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Preparing for the New War on Immigrants
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Join or Create a Circle of Support | |
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As raids and deportations begin to increase in cities across the nation, what can we do to respond? Strangers No Longer was created in 2017, at the beginning of the first Trump Administration. One of the lessons we learned is that creating a strong Circle of Support is an effective way for members to turn their own fear and anger into action and support immigrant families during a time of growing fear and confusion.
SNL has 32 Circles of Support, in parishes and High Schools. Some circles are very active with many members, while others exist in name only ---but all of them can be improved. Circles of Support don't just provide assistance to immigrant individuals and families, they are a source of community in parishes and schools and help sustain and strengthen our resolve to do this work.
What makes a Successful Circle of Support
A strong, effective Circle has a structure, meets regularly and combines spirituality and action focused on three areas: Education, Direct Support and Advocacy. Here are some suggestions:
1. Hold MONTHLY meetings at a regular date/time, mostly IN PERSON.
2. Appoint a CHAIRPERSON and three “RESPONSABLES” for:
*Education – organizing presentations in the parish (resource list on website)
*Accompaniment/Direct Support : Consulting monthly with the Circle about
families in crisis, need for car rides, court appearances.
*Rapid Response and Advocacy: make calls to Senators or advocate for
SNL members detained.
3. Create a TIMED Agenda and 10-15 min. intervals for each item:
*Spiritual Theme; Sharing among members (“What is new with you?”);
*Reports from three RESPONSIBLES
*Decisions on actions: e.g., invite a MUJER speaker, buy a table at the
banquet; send a delegation to the ICE office or a Senator’s host a family; seek
a meeting with the Archbishop, etc.
To join an existing Circle of Support or create a new one, visit our website at:
Strangers No Longer or email us at: info@strangersnolonger.org
If participating in a Circle is not feasible, making a donation is another way to support this work
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Journey into Exile – March 15
Presented by Jesuit Refugee Services, Canada
Join us for a simulation exercise that takes participants into a deeper exploration of the refugee experience. The goal of this exercise is to provide a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by refugees as they seek safety, security, and a better life. As a participant, you will be assigned a refugee character, complete with a brief biography. You will then make decisions based on your character’s circumstances, giving you insight into some of the difficult choices refugees must navigate. Participants will make both group and individual decisions, listen to real refugee testimonies, and watch videos that highlight the journeys, challenges, and resilience of refugees worldwide.
Journey into Exile:
Saturday March 15, 9am to 12pm
Gesu School Social Hall
17138 Quincy, Detroit, 48221
REGISTER HERE
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Michigan bishops issue powerful pastoral message offering ‘prayerful support’ for migrants
From the Detroit Catholic, Jan 27, 2025
Bishops express concern for families, urge fair policies and secure borders in letter through Michigan Catholic Conference
LANSING — The bishops of Michigan’s seven Catholic dioceses on Jan. 27 offered their “continued pastoral and prayerful support” for immigrants living and working in the state, encouraging “policies that keep immigrant and undocumented families safe and united” while calling for secure borders and fair immigration laws that keep human dignity top of mind.
The Michigan bishops’ statement, issued through the Michigan Catholic Conference, the official public policy arm of the Catholic Church in Michigan, emphasized closeness with those who express “anxiety and fear” over mass deportation proposals and “harmful rhetoric” targeting immigrant communities.
“As shepherds of our flocks, we pledge amid such uncertainty to promote through the Michigan Catholic Conference and in our respective dioceses unyielding support and respect for the human dignity of all migrant people in our midst,” the bishops’ statement said. The bishops urged elected officials, particularly Michigan’s U.S. congressional delegation, to prioritize the safety and protection of immigrant families, especially “those who arrived as children,” as well as refugees seeking humanitarian asylum and fleeing violence and oppression. The bishops called on elected leaders to work toward a “humane immigration system that welcomes refugees and immigrants by providing a fair pathway to citizenship,” while at the same time keeping “borders safe and secure from criminal activity, including human trafficking and the smuggling of illegal drugs.”
The statement said that while the Church encourages the use of “lawful immigration pathways” and affirms the rule of law, it clarified that the current U.S. immigration system “is inadequate to address the needs of American families, employers, and communities, as well as the immigrants themselves.”
Regarding mass deportations, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has consistently supported increased opportunities for legal immigration and the protection for immigrants’ due process rights, while opposing an enforcement-only approach to immigration.” Enforcement should be “targeted, proportionate, and humane, and deportations should always be carried out with due regard for families, community ties, and religious liberty interests,” it added. “There is no evidence or research indicating that the humanitarian and religious services provided by Catholic organizations incentivize unlawful migration, as there are varied and often complex factors that influence a person’s decision to migrate from their home country, including war, persecution, violence, lack of jobs, famines, and natural disasters,” it said.
To read the full statement and frequently asked questions from the bishops of Michigan, visit the Michigan Catholic Conference’s website.
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Christo Rey SNL Student Chapter Meets with Archbishop, Expressing Thanks and Calling for Action
Christo Rey High School hosted Archbishop Allen Vigneron during Catholic Schools Week on January 29. Students from the Strangers No Longer Student Chapter delivered a letter thanking the Michigan bishops for their message of support for immigrants and highlighting the struggle that families and entire communities face as a result of the current harsh immigration policies and rhetoric. The letter also asked how the Archdiocese will work to ensure that churches and schools are safe and protected from ICE and what tangible action the Diocese will take to advocate for the more humane immigration policies and principles proposed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Kim Redigan, Faculty member at Christo Rey and co-moderator of the SNL Student Chapter, describes the current climate in Southwest Detroit as "very challenging" and goes on to say: "Instead of enjoying teenage life, students in the community are under incredible stress. Young people and their families are carrying more than anyone should have to carry."
The Southwest community is asking allies to support Southwest businesses and to stand with calls to action including a weekly vigil, "We Stand With Our Neighbors", held every Friday at 4pm on the corner of Vernor and Clark.
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Growth, Diversity Reflected in New SNL Staff | |
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As we begin 2025, Strangers No Longer is excited to introduce four new staff people, including some new faces and a few familiar ones. Joining Bill O’Brien, Executive Director and Amy Ketner, Director of Leadership Development are the following individuals:
Sonya Luna, PT Executive Administrator. Sonya has experience as church pastoral staff and as the Hispanic Ministry Director for the United Methodist Church in Michigan. She will coordinate our March 15 "JOURNEY TO EXILE" workshop and will work with Circle leaders to identify representatives for the 3 SNL Task Forces: Education, Direct Support and Rapid Response.
Laura Victoria Alvarado, Volunteer Community Organizer. Laura has extensive social work experience with migrant labor populations in Mexico. She will work with the CONSEJO ESTATAL de INMIGRANTES and new Circles of Support (both immigrant and non-immigrant).
Carmen Luna serves as Project Manager for SNL’s Bird Flu Dairy Worker Outreach, directing a crew of 6 outreach workers in the Thumb Region, and Mid-Michigan.
Other Staff Notes:
Amy Ketner will continue to focus on organizing in the Northern Lower Peninsula (Gaylord Diocese) and the Youth In Action for Immigration network of High School Circles. Maggie Ronayne, faculty member at Notre Dame High School, will assist Amy with logistics for the high school circles.
Grace Seefelt, formerly our Intern Organizer when she was completing studies at MSU, will provide logistical support to the leaders who are beginning to organize our 4th Annual Banquet on April 27.
Nancy Juarez serves as Coordinator of the CONSEJO ESTATAL, particularly setting up their local Circle Zoom Meetings.
Stephanie Rico (based in Mexico) provides 3 Group Psycho-Therapy Sessions every month for members of the Immigrant Circles.
Sr. Martha de la Torre SMR, former SNL Staff member who now works in Rome, Italy, will deliver from Rome a monthly half-hour biblical-spiritual reflection to the CONSEJO ESTATAL, so they in turn can share the reflections with their local circles.
As we work to build community and strengthen our Circes of Support, join us in prayerful gratitude for these wonderful people working with us.
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Excerpt from Pope Francis' address to the to the Formation Directors and Seminarians of the Spanish Dioceses
I once said that “hope” is not “optimism”, “optimism” is a light expression, hope is something else. We cannot take the suffering of people lightly and try to console them with phrases of circumstance and do-goodism. Our hope has a name, Jesus, that God who has not felt disgust for our mud and who, instead of saving us from the mud, has become mud for us. And being a priest is being another Christ, it is becoming mud in the tears of the people, and when you see broken people, because in Valencia there are broken people, who have lost their lives in pieces, give them pieces, pieces, of yourselves, as Christ does in the Eucharist. Please, give yourself freely, because everything you have, you have received for free..."
--Photo credit and text: Vatican News Service, January 30, 2025
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Please donate whatever you can to support the work of Strangers No Longer. Now, more than ever, your help is needed. |
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