Immigration Support Resources | We Stand in Solidarity

Click the video above to download and play it in your congregations.

“The Lord our God defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners.” Deuteronomy 10:18-19a

In her video message Bishop Moore-Koikoi proclaimed, “The biblical mandate for how we treat our immigrant siblings is unequivocal for those of us who are disciples of Jesus Christ. We are to welcome the stranger, provide care and compassion for the foreigner, and treat the alien as if they were an angel sent by God.”

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to stand in solidarity with our immigrant siblings. Each of us will embody that calling in different ways, but we all have a part to play.

Here are some ways that you and your church can take action.

• ICE Response Policy [PDF | DOC] – A framework to guide churches in preparing for and responding to ICE-related situations, ensuring our response reflects our faith and values. Churches are encouraged to adapt this policy to their specific contexts.
• ICE Response Signage – Printable signs in English, Creole, Korean, and Spanish to designate private areas in your church and provide guidance for interactions with immigration enforcement.
• Samples of Judicial Warrants [PDF] – Examples to help church leaders understand what valid warrants look like and how to identify them.

• Designate a Point Person – Each church should appoint a leader responsible for ensuring preparedness, serving as a liaison with legal resources, and coordinating response efforts.
• View Training – We offer training sessions to equip church leaders with practical tools and knowledge.
  ICE Response Policy and the Tools For Ministry slides
  These documents are recommendations only and are not intended to serve as legal advice.
  For legal advice on these issues, please consult an attorney in your jurisdiction.

• Volunteer with a local organization to provide practical support. You can research an organization that’s working on the ground in your community or reach out to the following:
  • The New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia needs volunteers to accompany people to ICE check-ins and make phone calls to state and local politicians.
  • First Friends of New Jersey and New York needs volunteers to make virtual visits to people in detention centers, serve as a pen pal, and accompany people to ICE check-ins and deportation hearings.
• Reach out to your local governments to know where they stand on this matter and what their plans are. Let your voice be heard.
• Register and plan to attend Church & Society’s Solidarity with Sojourner Webinar on Feb 10, 2025, at 7pm.

• Read the National Immigration Law Center’s Fact Sheet to educate yourself on how the rescission of the Protected Area’s policy affects churches that want to offer sanctuary. Worship spaces and church lobbies are not considered a private area and are not subject to 4^th Amendment (unlawful search) protections.
• Post signs around a designed private area of your church, such as an office, that says ICE is not permitted without a warrant. Find an example here
• Create a plan for how you will respond if ICE agents arrive. Make sure that church staff and leadership are trained on the plan. Learn how to identify invalid warrants, how to document ICE interactions, and how to contact legal assistance.
• Encourage families at risk to prepare an emergency plan, including gathering important documents (such as identification, birth certificates, and legal papers), designating a trusted contact person and a power of attorney, arranging care for children if necessary, and knowing where to seek help from legal professionals or community resources.

• Host “Know Your Rights” workshops in your church to educate your community about their constitutional rights, including the right to remain silent and the right to refuse entry to their homes without a judicial warrant. Here are some resources that can help.
  •  (https://www.wehaverights.us/ | https://www.wehaverights.us/spanish )
  • Know your Rights: Immigrants’ Rights
  • Know your Rights: Organizations and Businesses
  • Guide on How to Identify Invalid Warrants.
• Print and handout Know Your Rights” red cards. Red cards provide a summary of constitutional rights, including the right to remain silent, and the right to refuse entry without a warrant.  Those at risk can carry them and present them to ICE agents if approached.  Find them here.

• https://www.ilrc.org/resources/community/know-your-rights-toolkit
• LSNJLAW Hotline
• https://www.wehaverights.us/spanish
• https://www.njimmigrantjustice.org/kyr
• https://law.shu.edu/documents/KYR-Raids-4.pdf

There is difficult work ahead of us, but the God who calls us to this work will equip us to do the work and to do it well. May God grant us wisdom and courage for the living of these days.