The Taskforce in Support of Immigrant Families
The Taskforce in Support of Immigrant Families advocates for social justice for immigrant families. The group meets to educate others on current events and immigration policies. Taskforce members are actively supporting immigrants in several ways.
Some of the members are Guardian Angels who accompany immigrant minors to immigration court. Some members are pen pals with immigrants held in detention centers and other members attend vigils in support of immigrant justice.
All Saints Lutheran Church, ELCA is now a "Welcoming Church," which supports immigrants in our community. We are doing this by developing a resource guide to local services.
The Immigration Task Force recommends:
As we work for equity, we believe that Ibram Kendi’s book, How To Be An Antiracist is well worth reading. This book will help us understand how to fight against racism. He explains how we can learn about racist policies in our laws and the things we can do to change those laws. Speaking out is one of the ways we can effect change. This book gives the reader some of the tools to do that. We recommend reading one chapter at a time and taking time to sit with the information in that chapter before moving on to the next. There is so much to learn.
The Advocates for Human Rights
Advancing Immigration Reform:
90 Days into the Biden Administration
Thursday, April 22
7:00 - 8:00 p.m. CDT
What can you do to help these families?
Be informed; contact your representative or senator voicing your concerns about current immigration policies and the reunification of all the separated families. You can also donate money to support these families. Here are helpful websites as well as contact information for your national government representatives.
The following are websites for background and current information as well as ways to donate to support the reunification of families with clothing, housing, food and transportation:
LIRS, Lutheran Immigration and Refuge Services: https://www.lirs.org
ELCA AMMPARO: https://www.elca.org/ammparo
Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota: www.lutheranadvocacymn.org
The following are websites for background and current information for donating to assist the separated immigration families in court. Those who have legal representation fare much better in court than those who do not. Many probono lawyers are offering their services, but costs still occur.
RAICES is a nonprofit that promotes justice by providing low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children and families and refuges in Texas: https://actionnetwork.org/groups/raices-refugee-and-immigrant-center-for-education-and-legal-services
ACLU American Civil Liberties Union: www.aclu.org
LINKS to US Representatives/Senators in Washington DC:
(Angie Craig represents Cottage Grove and Betty McCollum represents Woodbury)
LINKS to US Representatives/Senators in Washington DC:
(Angie Craig represents Cottage Grove and Betty McCollum represents Woodbury)
Senator Amy Klobuchar: https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/
Senator Tina Smith: https://www.smith.senate.gov/
#1 -Representative Brad Finstad: https://finstad.house.gov/
#2 - Representative Angie Craig: https://craig.house.gov/
#3 - Representative Dean Phillips: https://phillips.house.gov
#4 - Representative Betty McCollum: https://mccollum.house.gov/
#5 - Representative Ilhan Omar: https://omar.house.gov/
#6 - Representative Tom Emmer: https://emmer.house.gov/
#7 - Representative Michelle Fischbach: https://fischbach.house.gov/
#8 - Representative Pete Stauber: https://stauber.house.gov/
