By Joyce Anderson, member of the Immigration Task Force
“Fear is, somehow or other, the archenemy itself. It crouches in people’s hearts… But faith and love cast out fear, calling us into trust and courage, together.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
In casting out or at least tamping down fear in our community, we have been quietly organizing with other community groups, institutions, businesses, and allies to implement a response to recent changes in immigration policies.
Our first priorities are:
Communication: A site is in place to communicate privately to a larger group in Spanish.
Know your rights: More than 1000 red “Know Your Rights” cards have been distributed locally. Generally, these are in Spanish and English. There are additional cards at the JONAH office, so feel free to pick some up and share.
Family Preparedness. The Mexican Consulate will be returning to speak with their citizens (our neighbors) about preparing for possible detention and deportation. Other workshops are in the works.
Protecting Workers: As we distribute Know Your Rights cards we are also speaking with businesses and providing “authorized personnel only” signs. ICE is not allowed beyond these signs unless they have a warrant signed by a judge.
We are working with the local educational institutions to listen to their needs. We need and appreciate their help in connecting with and distributing red cards and resource booklets to students and their families.
This JONAH task force continues relationship building with law enforcement. We thank the Eau Claire County Sheriff’s Department and encourage the Department not to contract with ICE or participate in statute 287g.
Along the way we are renewing relationships with other nonprofit and religious organizations who primarily serve the Hispanic and Hmong communities.
Next steps include creating a rapid response team.
A driver and rider group may be formed if there is a need to help neighbors get to doctor’s appointments, grocery stores, school activities, work, etc.
Contact Dave Anderson at [email protected] if you are interested in attending Immigration Task Force meetings. We meet by Zoom on the third Monday of the month at 4:30. We can also use people to help distribute cards, make hot beverages for meetings, or provide rides to a neighbor.
As we continue our work, let’s hold onto the words of Bonhoeffer that “faith and love cast out fear, calling us into trust and courage, together.”
We have been quietly organizing and implementing a response.
- In December, members of our task force met with Sheriff Riewestahl. We learned that just like in the past, there is no county contract with ICE. What we heard is he will do what the law requires. He wants to have a conversation with community members where we will be including interested local Hispanic religious leaders. We also will continue to encourage the Sheriff’s department to NOT engage in any contract with ICE.
- We have met with ECASD and have heard their plans. They will NOT allow ICE in any of their buildings without a warrant. We are working with their community coordinator to disseminate “Know Your Rights” information. We have a bilingual parent working with our task force whose children are in the dual language immersion program at Longfellow. A task force member who is a past president of El Centro is also disseminating information to other parents and keeping her ear to the ground.
- We have also identified businesses and non-profits who hire or work with Hispanic people and our task force has now distributed 1000 red “Know Your Rights” cards. (We are in the process of printing more.)
- We have updated, created, and are distributing a new resource guide in Spanish that has “Know Your Rights” information as well as a list of food pantries and other community resources.
- We have invited the Mexican Consulate to return to EC for training for their Mexican citizens on how to prepare and how to be safe. They presented at Immanuel Lutheran Church on Saturday, Feb 17.
- We are meeting with UWEC multicultural representatives to hear their plan and to see how we can continue to work together. They have red “Know Your Rights” cards in multiple languages.
- Dave Anderson is a member of the Fire and Police Commission and at this moment is following up on an ICE call as a community member.
- Dave is also on the Neighbor to Neighbor board that is establishing a local Hispanic resource center in the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd. Lutheran churches, ELCA are initiating plans in western Wisconsin as to how they can be supportive of their immigrant neighbors after a synod-wide meeting on Jan 6. That is also true for ELCA churches in Eau Claire.
- We will jumpstart the local Lutheran AMMPARO board with the hope that AMMPARO will once again organize and disseminate funds if funds are needed for food and rent if family wage earners are deported.
- We have reactivated a FB private group that has about 800 followers where information is posted.
- Volunteers are also providing rides to CV literacy classes… not a JONAH thing because JONAH doesn’t do direct services, but there has been some interest in providing drivers for people to and from work. We would need a whole new group to do that.
- A rapid response team, as well as additional “Know Your Rights” public meetings and how to prepare your family are on the horizon. Getting out the red cards was a first step.
- We are also planning the 2025 Multicultural Festival August 17 to celebrate diversity.
- U.S. communities are being hit on many fronts, as you know. We are doing what we can within our network.