IMMIGRATION ISSUES

As many of you are aware, US immigration policy has been changing quickly. Among the changes was an announcement late last month that churches and schools and some other locations are no longer considered "sensitive locations" that are protected from immigration enforcement actions. 

Members of our congregations are likely at different places on this issue, but for those who are engaged in ministry with immigrant or refugee communities, it will be helpful to stay up to date on current policies and actions so that you can engage with them as best serves your setting. In that vein, the Church of the Brethren and its Intercultural Ministries Advisory Committee has created a resource page at www.brethren.org/intercultural/kyr-resources. The Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy also recently brought on board a volunteer associate, former US Department of Justice attorney Marcia Sowles, to focus on immigration issues, and On Earth Peace has been monitoring these concerns, as well. A statement from the Mission and Ministry Board can be found at https://www.brethren.org/news/2025/board-shares-concern-for-immigrants/.

Additionally, the Illinois State Board of Education has put together a background/resource sheet that could be useful. While written for schools, some of the points resonate closely with the concerns of churches. You can find that document at https://www.isbe.net/Documents/Immigration-Enforcement-Guidance.pdf?_cldee=xQcDYkZ8lnxq0UhFrR2YEq5vMpYQTidlTG78I4E_XTpyDhLR1o9rzDQYRB0wq61h&recipientid=contact-89636c516df4ea11a816000d3a5913bd-20edace7bc2f4979a870d44f87858dae&esid=4981c53c-efd8-ef11-8eea-6045bd041809. The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) has further resources at https://www.icirr.org/resources, and Elgin-based Centro de Información is another source (Spanish and English), www.centrodeinformacion.org.

Also, on Feb. 11 the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection (ICAP) at Georgetown Law filed a lawsuit on behalf of over two dozen Christian and Jewish religious denominations and associations—including the Church of the Brethren—in response to the Trump Administration’s rescission of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “sensitive locations” policy that had restricted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from conducting immigration raids, arrests, and other enforcement actions at houses of worship. The new policy thus greenlights enforcement actions that could interrupt religious services in furtherance of the Administration’s mass deportation plans. The case, Mennonite Church USA et al. v. United States Department of Homeland Security et al., was filed in federal district court in Washington, D.C.

Church of the Brethren general secretary David A. Steele, in a testimonial from the Church of the Brethren, said, “We feel grave concern for those who are of migrant, immigrant, or refugee status within our congregations and in our communities who are threatened with deportation. The prospect that raids may bring that violent threat into our very church sanctuaries is already affecting the lives of many people in our denomination. God’s love is our greatest command, and we believe this divine love is not delineated by political borders nor limited by national origin, ethnic identity, race, skin color, or other characteristics that often divide us.”

Blessings to each of you as you seek to serve Christ in your communities.