Dear Ones,
Like many of you, I was horrified by the report detailing the conditions undocumented children are forced to endure after crossing the border and being taken into federal custody. No matter our political differences, I believe we all can agree as Christians that no child should be subjected to these squalid living conditions.
Many of you have asked for ways to provide aid and assistance to the children in federal detention, and while my office seeks to find organizations and groups who are providing direct support, I wanted to direct you to some additional resources that you can use to support and advocate for immigrants and their rights.
First, the Sanctuary page at St. Mark’s Cathedral has a helpful list of local organizations working with immigrants in the area. You can find that page here: https://saintmarks.org/justice/ministries/sanctuary/
My office has also set up a legal defense fund to help support individuals facing deportation. Follow the link below, select Ongoing Initiatives from the options, and enter in the amount you would like to donate under Legal Defense Fund: https://ecww.org/ways-to-give/
I would also like to direct you to the work being done by Cristosal. They work in Central America and attempt to address many of the root causes of our current migration crisis: https://www.cristosal.org/
Finally, The New York Times recently published an opinion piece about the current situation and includes a number of very useful resources in addressing this crisis at the national level: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/24/opinion/border-kids-immigration-help.html
Blessings,
+Greg
Thank you, Bishop Greg! The news about the deplorable, inhumane conditions of the “camps” for undocumented children is among the most distressing reports I’ve encountered in a long time. And, there have been plenty of distressing reports. Thank you for sharing with us ways that we can become involved and better education ourselves and others.
Thank you for your leadership, Bishop Rickel.