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Update on COVID-19 and Immigration
Many of us are focused on our own social distancing and coping with the stress of strange schedules and new routines. Some of us are shuffling to find childcare or replacement income for lost work. All of these struggles are real and valid. As we deal with our own trials, may we also keep in mind those refugees who are unable to work or social distance while in U.S. custody or in camps, both at our southern border and around the world. Asylum seekers in border camps Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that the Migrant Protection Protocol (MPP), also known as the “Remain in Mexico Policy,” can remain in…
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Official Statement from Mormon Women for Ethical Government on Refugee Resettlement in Texas
We are deeply troubled by Governor Abbott’s decision to reject refugee resettlement in the state of Texas. The new court decision striking down President Trump’s executive order means the governor’s refusal will not stand, but his letter made it clear he does not believe new refugees are welcome. We decry this decision of exclusion and strongly encourage him to reconsider it. We applaud those leaders, like Utah Governor Herbert, who not only opted in to the refugee resettlement program, but also requested additional refugees, saying they are “eager to see the number of admittances rise again.” Herbert painted an accurate picture of mutual benefit and an embedded culture of compassion…
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Refugee Resettlement: An Update
January 9, 2020 By Christie Black, Director of Engagement I have been working within the Phoenix refugee community since 2015, and my immigrant friends have become a part of my everyday life. When the president issued Executive Order 13888 last fall, which requires all state and local governments to opt in to receive refugees in 2020, my heart sank into my stomach. I thought back to when I was volunteering for a local non-profit in 2016. I was helping with their Facebook posting, which required me to receive Google alerts for any mention of the word “refugees.” Some of the media notifications were absolutely ugly — and absolutely false —…
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Advocating for Refugees in Arizona
By Christie Black, MWEG Arizona Member and Senior Director of Engagement November 21, 2019 Many members of the MWEG Arizona chapter are committed mentors of refugee families in cities throughout the state. We have spent countless hours preparing for, resettling, teaching, serving alongside, and loving our new friends who are fleeing violence and persecution in their home countries. We have watched with dismay as the numbers of refugees the U.S. will accept drops each year, and our hearts fill with sadness for those who are left in limbo, waiting for the opportunity to resettle in a new home. October was an abysmal month in particular, as no refugees were admitted…
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Mother’s Day Call to Action: Immigration
May 11, 2018 Please join us in sending Mother’s Day cards to DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen pleading with her (in true MWEG fashion consistent with our Principles of Peacemaking) to stop unnecessarily separating mothers and children at the border. Our op-ed in the Deseret News last week explained how the Department of Health and Human Services recently confirmed that, since October 2017, it has taken custody of more than 700 children at the U.S. border, including more than 100 children under the age of 4. (https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900017735/op-ed-breaking-up-families-is-antithetical-to-us-ideals.html) DHS claims to be merely doing its duty to protect children, but such motives are called into question by the fact that many of…
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Fifteen Declarations on Ethical Immigration Policy
Mormon Women for Ethical Government is a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring women of faith to be ambassadors of peace who transcend partisanship and courageously advocate for ethical government. We are greatly disheartened by the current immigration situation in the United States. Immigration is a complex topic with many potential points of philosophical and practical debate. A balanced and civil approach to reform is desperately needed. These 15 declarations describe our vision of ethical immigration policy. They are in harmony with the Principles of Ethical Government (PEG), the foundation for our policy decisions: Immigration policy must respect political norms and procedures, uphold the human and civil rights of all people,…
