November 2018 Vigil

Please join us for our monthly faith action vigil: 

Tues. Nov. 13, 7:30-8:30am 
Bishop Whipple Federal Building, 1 Federal Dr., Ft Snelling 

Join us to Honor, Remember, and Support: We honor veterans with a speaker from Veterans for Peace, especially the undocumented immigrants who have volunteered to serve our country, and who now are being deported. We remember the immigrants who risk their lives to come to the US, many of whom lose their lives in the journey or in detention. And we support the immigrants currently in the migrant caravan making their way on foot to the US. Let us stand together to show our solidarity. 

Call to Action

With the election behind us, we must remember that the work of making our immigration system more humane is still ahead of us. We must continue to raise our prophetic voices to make sure that campaign promises become reality.

  • Submit a comment in opposition to the Public Charge proposal. The Trump administration has proposed a change to the public charge rule that would force low-income and working-class immigrant families to make an inhumane choice between jeopardizing their family’s immigration status or refusing assistance to ensure their children’s food, housing, and medical care. This rule is not yet final and is open for public comments until December 10, 2018. You do not need to be a citizen to comment. Visit https://protectingimmigrantfamilies.org/ 
  • Minneapolis residents: Tell Mayor Frey that immigrants need more protections, not less.  Despite campaign promises to stand with immigrants, Mayor Jacob Frey’s recent budget would cut immigrant legal defense funds from $75,000 to only $40,000. The budget isn’t finalized until December. Minneapolis residents can tell the Mayor that this is a disappointing step in the wrong direction by calling his office at 612-673-2100 or emailing: www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/mayor/contact
  • Minneapolis residents: Tell the City Council that the time for Municipal ID is NOW. While the City Council has voted unanimously in support of a municipal ID, there is danger that the program will not be funded during the budgeting process, essentially halting any implementation. This would be a betrayal of many campaign promises to immigrant and homeless advocates. Call or email your city council memberto let them know that our families need a Municipal ID now. Then join MIRAC and the Sanctuary Now! coalition at Minneapolis City Hall for the first City Council committee vote on Municipal ID on Monday, November 26 at 1 pm. 
  • Ramsey County residents: Thank County Commissioners for standing with immigrant residents. On Nov. 6, Ramsey County passed a resolution establishing an immigrant legal defense fund, creating a public space use policy to restrict ICE operations on county property, and submitting a comment to DHS in opposition to the public charge rule change proposal. Thank them for standing with our immigrant neighbors at: www.ramseycounty.us/your-government/leadership/board-commissioners
  • Support Brenda and Eloy. Detained by border patrol while on lunch break in Bemidji, MN, Eloy has been held by ICE since late July. In addition to the emotional toll of losing her partner and the father of her daughter, this has put a tremendous financial strain on Brenda and her family. ICOM AID is supporting the family and you can help by donating at: gf.me/u/m5xfxv
  • Support the important solidarity work of Veterans for Peace.  This remarkable group of peace activists are also standing up for immigrant rights in their opposition to sending troops to the border and in their support for deported veterans.  Visit their website at VeteransforPeace.org to donate or support their current online petitions. You can also contact your member of the U.S. House of Representatives and ask them to support HR 3103 which would call on our Defense Department to write a comprehensive report on our deported veterans.