Asylum and the Church

Photo by Suzanne DeChillo/The New York Times

A recent New York Times piece, "New Jersey Church Works with US to Spare Detention," offers a compelling case for faith communities' involvement in deportation and detention issues. The article focuses on the work one congregation has done to broker a deal between local immigration authorities (ICE) and the Indonesian congregation with whom they share church space, but it also offers a great overview of how "civil detention" usually works in the US.

Civil detainees are held at state correctional facilities, often mixed in with the general population of the jail or prison. In an infamous case in Texas, entire families were held at the T. Don Hutto facility, confined to their cells for 12 hours a day.

Here in Minnesota there are many interfaith groups that are pushing hard for comprehensive immigration reform. The Rev. Loren McGrail, a UCC pastor and a member of the local chapter of the national group Interfaith Immigration Coalition, will be speaking at the January 11th Day Prayer for Peace, hosted this month by the Immigration Working Group. Here is a sample of one of Rev. McGrail's past sermons on immigration, "Radical Hospitality."

Peace Prayer will be held, as always, in the Pro House Chapel, from 6:30-7:30pm on the 11th day of January. All are welcome!