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JULY 2025

Join Archbishop Ed Weisenberger and Bishop John Stowe, Sunday July 27 at 10:30 am, for the closing Mass of Pax Christi's National Conference in Detroit (see flyer below for details)

Over 500 People Join SNL Procession to ICE

July 14th action gains national media coverage

On a sunny Monday morning on July 14th, hundreds of people gathered in front of Most Holy Trinity Church, to prepare a solemn procession to the regional ICE office in downtown Detroit. The crowd included dozens of Catholic clergy, women religious, and clergy from numerous other denominations. After a greeting from Archbishop Ed Weisenberger and a prayer from Sr. Rebecca VandeHaar, the group began a solemn procession up 6th St. to the Regional ICE a few blocks east on Michigan Ave. Carrying church banners, and signs, hundreds filed into the plaza in front of the ICE office.

Fr. Dave Bursemeyer, Strangers No Longer Chaplain and President Judy Brooks, stood at the center of the crowd, surrounded by a dozen reporters, and explained that the primary purpose of the march was to deliver a letter to ICE Regional Director Kevin Raycraft, requesting a meeting to discuss concerns Strangers No Longer had about the tactics ICE agents were using during deportation actions, the arrest and detainment of non-felons and more Read the letter here

As Fr. Dave and Judy Brooks approached the building's glass doors, an officer on the other side opened the door but denied their request to allow them entry to personally deliver the letter to Mr. Raycraft, refusing even to accept the letter or call someone to come down to receive it. Instead the officer abruptly slammed shut the door and then pulled on it to make sure it was locked. "Shame!", someone shouted.

Fr. Bursemeyer then asked all of the clergy to come to the front and stand by their side as they made a second attempt to get the officer's attention. The officers inside completely ignored them.

In spite of the rejection, Fr. Bursemeyer told the crowd that SNL would contact our Congressmembers and Senators, and ask them to deliver the letter and help us get a meeting. Later that same day (July14th), IBEW leader Rick Pruess, contacted Sen. Gary Peter's office, explained what happened and was told the Senator would ask ICE about SNL's letter and request, during a meeting they were having with ICE officials later in the week. Cong. Thanadar, who had promised to attend the march but was a no show, later stated to the press, that he would hold ICE accountable and look into the matter.

Given the enthusiastic participation in the procession, from dozens of churches, other denominations and organizations, SNL staff and leaders will be gathering at the July Circle Leaders Assembly to discuss future actions and how to use this momentum to grow Strangers No Longer.

Full Media List from the Procession

Oscoda Know Your Rights and House Meetings

Strangers No Longer staff, Amy Ketner and Odalis Perales, traveled to Oscoda together this July for a day of presentations in partnership with the Iosco RESA (Regional Educational Service Agency). In two Iosco RESA English as a Second Language classes, Odalis presented Know Your Rights in Spanish, and Amy facilitated a House Meeting - a conversation among the participants about the pressures and struggles that families in their communities are experiencing. About 20 adult ESL students participated in the presentations and House Meetings, as well as about 10 ESL tutors and Iosco RESA staff members.

Iosco RESA is a member of Belong: Northern Michigan Immigrant Inclusion Network, the new network of institutions supporting immigrants across the northern lower peninsula, which Strangers No Longer facilitates. This Know Your Rights presentation and House Meeting is the first of a series of its kind across the Belong network.

Bird Flu Leaders Bring Their Work to the Community

Bird Flu Leaders will visit soccer games during the summer. At the soccer games there will be six soccer teams from six different farms (11 people per team plus their companions).

The leaders will attend the soccer games every Friday.

Bird Flu leaders will participate in

- Setting up a Strangers No Longer stand in the park where the tournaments are held.

- Providing personal protective equipment to each dairy worker.

- Distributing informational flyers about avian flu, calendars with useful contacts for immigrant aid organizations, and brochures with information about good nutrition, what depression is, and where to seek help.

- A talk will be given after the soccer games, for which they will use:

. a television

. extension

. one table

- Cristina and Claudia will be directly responsible for giving the presentation. They have put together a PowerPoint presentation focused on dairy workers and a reel that has already been uploaded to Facebook. This was done with the assistance of a young man contacted by Claudia, who volunteered his time.

During the presentation, complete information will be provided, and workers will be encouraged to share the Facebook reel with their friends.

- Pizzas and soft drinks will be purchased for attendees.

- For the final tournament in August, they hope to collaborate with the organization of the dairy farm soccer event, and they hope there will are:

. Medals for the winning team

. A pot of birria for the players

Video from Facebook

Youth from area Catholic, non-Catholic schools spend time in Michigan's Thumb learning about conditions for farm workers

Around a dozen high school students from Metro Detroit and beyond took part in an immigration immersion experience in Michigan’s Thumb region in June, learning about the challenges migrant workers face in the state’s agricultural economy.

The immigration immersion trip was sponsored by Strangers No Longer, a Detroit-based Catholic immigration support group that seeks to accompany immigrants, advocate for immigration reform and promote a vision of the Church as a welcoming community for immigrants.

The summer immersion trip allowed students to get a “boots-on-the-ground” look at the living conditions of migrant workers, said Hannah Coley, a theology teacher at University of Detroit Jesuit High School.

“This was a chance for students to see how we can help communities that we are relatively unfamiliar with,” Coley told Detroit Catholic. “We spent a good amount of time in Sebewaing in the Thumb of Michigan, connecting our students to the local parish.”

Ten students and their chaperones stayed June 15-18 at the rectory of Our Lady Consolata Parish in Sebewaing in the Diocese of Saginaw, a parish that has built connections with migrant workers in the area who work at the various dairy farms that populate Huron County.

Insert and Pictures from the Detroit Catholic Article by Daniel Meloy