Since our Pilgrimage of Presence to El Refugio Ministry and Stewart Detention Center almost exactly a year ago, our involvement with this ministry, and with the issue of immigrant and refugee detention generally, has grown. Our pilgrims on this trip continued to correspond with the detainees they visited. Earlier this year, many of you wrote Father's Day cards and letters which were delivered to men at Stewart separated from their children.

 

The work goes on, with both mourning and joy. Since our visit last year, two detainees at Stewart died in custody, one by suicide. At the same time, we experienced joy when one of the detainees visited during our pilgrimage last September won his case and was released, one of the only 3% of detainees who win their cases at the immigration court conducted behind the barbed wire at Stewart.

 

Relatives of those detained continue to come to Stewart County to visit their loved ones, and without El Refugio Ministry, they would have no place to rest or spend the night, as there are no hotels in the area. El Refugio has made the decision to build a new house with greater capacity for visiting families, as, regrettably, this need only rises. El Refugio intends to apply for a grant from the Episcopal Community Foundation, and St. Patrick's has written a letter of support for approval of this grant request. If you would like to help financially, you can mail a check to El Refugio Ministry, P.O. Box 3996, Decatur, GA 30031, with "Capital Campaign" noted. Thank you!