41,460
as you're engaging in this work.
926
00:47:41,460 --> 00:47:44,550
And so those resources will be shared
927
00:47:44,550 --> 00:47:48,990
to the ResourceUMC page,
as well as a recording.
928
00:47:48,990 --> 00:47:52,830
So trust everything will be captured
929
00:47:52,830 --> 00:47:54,510
and shared in a timely way.
930
00:47:54,510 --> 00:47:57,360
So again, Melissa, Kendal, Alba,
931
00:47:57,360 --> 00:48:01,050
thank you so much for what you've offered,
932
00:48:01,050 --> 00:48:04,020
for this call to action
that you have named
933
00:48:04,020 --> 00:48:06,390
and ways that we can live
into it as people of faith.
934
00:48:06,390 --> 00:48:08,190
So thank you.
935
00:48:08,190 --> 00:48:13,190
And with that, I want to
bring Rev. Dr. Lydia Munoz
936
00:48:13,440 --> 00:48:15,510
to really provide us further context
937
00:48:15,510 --> 00:48:17,250
of what this looks like at a local level
938
00:48:17,250 --> 00:48:18,390
in a local congregation.
939
00:48:18,390 --> 00:48:19,743
So welcome in.
940
00:48:21,600 --> 00:48:22,923
- Thank you.
941
00:48:24,118 --> 00:48:27,240
(Lydia speaking in foreign language)
942
00:48:27,240 --> 00:48:30,870
from El Plan for Hispanic Latino ministry.
943
00:48:30,870 --> 00:48:34,410
As you know, El Plan is one
of six ethnic ministry plans
944
00:48:34,410 --> 00:48:36,120
of our beloved church.
945
00:48:36,120 --> 00:48:39,720
And I know that in speaking
with all of my colleagues
946
00:48:39,720 --> 00:48:44,720
who also direct these ethnic plans,
947
00:48:44,970 --> 00:48:47,700
they are responding with prayer and action
948
00:48:47,700 --> 00:48:51,960
during this critical moment,
in solidarity with one another.
949
00:48:51,960 --> 00:48:55,870
Because although it seems that
this moment is unprecedented
950
00:48:58,165 --> 00:48:59,610
and unlike any other,
951
00:48:59,610 --> 00:49:03,780
the truth is that in so
many immigrant communities,
952
00:49:03,780 --> 00:49:07,290
as we have heard, this
is part of a long history
953
00:49:07,290 --> 00:49:11,280
of anti-immigrant sentiment
that has been a part
954
00:49:11,280 --> 00:49:14,250
of the sociopolitical
rhetoric of this country
955
00:49:14,250 --> 00:49:16,290
and around the globe.
956
00:49:16,290 --> 00:49:18,210
So we have faced this before.
957
00:49:18,210 --> 00:49:20,250
We have been here before.
958
00:49:20,250 --> 00:49:23,550
Perhaps not at the scale,
and the brazenness,
959
00:49:23,550 --> 00:49:26,670
and the hostility that we
are currently witnessing
960
00:49:26,670 --> 00:49:30,720
in our communities, not with
the level of intimidation
961
00:49:30,720 --> 00:49:34,173
or misinformation, confusion, and fear.
962
00:49:35,010 --> 00:49:39,840
However, I have to say that
our immigrant communities
963
00:49:39,840 --> 00:49:44,130
are as resilient as ever,
964
00:49:44,130 --> 00:49:46,930
because we know that the
(speaking in foreign language),
965
00:49:48,090 --> 00:49:51,213
the Divine Sojourner, walks with us.
966
00:49:52,170 --> 00:49:55,320
Some of the ways that we have
been responding in this moment
967
00:49:55,320 --> 00:49:58,710
is by providing space for
the community to gather
968
00:49:58,710 --> 00:50:00,720
and to share their concerns,
969
00:50:00,720 --> 00:50:03,930
their fears, their prayer requests.
970
00:50:03,930 --> 00:50:08,930
Sunday services have been
turned into a time of lament,
971
00:50:09,570 --> 00:50:12,783
of prayer, and of mutual support.
972
00:50:13,680 --> 00:50:16,380
Right now, pastors are gathering
973
00:50:16,380 --> 00:50:20,760
and spending time in discernment
with their leadership
974
00:50:20,760 --> 00:50:24,030
as to whether or not to
move worship celebrations
975
00:50:24,030 --> 00:50:28,020
to a digital platform in
order to mitigate fear,
976
00:50:28,020 --> 00:50:32,010
as well as the very real movement of ICE
977
00:50:32,010 --> 00:50:34,773
and other forces in their communities.
978
00:50:35,790 --> 00:50:37,230
Some of these gatherings
979
00:50:37,230 --> 00:50:40,230
are not just at the local church setting
980
00:50:40,230 --> 00:50:45,230
but in the community, as a parish would,
981
00:50:45,240 --> 00:50:47,670
within the community that they live,
982
00:50:47,670 --> 00:50:50,520
trying to collaborate and work together
983
00:50:50,520 --> 00:50:53,070
with other congregations,
984
00:50:53,070 --> 00:50:56,673
as well as other community support.
985
00:50:57,870 --> 00:50:59,790
The important thing to understand
986
00:50:59,790 --> 00:51:03,390
is that for many of the pastors,
987
00:51:03,390 --> 00:51:08,100
I'll speak specifically from
the El Plan's perspective,
988
00:51:08,100 --> 00:51:11,610
pastors serving
Hispanic-Latino congregations,
989
00:51:11,610 --> 00:51:15,480
is that along with providing
support to their constituents,
990
00:51:15,480 --> 00:51:18,690
they too are directly impacted
991
00:51:18,690 --> 00:51:22,260
and find themselves just as vulnerable
992
00:51:22,260 --> 00:51:25,110
as many of the communities they serve.
993
00:51:25,110 --> 00:51:28,350
So in many ways, our pastors,
994
00:51:28,350 --> 00:51:31,860
our CLMs from immigrant communities
995
00:51:31,860 --> 00:51:34,620
that are serving immigrant communities,
996
00:51:34,620 --> 00:51:37,980
carry a double burden
for their congregations,
997
00:51:37,980 --> 00:51:41,193
as well as for their
own personal families.
998
00:51:42,600 --> 00:51:45,600
Now, one of the things
that we say at El Plan
999
00:51:45,600 --> 00:51:50,600
is that EL Plan, the ethnic
plans, are the church's plans.
1000
00:51:51,930 --> 00:51:54,750
When we say immigrant congregations,
1001
00:51:54,750 --> 00:51:57,880
we need to remind ourselves that these
1002
00:51:59,190 --> 00:52:04,190
are our fellow members of
the United Methodist Church.
1003
00:52:04,530 --> 00:52:06,360
They're not a separate entity.
1004
00:52:06,360 --> 00:52:09,810
They are us and we are them.
1005
00:52:09,810 --> 00:52:13,680
Together, we need to respond
1006
00:52:13,680 --> 00:52:14,957
as (speaking in foreign language).
1007
00:52:17,190 --> 00:52:20,160
I'm blessed to be partnered with agencies
1008
00:52:20,160 --> 00:52:21,780
participating at this webinar
1009
00:52:21,780 --> 00:52:24,390
to continue to provide resourcing
1010
00:52:24,390 --> 00:52:28,890
and information for our
clergy and for our leaders
1011
00:52:28,890 --> 00:52:32,253
as together we navigate
this difficult time.
1012
00:52:33,300 --> 00:52:36,390
Information sessions, know your rights,
1013
00:52:36,390 --> 00:52:39,030
all of these things are being provided
1014
00:52:39,030 --> 00:52:40,893
together in collaboration.
1015
00:52:42,090 --> 00:52:43,050
Now here's a way,
1016
00:52:43,050 --> 00:52:47,910
I know some of you asked
these questions in the Q&A,
1017
00:52:47,910 --> 00:52:51,630
here are some ways that
you can provide support.
1018
00:52:51,630 --> 00:52:53,163
Here's one way.
1019
00:52:54,660 --> 00:52:59,520
One of the ways that we use in
the plan is a little process
1020
00:52:59,520 --> 00:53:03,736
called see, discern, collaborate,
1021
00:53:03,736 --> 00:53:07,920
(speaking in foreign language).
1022
00:53:07,920 --> 00:53:11,250
This means that this is an intentional way
1023
00:53:11,250 --> 00:53:14,040
for you to develop relationship
1024
00:53:14,040 --> 00:53:18,420
with congregations,
1025
00:53:18,420 --> 00:53:20,913
immigrant congregations,
and neighborhoods.
1026
00:53:22,200 --> 00:53:26,760
It's a way for you to maybe
spend some time listening,
1027
00:53:26,760 --> 00:53:30,210
being involved with them
but in a listening capacity,
1028
00:53:30,210 --> 00:53:33,330
where you're learning from
them what is going on,
1029
00:53:33,330 --> 00:53:36,780
how they are reacting,
what are their needs,
1030
00:53:36,780 --> 00:53:40,590
and spending time together in discernment,
1031
00:53:40,590 --> 00:53:43,140
what's the best way to move forward.
1032
00:53:43,140 --> 00:53:46,953
And then finally, taking a
position of collaboration.
1033
00:53:47,880 --> 00:53:52,260
It's important that as we move together
1034
00:53:52,260 --> 00:53:56,970
to lend support and in our
eagerness to lend support,
1035
00:53:56,970 --> 00:53:59,250
we follow a good rule.
1036
00:53:59,250 --> 00:54:00,933
This is the rule that I follow.
1037
00:54:01,830 --> 00:54:04,020
It's that in any of this work,
1038
00:54:04,020 --> 00:54:07,113
we follow the lead of those most impacted.
1039
00:54:08,010 --> 00:54:11,940
As I shared before,
immigrants are resourceful.
1040
00:54:11,940 --> 00:54:15,240
They are resilient and have the audacity
1041
00:54:15,240 --> 00:54:19,830
to continue to dream and hope
even when it seems hopeless.
1042
00:54:19,830 --> 00:54:24,240
So a good rule is to take a cue
1043
00:54:24,240 --> 00:54:26,193
from the community itself.
1044
00:54:27,390 --> 00:54:29,280
Be in partnership.
1045
00:54:29,280 --> 00:54:30,990
Maybe perhaps the people
1046
00:54:30,990 --> 00:54:33,900
that need to be checking
out the parking lot,
1047
00:54:33,900 --> 00:54:36,300
as our sister Alba shared,
1048
00:54:36,300 --> 00:54:40,110
are the people who have
decided to become an ally
1049
00:54:40,110 --> 00:54:42,150
to this congregation.
1050
00:54:42,150 --> 00:54:45,870
Maybe that is a way that you can step in.
1051
00:54:45,870 --> 00:54:48,390
But with everything,
1052
00:54:48,390 --> 00:54:51,420
always, always check in with the community
1053
00:54:51,420 --> 00:54:54,960
that you are willing to collaborate with
1054
00:54:54,960 --> 00:54:57,243
and willing to be an ally with.
1055
00:54:58,260 --> 00:55:01,260
There are so many ways in
which you can provide support
1056
00:55:01,260 --> 00:55:03,930
and so many ways that, in this moment,
1057
00:55:03,930 --> 00:55:07,570
in this moment, we are
called to bear witness
1058
00:55:08,490 --> 00:55:12,750
to God's love, God's compassion,
1059
00:55:12,750 --> 00:55:15,780
and the justice
1060
00:55:15,780 --> 00:55:19,320
that all of us are looking for
1061
00:55:19,320 --> 00:55:21,603
as we build the beloved community.
1062
00:55:23,280 --> 00:55:27,600
I know that's a little bit
of a larger conversation,
1063
00:55:27,600 --> 00:55:31,380
but I wanted us to be clear
1064
00:55:31,380 --> 00:55:35,070
that although this is a very fearful time,
1065
00:55:35,070 --> 00:55:38,850
although this is a very difficult time,
1066
00:55:38,850 --> 00:55:43,850
we know that we have been
through difficulties before
1067
00:55:44,940 --> 00:55:49,940
and that God is indeed with
us as we do this good work.
1068
00:55:51,735 --> 00:55:56,310
(Lydia speaking in foreign language)
1069
00:55:56,310 --> 00:55:58,710
- Thank you so much, Rev. Dr. Munoz,
1070
00:55:58,710 --> 00:56:00,450
for really providing the application
1071
00:56:00,450 --> 00:56:02,370
on what it looks like in a local context,
1072
00:56:02,370 --> 00:56:05,100
but then also how does that expand
1073
00:56:05,100 --> 00:56:07,380
to the community that we are,
1074
00:56:07,380 --> 00:56:10,290
that this is not an us
versus them conversation,
1075
00:56:10,290 --> 00:56:13,050
this is a we conversation,
a collective we.
1076
00:56:13,050 --> 00:56:15,930
So thank you for naming
that and giving us examples
1077
00:56:15,930 --> 00:56:19,860
of how to live into this reality
1078
00:56:19,860 --> 00:56:21,240
of being a beloved community.
1079
00:56:21,240 --> 00:56:22,260
So thank you.
1080
00:56:22,260 --> 00:56:24,303
So I do have one question.
1081
00:56:25,680 --> 00:56:27,420
And I can as well open this
1082
00:56:27,420 --> 00:56:29,970
to our colleagues on the call as well,
1083
00:56:29,970 --> 00:56:33,390
but I want to direct it to
you first, Rev. Dr. Munoz.
1084
00:56:33,390 --> 00:56:36,393
So the question comes
from a rural context,
1085
00:56:37,572 --> 00:56:39,000
and more questions are coming,
1086
00:56:39,000 --> 00:56:42,030
but the first one is, as
a pastor in a rural area,
1087
00:56:42,030 --> 00:56:45,240
whose population strongly supports
1088
00:56:45,240 --> 00:56:47,010
the current administration's policies,
1089
00:56:47,010 --> 00:56:49,503
including some in our congregation,
1090
00:56:50,550 --> 00:56:52,893
hold on one second,
1091
00:56:53,790 --> 00:56:57,330
how can we successfully
address the UMC's position
1092
00:56:57,330 --> 00:57:00,750
in the Social Principles
in a Christ-like way?
1093
00:57:00,750 --> 00:57:02,610
So let me repeat that
question one more time.
1094
00:57:02,610 --> 00:57:04,500
So as a pastor in a rural congregation,
1095
00:57:04,500 --> 00:57:06,540
whose population strongly supports
1096
00:57:06,540 --> 00:57:09,270
the current administration's policies,
1097
00:57:09,270 --> 00:57:12,030
including some in our congregation,
1098
00:57:12,030 --> 00:57:15,780
how can we successfully
address the UMC's position
1099
00:57:15,780 --> 00:57:19,320
in the Social Principles
in a Christ-like way?
1100
00:57:19,320 --> 00:57:20,610
And I'll turn that over to you,
1101
00:57:20,610 --> 00:57:22,260
as well as Bishop Trimble too.
1102
00:57:22,260 --> 00:57:23,970
- Sure.
1103
00:57:23,970 --> 00:57:26,340
So I think that there's no,
1104
00:57:26,340 --> 00:57:30,783
one thing is to have policy,
and to have statements,
1105
00:57:32,670 --> 00:57:34,650
which are very needed.
1106
00:57:34,650 --> 00:57:36,240
And then all of a sudden,
1107
00:57:36,240 --> 00:57:39,210
what happens when we take this policy
1108
00:57:39,210 --> 00:57:44,210
and we connect it to someone
we have a relationship with,
1109
00:57:44,670 --> 00:57:47,490
someone that we know their first name,
1110
00:57:47,490 --> 00:57:49,500
someone that we know their family's name?
1111
00:57:49,500 --> 00:57:52,770
And so this is what I mean
about creating community
1112
00:57:52,770 --> 00:57:57,770
and engaging in that see,
discern, and collaborate,
1113
00:57:58,140 --> 00:58:00,510
because it is a process of developing.
1114
00:58:00,510 --> 00:58:03,750
It's much different to
talk about immigration
1115
00:58:03,750 --> 00:58:06,000
from the 30,000 foot level,
1116
00:58:06,000 --> 00:58:08,610
but it's way different
when you talk about,
1117
00:58:08,610 --> 00:58:13,260
oh, this is our neighbor.
1118
00:58:13,260 --> 00:58:17,100
This is the person across
the street from me.
1119
00:58:17,100 --> 00:58:20,280
This is the person that
comes to our church.
1120
00:58:20,280 --> 00:58:23,490
Or this is the person
that has family members.
1121
00:58:23,490 --> 00:58:28,020
And I think creating these connections
1122
00:58:28,020 --> 00:58:31,860
are really important when explaining
1123
00:58:31,860 --> 00:58:35,040
and delving deep into
the Social Principles.
1124
00:58:35,040 --> 00:58:37,980
So the Social Principles give us a guide,
1125
00:58:37,980 --> 00:58:42,210
and give us policy, and give
us these incredible gifts,
1126
00:58:42,210 --> 00:58:43,800
these tools that they give us,
1127
00:58:43,800 --> 00:58:47,010
but they become real and incarnational
1128
00:58:47,010 --> 00:58:50,193
when we connect them to our neighbors.
1129
00:58:51,990 --> 00:58:53,160
- Thank you, Rev. Dr. Munoz.
1130
00:58:53,160 --> 00:58:56,010
And, Bishop Trimble,
are you able to come on
1131
00:58:56,010 --> 00:58:57,690
and also respond to that question as well?
1132
00:58:57,690 --> 00:58:58,523
Thank you.
1133
00:58:59,970 --> 00:59:04,020
- That is question that
has probably been asked
1134
00:59:04,020 --> 00:59:07,053
by many people, and so
thank you for the question.
1135
00:59:08,100 --> 00:59:10,110
Sometimes I say when it's difficult
1136
00:59:10,110 --> 00:59:13,770
to really promote the Social Principles,
1137
00:59:13,770 --> 00:59:15,000
it should never be difficult
1138
00:59:15,000 --> 00:59:17,640
to promote the gospel of Jesus Christ.
1139
00:59:17,640 --> 00:59:20,640
And so, if you preach the
gospel of Jesus Christ,
1140
00:59:20,640 --> 00:59:21,903
the love of neighbor,
1141
00:59:23,940 --> 00:59:26,193
the Wesleyan heritage of grace,
1142
00:59:27,450 --> 00:59:32,450
then you'll be able to
even help people navigate
1143
00:59:33,420 --> 00:59:36,060
the whole notion of fear,
the fear of the other,
1144
00:59:36,060 --> 00:59:38,940
the fear of our neighbors.
1145
00:59:38,940 --> 00:59:43,320
And Jesus had a very expansive
definition of neighbor.
1146
00:59:43,320 --> 00:59:47,220
And so I often say you
don't have to preach
1147
00:59:47,220 --> 00:59:49,140
the Social Principles.
1148
00:59:49,140 --> 00:59:52,983
These are statements that the
church has said we affirm.
1149
00:59:54,000 --> 00:59:57,360
But we can't let people avoid the reality
1150
00:59:57,360 --> 01:00:00,150
and sometimes the hard truth of the gospel
1151
01:00:00,150 --> 01:00:03,370
that really cause us
to look beyond our fear
1152
01:00:04,758 --> 01:00:06,777
and really lean into a better
understanding of faith.
1153
01:00:06,777 --> 01:00:09,270
And I think what Dr. Munoz said,
1154
01:00:09,270 --> 01:00:13,080
relative to if we can connect
it with relationships,
1155
01:00:13,080 --> 01:00:17,280
tell stories about
relationships with real people.
1156
01:00:17,280 --> 01:00:20,010
And sometime people have a
very narrow understanding
1157
01:00:20,010 --> 01:00:23,190
of who immigrants are.
1158
01:00:23,190 --> 01:00:27,060
And it's really a lot more inclusive
1159
01:00:27,060 --> 01:00:30,390
than we often give voice to.
1160
01:00:30,390 --> 01:00:33,060
So I would say you never have to abandon
1161
01:00:33,060 --> 01:00:34,473
the gospel preaching.
1162
01:00:35,880 --> 01:00:38,100
The Social Principles are helpful,
1163
01:00:38,100 --> 01:00:39,890
but they're not our first tool.
1164
01:00:44,130 --> 01:00:45,690
- Thank you so much, Bishop Trimble,
1165
01:00:45,690 --> 01:00:48,240
as well as Rev. Dr. Munoz.
1166
01:00:48,240 --> 01:00:52,710
And just coming through, just
looking at our time as well,
1167
01:00:52,710 --> 01:00:57,710
there are two questions that
I kind of want to address
1168
01:00:58,080 --> 01:01:00,540
for the time that we have.
1169
01:01:00,540 --> 01:01:05,100
So the first question is
for you, Rev. Dr. Munoz.
1170
01:01:05,100 --> 01:01:07,740
And then the second
question, I'll open it up.
1171
01:01:07,740 --> 01:01:09,480
And maybe for the sake of time,
1172
01:01:09,480 --> 01:01:12,480
I'm just gonna read both
questions to you all
1173
01:01:12,480 --> 01:01:14,550
and then we'll just move through it.
1174
01:01:14,550 --> 01:01:15,383
So this is the first.
1175
01:01:15,383 --> 01:01:18,270
Should churches stop video feeds
1176
01:01:18,270 --> 01:01:20,910
during times such as holy communion?
1177
01:01:20,910 --> 01:01:23,670
Is the church's online platform aiding ICE
1178
01:01:23,670 --> 01:01:26,820
or at least making it easier for them
1179
01:01:26,820 --> 01:01:29,580
to search the congregation?
1180
01:01:29,580 --> 01:01:30,960
That's the first question.
1181
01:01:30,960 --> 01:01:32,220
And then the second question,
1182
01:01:32,220 --> 01:01:36,240
I do wanna open it up to Melissa and Alba,
1183
01:01:36,240 --> 01:01:40,170
around further explanation
1184
01:01:40,170 --> 01:01:43,440
for the reason to set aside private spaces
1185
01:01:43,440 --> 01:01:45,600
in church buildings,
1186
01:01:45,600 --> 01:01:49,503
and making some connections to,
1187
01:01:56,130 --> 01:01:59,790
those private spaces, can
they be used as sanctuary?
1188
01:01:59,790 --> 01:02:03,570
So the first question, related
to holy communion service,
1189
01:02:03,570 --> 01:02:08,570
the second question, related
to further explanation
1190
01:02:08,910 --> 01:02:13,050
of the importance of churches
setting aside private spaces,
1191
01:02:13,050 --> 01:02:14,430
and if those private spaces,
1192
01:02:14,430 --> 01:02:16,770
such as a sanctuary or parsonage,
1193
01:02:16,770 --> 01:02:18,600
can those be used as sanctuary?
1194
01:02:18,600 --> 01:02:21,900
So I wanna start with Rev. Dr. Munoz
1195
01:02:21,900 --> 01:02:24,630
in regards to the live
streaming of the holy communion,
1196
01:02:24,630 --> 01:02:26,610
and then we'll go to the
second part of the question.
1197
01:02:26,610 --> 01:02:27,443
Thank you all.
1198
01:02:28,530 --> 01:02:29,880
- Thank you.
1199
01:02:29,880 --> 01:02:32,640
So I would definitely say
1200
01:02:32,640 --> 01:02:36,540
that we are United Methodists
1201
01:02:36,540 --> 01:02:40,200
and communion is an important tool
1202
01:02:40,200 --> 01:02:43,350
of gathering the community and a way
1203
01:02:43,350 --> 01:02:47,193
in which we become (speaking
in foreign language), no?
1204
01:02:48,240 --> 01:02:51,060
And so I would also say
1205
01:02:51,060 --> 01:02:53,280
that in this moment that we're living in,
1206
01:02:53,280 --> 01:02:56,160
I think the discernment process
1207
01:02:56,160 --> 01:02:58,770
needs to include information
1208
01:02:58,770 --> 01:03:03,420
around how you can protect
your streaming services, right,
1209
01:03:03,420 --> 01:03:08,103
how you can create safety around,
1210
01:03:09,060 --> 01:03:13,690
you know, streaming and
also maybe intentional ways
1211
01:03:19,084 --> 01:03:20,340
of creating safety
1212
01:03:20,340 --> 01:03:25,080
around how we focus our camera
1213
01:03:25,080 --> 01:03:28,050
when we're streaming services,
1214
01:03:28,050 --> 01:03:31,050
whether we're protecting children,
whether we're protecting,
1215
01:03:31,050 --> 01:03:34,050
on these platforms that are much more,
1216
01:03:34,050 --> 01:03:36,780
you know, available for everyone.
1217
01:03:36,780 --> 01:03:38,760
So just being careful with that.
1218
01:03:38,760 --> 01:03:42,660
Get information around how that is,
1219
01:03:42,660 --> 01:03:44,130
whether you're using Facebook,
1220
01:03:44,130 --> 01:03:46,410
whether you're using other ways.
1221
01:03:46,410 --> 01:03:47,940
Just get information.
1222
01:03:47,940 --> 01:03:50,703
Protect the most vulnerable
is what I always say.
1223
01:03:51,720 --> 01:03:55,110
And even your announcements
1224
01:03:55,110 --> 01:03:58,200
as you are using, you
know, a streaming space
1225
01:03:58,200 --> 01:03:59,610
to do announcements.
1226
01:03:59,610 --> 01:04:01,530
Remember that those too
1227
01:04:01,530 --> 01:04:05,910
can also carry to other dimensions.
1228
01:04:05,910 --> 01:04:08,550
And so we need to be intentional
1229
01:04:08,550 --> 01:04:11,530
about how we're making
announcements of service
1230
01:04:12,600 --> 01:04:16,980
that doesn't bring attention
to the very community
1231
01:04:16,980 --> 01:04:18,540
that we're trying to serve.
1232
01:04:18,540 --> 01:04:21,850
So those are some ways that I would use
1233
01:04:23,370 --> 01:04:25,173
in your local congregations.
1234
01:04:30,630 --> 01:04:31,980
- Thank you, Rev. Dr. Munoz.
1235
01:04:31,980 --> 01:04:33,630
And I'll turn it over to you, Melissa.
1236
01:04:33,630 --> 01:04:35,460
And I'll go for the second
part of the question
1237
01:04:35,460 --> 01:04:38,160
around further explanation
of the importance
1238
01:04:38,160 --> 01:04:41,190
of protecting those private spaces,
1239
01:04:41,190 --> 01:04:43,500
and then if those private spaces
1240
01:04:43,500 --> 01:04:45,210
can be used as sanctuary.
1241
01:04:45,210 --> 01:04:46,230
Thank you.
1242
01:04:46,230 --> 01:04:47,070
- Yeah, of course.
1243
01:04:47,070 --> 01:04:50,190
So we did have our consulting
attorneys in our network.
1244
01:04:50,190 --> 01:04:53,970
So these are some of our most
senior immigration attorneys.
1245
01:04:53,970 --> 01:04:55,770
And I'm gonna stress
immigration attorneys.
1246
01:04:55,770 --> 01:04:58,320
We are not constitutional law experts.
1247
01:04:58,320 --> 01:05:00,183
But this is how we read the law.
1248
01:05:01,290 --> 01:05:05,820
When designating private
spaces within a public space,
1249
01:05:05,820 --> 01:05:08,370
like a church or a school,
1250
01:05:08,370 --> 01:05:10,920
I know somebody out
there works at a school
1251
01:05:10,920 --> 01:05:12,603
and had some great questions,
1252
01:05:15,930 --> 01:05:19,260
private spaces are a bit more protected.
1253
01:05:19,260 --> 01:05:21,570
Now, listen, we can't guarantee anything.
1254
01:05:21,570 --> 01:05:23,550
We're gonna see how this plays out.
1255
01:05:23,550 --> 01:05:26,070
This is us taking what we know
1256
01:05:26,070 --> 01:05:29,853
and charting a path
forward the best we can.
1257
01:05:30,690 --> 01:05:34,110
We know that a sanctuary
space in a church,
1258
01:05:34,110 --> 01:05:37,530
or let's say a kitchen
space, a waiting room,
1259
01:05:37,530 --> 01:05:41,640
these would reasonably be
considered public spaces.
1260
01:05:41,640 --> 01:05:43,350
Anyone can come in and out.
1261
01:05:43,350 --> 01:05:46,983
Yet, a classroom in a church,
an office in a church,
1262
01:05:47,820 --> 01:05:52,740
maybe there's a afterschool
program that's a larger space,
1263
01:05:52,740 --> 01:05:55,540
but it's in the back of the
facility with a closed door,
1264
01:05:56,400 --> 01:05:57,840
that would be considered,
1265
01:05:57,840 --> 01:06:02,280
that is easier to consider a private space
1266
01:06:02,280 --> 01:06:04,020
rather than a public space.
1267
01:06:04,020 --> 01:06:06,720
I just can't stand here
and guarantee to you today
1268
01:06:06,720 --> 01:06:09,540
that if you do a few things
for your sanctuary space,
1269
01:06:09,540 --> 01:06:12,390
that's gonna be considered
private and protected
1270
01:06:12,390 --> 01:06:13,563
from a raid.
1271
01:06:14,795 --> 01:06:16,800
We don't have all of the answers,
1272
01:06:16,800 --> 01:06:21,760
but we know that those private
designated spaces in a church
1273
01:06:22,890 --> 01:06:25,890
could be and should be more protected
1274
01:06:25,890 --> 01:06:28,050
than the designated private areas.
1275
01:06:28,050 --> 01:06:32,520
So you might wanna consider,
what is our practice
1276
01:06:32,520 --> 01:06:36,480
if we learn that ICE is at
the door presenting a warrant?
1277
01:06:36,480 --> 01:06:40,860
It might be to move vulnerable
people to these other spaces,
1278
01:06:40,860 --> 01:06:44,403
the pastor's office, the ESL room,
1279
01:06:46,020 --> 01:06:49,023
the private space in the back.
1280
01:06:50,580 --> 01:06:54,570
And again, we're gonna see how
this plays out more and more.
1281
01:06:54,570 --> 01:06:56,670
We're gonna be doing more research.
1282
01:06:56,670 --> 01:06:59,160
There's some great questions in the Q&A.
1283
01:06:59,160 --> 01:07:00,330
Know that the toolkit,
1284
01:07:00,330 --> 01:07:02,880
some of the pages you saw and
everything I talked about,
1285
01:07:02,880 --> 01:07:05,010
that is gonna be on the resource page.
1286
01:07:05,010 --> 01:07:07,350
It will be in Spanish as well.
1287
01:07:07,350 --> 01:07:09,210
But I wanna drive home Alba's point
1288
01:07:09,210 --> 01:07:11,250
about getting connected locally.
1289
01:07:11,250 --> 01:07:12,450
So not only connecting
1290
01:07:12,450 --> 01:07:15,420
to local organizers and organizations,
1291
01:07:15,420 --> 01:07:20,310
but reach out to lawyers
and legal service folks
1292
01:07:20,310 --> 01:07:24,720
in your communities, who
can look into local trends
1293
01:07:24,720 --> 01:07:26,970
and also provide further guidance.
1294
01:07:26,970 --> 01:07:28,680
But that's our broad brush stroke.
1295
01:07:28,680 --> 01:07:29,733
I hope it's helpful.
1296
01:07:32,430 --> 01:07:33,263
- Very helpful.
1297
01:07:33,263 --> 01:07:34,470
Thank you both.
1298
01:07:34,470 --> 01:07:35,463
Thank you both.
1299
01:07:36,420 --> 01:07:39,210
So I do just wanna mention
a couple of things,
1300
01:07:39,210 --> 01:07:41,910
as Melissa already named.
1301
01:07:41,910 --> 01:07:44,670
Let me come on camera, so sorry.
1302
01:07:44,670 --> 01:07:45,750
Just a couple of things.
1303
01:07:45,750 --> 01:07:49,050
So, yes, resources will be available
1304
01:07:49,050 --> 01:07:52,920
at the ResourceUMC, including the toolkit.
1305
01:07:52,920 --> 01:07:57,210
And I want to name one of our co-sponsors.
1306
01:07:57,210 --> 01:07:59,160
United Methodist Committee on Relief
1307
01:07:59,160 --> 01:08:02,460
has a Mustard Seed Migration Grants
1308
01:08:02,460 --> 01:08:05,370
that are around $2,000 for local churches
1309
01:08:05,370 --> 01:08:08,460
who are wanting to do projects
in their local communities
1310
01:08:08,460 --> 01:08:09,810
to assist migrants.
1311
01:08:09,810 --> 01:08:11,100
So that resource is available.
1312
01:08:11,100 --> 01:08:15,090
And more information will also be added
1313
01:08:15,090 --> 01:08:17,070
to the ResourceUMC page.
1314
01:08:17,070 --> 01:08:18,990
And also, thank you, Melissa and Alba,
1315
01:08:18,990 --> 01:08:23,010
for hopping into the Q&A and
answering questions live.
1316
01:08:23,010 --> 01:08:24,417
So grateful to have you both on
1317
01:08:24,417 --> 01:08:28,320
and the way that you're
resourcing in that way.
1318
01:08:28,320 --> 01:08:31,090
Also, we will be gathering your questions
1319
01:08:33,741 --> 01:08:36,960
and responding to them and
sending out kind of an FAQ
1320
01:08:38,550 --> 01:08:40,770
based on the questions
that you have asked.
1321
01:08:40,770 --> 01:08:42,300
So there are a ton of questions.
1322
01:08:42,300 --> 01:08:44,340
Thank you all for asking them.
1323
01:08:44,340 --> 01:08:48,870
Continue to share them and
we will bring them together
1324
01:08:48,870 --> 01:08:50,643
and be able to respond.
1325
01:08:52,230 --> 01:08:56,583
So with that, let's
just take a deep breath.
1326
01:09:01,770 --> 01:09:03,303
Be present to this moment.
1327
01:09:04,410 --> 01:09:09,270
As people of faith, yes, we
lament the reality that is now,
1328
01:09:09,270 --> 01:09:11,220
as Rev. Dr. Munoz named.
1329
01:09:11,220 --> 01:09:14,760
And we're also people of
hope and resurrection.
1330
01:09:14,760 --> 01:09:18,600
And so, with that, I want
to turn to Bishop Carcano
1331
01:09:18,600 --> 01:09:23,040
to close and offer a blessing
1332
01:09:23,040 --> 01:09:24,660
around what is next.
1333
01:09:24,660 --> 01:09:26,550
Thank you, Bishop Carcano.
1334
01:09:26,550 --> 01:09:27,690
- Thank you, Laura.
1335
01:09:27,690 --> 01:09:31,050
Thanks to to everyone on this evening
1336
01:09:31,050 --> 01:09:34,560
for being a participant,
a leader and participant.
1337
01:09:34,560 --> 01:09:36,660
In this moment, I bring you greetings
1338
01:09:36,660 --> 01:09:40,380
in the precious, powerful
name of Christ our Lord
1339
01:09:40,380 --> 01:09:43,380
and also on behalf of
our Council of Bishops,
1340
01:09:43,380 --> 01:09:45,810
along with Bishop Julius Trimble.
1341
01:09:45,810 --> 01:09:50,070
Your bishops worldwide,
across the US, are with you.
1342
01:09:50,070 --> 01:09:53,280
We are advocates with you for justice,
1343
01:09:53,280 --> 01:09:56,430
for compassion, for mercy, for solidarity
1344
01:09:56,430 --> 01:10:00,660
with our immigrant brothers
and sisters, our siblings,
1345
01:10:00,660 --> 01:10:04,740
those who are migrating,
those who are asylum seekers,
1346
01:10:04,740 --> 01:10:07,380
those who are refugees.
1347
01:10:07,380 --> 01:10:10,050
We United Methodists have a strong stand
1348
01:10:10,050 --> 01:10:13,530
to be with our immigrant
brothers and sisters.
1349
01:10:13,530 --> 01:10:16,440
It's been wonderful to be here together,
1350
01:10:16,440 --> 01:10:19,200
to hear the witnesses
that have been shared,
1351
01:10:19,200 --> 01:10:21,180
the information that we've received,
1352
01:10:21,180 --> 01:10:24,060
the wisdom that has been given to us
1353
01:10:24,060 --> 01:10:28,830
through these incredible
panelists on this night.
1354
01:10:28,830 --> 01:10:31,620
It is good to be together to demonstrate
1355
01:10:31,620 --> 01:10:35,550
our continued efforts to strengthen
1356
01:10:35,550 --> 01:10:40,550
our stand of solidarity with
those we consider siblings,
1357
01:10:40,590 --> 01:10:44,430
which are all God's people
and, in this moment,
1358
01:10:44,430 --> 01:10:46,260
those who are most marginalized
1359
01:10:46,260 --> 01:10:49,830
in so many ways, those who are sojourning
1360
01:10:49,830 --> 01:10:54,540
on a journey that's not
all of their making.
1361
01:10:54,540 --> 01:10:58,230
Persecution, wars, violence of every kind,
1362
01:10:58,230 --> 01:11:01,050
economic, poverty, climate change,
1363
01:11:01,050 --> 01:11:06,050
they're all contributors
to this forced migration
1364
01:11:06,090 --> 01:11:10,350
of sojourners on the face of this earth.
1365
01:11:10,350 --> 01:11:12,420
And in this United States,
1366
01:11:12,420 --> 01:11:15,270
in the most powerful country in the world,
1367
01:11:15,270 --> 01:11:20,270
the richest country in the
world, so many of these siblings,
1368
01:11:20,490 --> 01:11:23,910
these brothers and sisters
who are sojourning,
1369
01:11:23,910 --> 01:11:27,273
are living in existential fear.
1370
01:11:28,170 --> 01:11:31,890
Men, women, young people, and children
1371
01:11:31,890 --> 01:11:35,280
are living in the fear that at any moment,
1372
01:11:35,280 --> 01:11:38,910
they will be separated
from their loved ones
1373
01:11:38,910 --> 01:11:42,630
and will never be able to
see that mother, that father,
1374
01:11:42,630 --> 01:11:47,630
that child, that grandmother,
that uncle ever again.
1375
01:11:48,240 --> 01:11:52,230
They live in the fear that at any moment,
1376
01:11:52,230 --> 01:11:56,670
everything that is
required for their living,
1377
01:11:56,670 --> 01:12:00,540
everything that's needed
to keep themselves alive,
1378
01:12:00,540 --> 01:12:02,133
will be gone.
1379
01:12:03,630 --> 01:12:07,440
And they live with a fear
that self preservation
1380
01:12:07,440 --> 01:12:11,160
and the hope for justice are lost
1381
01:12:11,160 --> 01:12:15,153
because no one values their lives.
1382
01:12:16,110 --> 01:12:20,640
So this is why we have
gathered on this night,
1383
01:12:20,640 --> 01:12:25,320
to proclaim that the
sojourner is our brother,
1384
01:12:25,320 --> 01:12:30,083
our sister, our sibling,
and those whom God loves.
1385
01:12:31,050 --> 01:12:36,050
We gather to proclaim our
commitment to sojourn with them,
1386
01:12:36,120 --> 01:12:38,130
to protect them from harm,
1387
01:12:38,130 --> 01:12:42,510
to share with them life-giving resources,
1388
01:12:42,510 --> 01:12:46,173
and to defend them until justice comes.
1389
01:12:47,670 --> 01:12:51,270
One day, Jesus said,
"Welcome the sojourner.
1390
01:12:51,270 --> 01:12:52,560
Welcome the sojourner,
1391
01:12:52,560 --> 01:12:56,757
for in welcoming the
sojourner, you welcome me."
1392
01:12:57,660 --> 01:13:02,660
Jesus' statement was part
of a response to a question,
1393
01:13:03,000 --> 01:13:06,060
a very important question
for us people of faith.
1394
01:13:06,060 --> 01:13:08,373
The question was, who,
1395
01:13:09,357 --> 01:13:13,650
who will be welcomed
into the kingdom of God,
1396
01:13:13,650 --> 01:13:18,573
that place of perfect
love, of joy, of hope?
1397
01:13:19,717 --> 01:13:23,070
"As you welcome the sojourner,
1398
01:13:23,070 --> 01:13:25,713
you welcome me," said Jesus.
1399
01:13:26,610 --> 01:13:30,600
The one standing at the
door of the kingdom of God
1400
01:13:30,600 --> 01:13:34,027
will say to those who have
welcomed the sojourner,
1401
01:13:34,027 --> 01:13:35,253
"Come on in.
1402
01:13:36,090 --> 01:13:41,090
Just come on in because you are blessed.
1403
01:13:41,760 --> 01:13:44,490
You are blessed because
you welcomed the sojourner
1404
01:13:44,490 --> 01:13:48,900
and you will inherit the
kingdom prepared for you
1405
01:13:48,900 --> 01:13:51,537
from the foundation of the world."
1406
01:13:52,830 --> 01:13:55,680
We're not the first to say
this, but can you see it?
1407
01:13:55,680 --> 01:13:57,150
Can you not see it,
1408
01:13:57,150 --> 01:14:02,100
that our salvation is intimately tied
1409
01:14:02,100 --> 01:14:04,653
with the salvation of the sojourner?
1410
01:14:05,820 --> 01:14:09,120
But Jesus is not inviting us
1411
01:14:09,120 --> 01:14:13,950
into a transactional
relationship with the sojourner.
1412
01:14:13,950 --> 01:14:16,260
Let me say that one more time to be clear.
1413
01:14:16,260 --> 01:14:18,180
Jesus is not inviting us
1414
01:14:18,180 --> 01:14:22,620
into a transactional
relationship with the sojourner.
1415
01:14:22,620 --> 01:14:25,380
It's not about our giving the sojourner
1416
01:14:25,380 --> 01:14:29,760
a little bit of money,
or a piece of bread,
1417
01:14:29,760 --> 01:14:33,030
or a day of our time to
sit with them in court
1418
01:14:33,030 --> 01:14:37,410
so that we can amass the points we need
1419
01:14:37,410 --> 01:14:40,620
to get into heaven.
1420
01:14:40,620 --> 01:14:44,910
No, this isn't what
Jesus is talking about.
1421
01:14:44,910 --> 01:14:49,910
Jesus is inviting us to a
life-giving relationship
1422
01:14:50,130 --> 01:14:51,483
with the sojourner.
1423
01:14:52,770 --> 01:14:57,030
I truly believe, and I know
you believe this with me,
1424
01:14:57,030 --> 01:15:01,560
that as we stand in
solidarity with the sojourner,
1425
01:15:01,560 --> 01:15:06,060
we will experience the love, the joy,
1426
01:15:06,060 --> 01:15:09,990
and the hope that only God can give us.
1427
01:15:09,990 --> 01:15:13,860
Because in walking with the sojourner
1428
01:15:13,860 --> 01:15:16,383
and sharing our lives with them,
1429
01:15:20,772 --> 01:15:24,720
we will, friends, experience
the love, the joy,
1430
01:15:25,950 --> 01:15:30,030
the hope that scripture speaks of.
1431
01:15:30,030 --> 01:15:33,150
In walking with the sojourner
1432
01:15:33,150 --> 01:15:36,150
who are also beloved of God,
1433
01:15:36,150 --> 01:15:38,433
in receiving their witness,
1434
01:15:39,540 --> 01:15:41,703
we will see the face of Jesus.
1435
01:15:43,080 --> 01:15:46,110
We will see the face of Jesus.
1436
01:15:46,110 --> 01:15:50,940
We will feel the heart of God.
1437
01:15:50,940 --> 01:15:55,020
And we will be mutually strengthened
1438
01:15:55,020 --> 01:16:00,000
by the power and the
presence of the Holy Spirit.
1439
01:16:00,000 --> 01:16:04,800
And the doors of heaven,
they're going to open up.
1440
01:16:04,800 --> 01:16:08,730
They're going to open up to all of us.
1441
01:16:08,730 --> 01:16:13,200
And we will receive joy, hope,
1442
01:16:13,200 --> 01:16:17,973
and abundant life even here on this earth.
1443
01:16:19,140 --> 01:16:21,573
And so, as we leave this evening,
1444
01:16:22,440 --> 01:16:25,750
may God's kingdom come
1445
01:16:26,970 --> 01:16:28,920
as we stand in solidarity
1446
01:16:28,920 --> 01:16:33,903
with those who sojourned
among us near and far.
1447
01:16:35,190 --> 01:16:38,340
So our prayer is that we may go committed
1448
01:16:38,340 --> 01:16:42,900
to stand in solidarity with
our sisters and brothers,
1449
01:16:42,900 --> 01:16:46,800
siblings who find themselves sojourning
1450
01:16:46,800 --> 01:16:51,420
in lands and among people
who do not welcome them,
1451
01:16:51,420 --> 01:16:54,543
who reject them, and mistreat them.
1452
01:16:55,440 --> 01:16:59,790
Let us, on this night, renew our efforts
1453
01:16:59,790 --> 01:17:02,640
to seek justice for them,
1454
01:17:02,640 --> 01:17:07,230
for in standing in
solidarity with a sojourner,
1455
01:17:07,230 --> 01:17:10,680
we will be blessed by Jesus,
1456
01:17:10,680 --> 01:17:14,370
by Christ our Lord.
1457
01:17:14,370 --> 01:17:15,903
So let us go.
1458
01:17:16,800 --> 01:17:21,690
Let us go in solidarity
with the sojourner,
1459
01:17:21,690 --> 01:17:26,133
knowing that it will be
solidarity with Christ himself.
1460
01:17:27,180 --> 01:17:31,620
And may, on this night,
we have peace and hope
1461
01:17:31,620 --> 01:17:36,620
in the knowledge that Jesus
is among us and will lead us.
1462
01:17:36,930 --> 01:17:41,670
Amen and amen.
1463
01:17:41,670 --> 01:17:43,200
- [Laura] Amen.
1464
01:17:43,200 --> 01:17:44,650
And with that, thank you all.