Today's Immigration Vote Concerns!:

As you may be aware, yesterday the House of Representatives DEFEATED resoundingly the anti-immigrant Goodlatte Bill, H.R. 4760.  However, the Ryan Bill (H.R. 6136) is to be voted on TODAY!  

Faith groups across the nation continue to have deep concerns about the negative impacts of the Ryan bill, if passed.  Here are some of those concerns, as noted in our Interfaith Immigration Coalition letter recently:

"The bill threatens to undermine family unity and family-based immigration, protections for unaccompanied children, and access to due process and justice. Some have claimed the bill will end family separation; it will not. So long as the administration chooses to criminally prosecute 100% of parents, their children will still be taken away or harmfully detained. This practice is traumatizing and has been renounced by our faith traditions, leaders, and communities. We urge members of Congress to pressure the administration to end its policy of separating families immediately as well as stop criminally prosecuting and detaining parents and asylum seekers. 

Strong, faithful communities rely on our ability to welcome the stranger and recognize the human dignity of each person. Compassionate immigration reforms would help heal our communities and our nation. Congress should invest in longterm solutions rather than endless enforcement. Any immigration proposal meant to be a solution for Dreamers must meet these criteria of a compassionate solution. 

We urge members of Congress to work with each other in a truly bipartisan manner and to work with immigrant and border communities to find the best, permanent solution for undocumented youth. As we work toward these real solutions, let us together build a future that values the unity of all families, protects the safety of all communities, and brings people together rather than tearing them apart."

Please call your U.S. House of Representatives TODAY aat 1-866-940-2439 to express your concerns, and go to usa.gov/elected-officials to fine your officials.

More Resources to Continue to Protect Children
and Urge Congress to Stop Separating and Detaining Families 

Please remember that the President's EO, announced this week, did NOTHING to reunify currently separated families, and also sent children into potentially long term detension. We already know that family detention greatly harms families.  

 
Keep returning here:  https://www.discipleshomemissions.org/missions-advocacy/refugee-immigration-ministries/immigrants/  to find additional resources to continue to protect children from both separation and family detention!

R ev. Dr. Sharon Stanley-Rea, Director, Disciples Refugee & Immigration Ministries,
[email protected],  202-957-7826.

Thanks for raising your voice and values of faith to support immigrants and refugees, and for answering the call to  "open your mouths to defend the rights...of the needy." (Proverbs 31:8)

 

(2nd floor, National City Christian Church)

RIM is a ministry of Disciples Home Missions