Civic Engagement

Washington, D.C. — President Donald Trump released an executive order which would dramatically weaken U.S. protections and access for people fleeing violence to seek asylum in the United States. In response, a coalition of faith organizations released a pledge, signed by over 3,000 faith leaders, promising to be good neighbors to those seeking refuge in ...

Introduction: This week as we celebrate the feast day for Saint Frances Cabrini, patron saint of immigrants, we are called not only to prayer and reflection but to action. Born in Italy, Saint Cabrini arrived in the United States in 1889 on a mission to help other Italian immigrants desperately fleeing  extreme poverty, hunger, oppression, violence ...

Washington, D.C. – President Trump is expected to announce later today an executive order to turn away families fleeing violence in Central America and block access to asylum, as the caravan of people seeking protection continues on their long journey to the United States. These families are fleeing violence, desperation, and persecution and are traveling together ...

The following sample points are meant to serve as guides for people of faith to submit comments against the proposed rule by the Department of Homeland Security on standards established during the Flores court agreement. The proposed rule would strip existing immigrant child protection standards, making it standard to keep children in detention. Comments against proposed ...

NEW: See our Public Charge Interfaith Advocacy Toolkit! A new rule could mean claiming Medicaid, SNAP (food stamps), housing assistance, and more could cost individuals their path to citizenship. Under our current system, immigrants must meet numerous qualifications before they can obtain permanent residency and eventual citizenship. The public charge assessment evaluates, on a case-by-case basis, whether ...

WASHINGTON – After Trump administration officials announced a proposal essentially denying  green cards or visa adjustment to immigrants who lawfully use food or housing assistance, and whose broad scope could fundamentally weaken our nation’s tradition of welcome, faith leaders expressed their deep grief and outrage:   “These changes to the public charge system are unprecedented and ...

** Congress passed a short term spending bill until Dec. 7 and will have to decide again how much money to allocate for immigration enforcement for the rest of the fiscal year. Please stay tuned for another alert for a national call in day on Dec. 3. Do not hesitate to reach out to your ...

441 faith leaders and 74 faith-based organizations, write to call for you and your colleagues to oppose the administration’s practice of family incarceration and any legislative effort to alter or weaken the protections of the Flores settlement agreement that would expand family detention and indefinitely lengthen the time immigrant children are held in custody, vulnerable ...

FAITH LEADERS OPPOSE HISTORICALLY LOW RESETTLEMENT GOAL FOR FY19; URGE ADMINISTRATION TO RESETTLE 75,000 WASHINGTON – Responding to Secretary Pompeo’s recent press conference that set refugee admissions goal at 30,000 during the worst refugee crisis in human history, members of the Interfaith Immigration Coalition and the broader faith community expressed their dismay and outrage in failing ...

Interfaith Immigration Coalition Members Mark One Year Since Administration Ended DACA; Urge Compassionate Solutions For Dreamers WASHINGTON – In the year since the Trump administration announced the cancellation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), faith communities have tirelessly worked alongside DACA recipients and the broader immigrant rights community to find compassionate, lasting solutions. DACA ...