As many of you may have seen on the news, Title 42 is set to end on May 23. For more information about how this policy developed and how it impacts asylum seekers, please read here: What is Title 42? Why is Biden planning to end it? (msn.com)
The United Church of Christ welcomes the Biden administration’s decision to end the inhumane Title 42 policy which has been used to deny the rights of asylum seekers. This decision needs to be the first step toward ending other discriminatory US policies, such as the Migrant Protection Protocols, that intentionally marginalize immigrants. The United Church of Christ is committed to welcoming the stranger with dignity and empowering both migrants and the communities they seek to integrate into. A just transformation of the refugee and asylum system is needed to elevate the wholeness of all persons, extending hospitality and protection to those who are among the most vulnerable.
What does this mean practically? What can I do to help?: Many federal and state policies will continue to remain in place that marginalize asylum seekers and expel them without hearing. Title 42 and similar policies reflect an international trend of security orientation against asylum acceptance that will continue to normalize unless radical changes are made to the system. So how do we, the church, help change it?
Advocate: For more information about the expectations that we can collectively urge our representatives to pursue, please read here: People of Faith on Title 42 Announcement: Rebuild Asylum System that Welcomes With Dignity - Interfaith Immigration Coalition
Donate: Regardless of whether future security policies will continue to restrict migration flow at the southern border, at least a temporary increase in asylum seekers crossing into US border shelters will likely occur following the lifting of Title 42. This means border shelters need bolstered support and capacity. Please consider donating to the Refugee Emergency Fund, which channels support into affiliated ministries according to need: Refugee Emergency - United Church of Christ (ucc.org)
Read: Please see the UCC Asylum Accompaniment Kit attached to this e mail. This document provides a comprehensive overview of the Asylum system, how it functions within Title 42 and MPP, as well as ways to discern as a congregation when considering engagement with asylum seekers. If you have a regional collaborative of churches working together to formulate a welcoming plan, please reach out to Rev. Irene Willis Hassan for a tailored FAQ session about ways you can help in your area.
Asylum Accompaniment: Once you’ve had a chance to review the Asylum Accompaniment Kit and have a regional conversation about engagement, please consider joining a network of Asylum Accompaniment churches to host asylum seekers at various stages of their journey. This type of engagement is different than hosting a refugee family and requires more support; however, it is entirely within the realm of possibility with the right plan and prayerful guidance, even for small churches. In the UCC, we do not have enough churches engaged in asylum accompaniment to meet the needs at the border. However, given the outpouring of inspirational action that we witnessed in our denomination during the beginning of the Afghan evacuee crisis, we wholeheartedly believe that all things are possible and together we can build this network.
Save the date for the May 25 and June 1 2-part series on How to Discern Response to a Multitude of Refugee Crises. Asylum accompaniment and its location in immigration systems will be covered in this conversation. Do you often feel overwhelmed by the constant explosions of human suffering and new patterns of forced migration that cycle the news almost daily? How can we hold support for Ukrainians, Afghans, Haitians, Guatemalans, and everyone responsibly all at the same time? How do these different refugee crises compare in terms of need, and how can my church respond faithfully and usefully? This series will cover these important topics to help your church become an anchor for productive refugee ministry. Zoom links will be distributed closer to the date.
Please reach out if you have any questions! Thank you for your faithful engagement with vulnerable populations.
Peace,
Irene Willis Hassan, MDiv
Minister for Refugee and Migration Ministries
Global H.O.P.E. – Humanitarian. Opportunities. Progress. Empowerment.
United Church of Christ, National Ministries
700 Prospect Ave East | Cleveland, OH 44115-1100
216.736.2135 | hassani@ucc.org | UCC.org