NH Immigrant Solidarity Network

Support, Accompaniment, Advocacy, & Sanctuary: Handbook for Faith Community Teams

Prepared with assistance from:

NH Council of Churches – Rev. Jason Wells

Father Samuel Fuller, OFM, Cap

Eva Castillo, NH Alliance for Immigrants & Refugees

Granite State Organizing Project

603-668-8250

Introduction

Faith communities depend on spiritual practice and reflection to be relevant and helpful in moments of social upheaval.Many faith communities seek ways to renew themselves and respond to the despair of the current moment.

The creation of the NH Immigrant Solidarity Network is one response to the increased climate of fear in our immigrant communities. More than thirty New Hampshire faith communities, parishes, and congregations have signed on to the network, along with over 100 individuals and faith leaders.

We believe the hyper-partisan, supercharged tone of the current political climate leaves people both frightened to share their deepest concerns and longing for connection and community.Granite State Organizing Project (GSOP) and the NH Immigrant Solidarity Network offers faith communities a model for creating local Immigrant Solidarity Teams.

This handbook will help a Core Team of a few people to build a full Immigrant Solidarity Team within a whole faith community. The Immigrant Solidarity Team has four purposes:

  1. relationship building
  2. spiritual formation
  3. practical learning
  4. faithful solidarity

Contact

GSOP staff, leaders and other in the NH Immigrant Solidarity Network are available to assist at any step in the process and to assist the Sanctuary congregation with coordinate and training activities as needed.Whenever you need help in working with this handbook, please contact Sarah Jane or Viola of GSOP at (606) 661-3893 or Rev. Jason Wells from the NH Council of Churches at 603-219-0889.

Phase One – Relationship Building

Beloved community is formed not by the eradication of difference but by its affirmation, by each of us claiming the identities and cultural legacies that shape who we are and how we live in the world.
—bell hooks

GSOP will train aCore Team of leaders in a faith community (along with the Minister, Priest or Rabbi) in techniques of deep listening and meaningful conversation.

ThisCore Teamthen commits to having conversationswith a specific number of members of their faith community in the next month.The purpose of One-to-OneMeetingsis a conversation that invites people to the Round Table Meeting described below. This first step towards creating the Immigrant Solidarity Team ensures that theCore Team has the pulse of the whole faith community.

1. One-to-One Meetings

Some ideas for discussion in the one to one meetings:

  • When did you or your family move to this country or this community?
  • What prompted you or your family to move?
  • Did you feel welcomed when you arrived here?
  • Now or in the past, when has your family faced persecution?

2. Round Table Meetings

The Core Team then invites everyone who participated in the One-to-One Meetings to a Round TableMeeting. Each Round TableMeeting should have 8 -12 people participating.The Core Team should plan as many Round TableMeetings as are needed, given the size of your faith community. Round TableMeetings can be held in the faith community location after services, or in homes or other locations.

One or more members of the Core Team should host each Round Table Meeting. Hostswill:

  1. invite people
  2. follow up on invitations
  3. arrange for refreshments
  4. facilitate the meeting (or find another facilitator)

3. Sample Annotated Agenda for a Round Table Meeting

:00Sign in and Settle In

Welcome each attendee and make sure they sign in and feel comfortable.

:10Welcome,Opening Prayer or Reflection

:15Introductions

Go around and share names, even if you think everyone “already knows each other.”

:20 Why We Are Here?

Who am I?

The Facilitator sets a conversational mood and breaks the ice. First, the Facilitator shares by answering questions like:Why they are taking leadership now to create solidarity with our immigrant brothers and sisters who are at risk of profiling, detention or deportation?

The Facilitatorshould shares one or two specific examples from their own life.

Who are we?

The Facilitatorthen shares:

  • What part of our collective story in this faith tradition or congregation or city and state gives us hope that we can make a difference?
  • What specific challenge did we face in the past and how did we overcome?

Example: when a mob in Manchester tried to burn down St. Anne’s, the Irish Catholic parish, John Maynard, a local protestant (some versions say he was a Unitarian Universalist pastor) came to the rescue.

Why now?

The Facilitatorthenshares:

  • What is the challenge now and who is most at risk?
  • What is our hope, our prophetic voice for how things could change if people of faith exercise their power by caring and protecting each other and affirming the value of relationship?

:30Pair and Share

Break into pairs and share reflections on what our faith calls us to in this moment.

:35Group Discussion

The Facilitator probes for deeper dialogue:

  • How is race, ethnic prejudice or racism at work in our community & our state?
  • What Scriptures or teachings can help us understand stories of persecution, resistance or freedom?
  • What stories of heroism do we have in our own faith tradition or community history?

:50What We Can Do

The Facilitator asks the group for ideas for concrete steps that might be taken. As examples:

  • Attend vigils at ICE on first Tuesday of the month
  • Join the NH Immigrant Solidarity Network as individuals or as a congregation
  • Create a congregational Immigrant Solidarity Team to study the issues further

1:00Evaluation, Debrief, Thank You and Adjourn

Phase Two – Spiritual Formation

The work of…justice in congregations must be understood as an ecclesial practice with public impact…a practice that is intentional, ongoing and under constant examination for the theological and ethical wisdom it generates for the prophetic witness of the church.
—Rev. Michael-Ray Matthews

Phase Three - Learning

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom,to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:7-9

The Immigrant Solidarity Team sets a schedule for regular meetings (can be weekly, monthly, etc).Each meeting includes:

  1. Scriptural or another reading
  2. Prayer
  3. Education on US immigration policies and practices
  4. Sharing

Overview of Resources

Week One

  1. ScriptureMatthew 2:13 -15, 19-23
  2. PrayerWhen Every Night is Winter
  3. LearningHistory of Immigration Policy in the US
  4. Sharing TimeWhen did my family come to NH? to the US?

Week Two

  1. Reading“Home” by Warsan Shire
  2. PrayerJustice Prayer
  3. LearningImmigration Policy Today
  4. Sharing TimeWhen did my family come to NH ?to the US? (continued)

Week Three

  1. ScriptureLuke 10:25–37
  2. PrayerA Moment for Grace
  3. LearningSolidarity & Accompaniment
  4. Sharing TimeWhen was a time you felt unwelcome or afraid?

Week Four

  1. ScripturePsalm 101
  2. PrayerPrayer from Beloved Community
  3. LearningWhat immigrant communities are at risk in NH?
  4. Sharing TimeWhen was a time when you felt welcomed and at home?

Week Five

  1. ScriptureIsaiah 58:5–14
  2. PrayerSong: Lord Prepare Me to be a Sanctuary
  3. LearningFather Joe Gurdak’s Easter Letter
  4. Sharing TimeHow have you experienced or extended Sanctuary?

Week Six

  1. Scripture Deuteronomy 10:17 – 18
  2. Prayer Prayer of St. Francis
  3. Learning Why would a person choose to request Sanctuary?

Possible speaker from local sanctuary congregation

  1. Sharing TimeWhat is your faith calling you to do in this moment?

Week One Resources

Scripture: Matthew 2:13 -15, 19-23 (NRSV)

13Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”

19When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 20“Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” 21Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. 23There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazorean.”

Prayer: When Every Night is Winter

Lord, you split no sky when you came among us,
And you rose not from the sea.
A star was seen in the heavens – but only by those who looked.
A choir of angels was heard – but only by those who listened.
No thunder, no storm, no cataclysm announced you,
Just the cry of a lowly refugee,
Turning to no one, turning to everyone,
Saying, “Will you let me in?”

And so, when every night is winter,
And every town is Bethlehem,
And every inn seems filled,
And on every ear those words are heard,
“Will you let me in?”
May we have eyes to see the star,
May we have ears to hear the choir,
May we have hearts that finally speak:

Yes, yes, by all means, come in.
Come in and stay.

(Source: Share the Journey Advent Toolkit, Catholic Relief Services)

Learning: History of Immigration Policy in the US

The People’s Timeline

  • 1924: First permanent limitation on immigration
  • National origins quota system
  • Requirement of a visa to enter the US
  • 1965: National origins quota system repealed
  • Family reunification was given priority
  • 1986: President Reagan signed a bill
  • Gave legal status to 3 million undocumented foreign-born
  • Penalized employers who hired undocumented immigrants
  • 1996: President Clinton signed a bill
  • Expanded deportable offenses
  • People without documentation must return to a country of origin and then apply from there
  • Waiting up to ten years before allowed to migrate to US
  • The last major piece of immigration legislation

(Source: Immigration 101, Eva Castillo, Executive Director, NH Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees)

Sharing Time

When did my family come to New Hampshire?

When did my family come to the US?

Week Two Resources

Reading: “Home,” by Warsan Shire (British-Somali poet)

no one leaves home unless
home is the mouth of a shark.

you only run for the border
when you see the whole city
running as well.

your neighbours running faster
than you, the boy you went to school with
who kissed you dizzy behind
the old tin factory is
holding a gun bigger than his body,
you only leave home
when home won't let you stay.

no one would leave home unless home
chased you, fire under feet,
hot blood in your belly.

it's not something you ever thought about
doing, and so when you did-
you carried the anthem under your breath,
waiting until the airport toilet
to tear up the passport and swallow,
each mouthful of paper making it clear that
you would not be going back.

you have to understand,
no one puts their children in a boat
unless the water is safer than the land.

who would choose to spend days
and nights in the stomach of a truck
unless the miles travelled
meant something more than journey.

no one would choose to crawl under fences,
bebeaten until your shadow leaves you,
raped, then drowned, forced to the bottom of
the boat because you are darker, be sold,
starved, shot at the border like a sick animal,
be pitied, lose your name, lose your family,
make a refugee camp a home for a year or two or ten,
stripped and searched, find prison everywhere
and if you survive and you are greeted on the other side
with go home blacks, refugees
dirty immigrants, asylum seekers
sucking our country dry of milk,
dark, with their hands out
smell strange, savage -
look what they've done to their own countries,
what will they do to ours?

the dirty looks in the street
softer than a limb torn off,
the indignity of everyday life
more tender than fourteen men who
look like your father, between
your legs, insults easier to swallow
than rubble, than your child's body
in pieces -for now, forget about pride
your survival is more important.

i want to go home,
but home is the mouth of a shark
home is the barrel of the gun
and no one would leave home
unless home chased you to the shore
unless home tells you to
leave what you could not behind,
even if it was human.

no one leaves home until home
is a damp voice in your ear saying
leave, run now, i don't know what
i've become.

Prayer: Justice Prayer

Come, O Holy Spirit!
Come, open us to the wonder, beauty, and dignity of the diversity found in each culture,
in each face, and in each experience we have of the other among us.
Come, fill us with generosity
as we are challenged to let go and allow others to share with us the goods and beauty of earth.
Come, heal the divisions
that keep us from seeing the face of Christ in all men, women, and children.
Come, free us to stand with and for those
who must leave their own lands in order to find work, security, and welcome in a new land,
one that has enough to share.
Come, bring us understanding, inspiration, wisdom, and
the courage needed to embrace change and stay on the journey.
Come, O Holy Spirit,
show us the way.

(Source: Justice for Immigrants Campaign, US Conference of Catholic Bishops)

Learning: Immigration Policy Today

  • Immigrant Visa Lottery
  • 50,000 visas available by lottery to a select group of countries who have low rates of immigration to the US
  • 2009 = 9.1 million applicants
  • 2010 = 13.6 million applicants
  • 2017 = 19 million applicants
  • Visa Allocations
  • In 2017, immigrant visa issuances are limited to:
  • 226,000 in the family-sponsored preferences
  • 140,000 in the employment-based preferences
  • Visas for “Immediate Relatives” not subject to numerical limitation include:
  • Spouses
  • Unmarried children under the age of 21 years
  • Parents of US citizens
  • Country Applicants:
  • Twelve countries with at least 50,000 awaiting visas make up 78% of total applicants.
  • Each country limited to 7% of total visas
  • FY 2017 the per-country limit will be 25,620.

Country / Visas
Mexico / 1,309,282
Philippines / 387,323
India / 331,423
Vietnam / 266,297
China-mainland born / 252,497
Dominican Republic / 199,055
Bangladesh / 179,504
Pakistan / 127,768
Haiti / 115,580
Cuba / 106,351
El Salvador / 78,947
Jamaica / 54,398
All other countries / 958,627
Worldwide Total / 4,367,052
  • Naturalization
  • Permanent resident for at least 5 years and meet all other eligibility requirements
  • Spouse of a US citizen must be permanent resident for 3 years and meet all eligibility requirements
  • Served at least one year in the US armed forces
  • A child born outside the US may qualify if a parent is a US citizen
  • A child residing outside the US is in the legal and physical custody of a US citizen parent
  • Adopted children under 18 follow a different procedure since 2000

(Source: Immigration 101, Eva Castillo, Executive Director, NH Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees)

Week Three Resources

  1. ScriptureLuke 10:25 -37
  2. PrayerA Moment for Grace
  3. LearningSolidarity & Accompaniment
  4. Sharing TimeWhen was a time you felt unwelcome or afraid?

Reading: Luke 10:25-37 (NRSV)

25Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus.[a] “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” 27He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” 28And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”

29But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two denarii,[b] gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ 36Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Prayer: A Moment for Grace – a Prayer for Refugees

God of our Wandering Ancestors,

Long have we known That your heart is with the refugee:
That you were born into time
In a family of refugees
Fleeing violence in their homeland,
Who then gathered up their hungry child
And fled into alien country.

Their cry, your cry, resounds through the ages:
“Will you let me in?”

Give us hearts that break open
When our brothers and sisters turn to us with
that same cry.
Then surely all these things will follow:
Ears will no longer turn deaf to their voices.
Eyes will see a moment for grace instead of a threat.
Tongues will not be silenced but will instead advocate.
And hands will reach out—
working for peace in their homeland,
working for justice in the lands where they seek safe haven.