IMMIGRATION AND THE GOOD NEIGHBOR SETTLEMENT HOUSE

This piece continues material about immigration. It also includes a specific request for the Good Neighbor Settlement House in Brownsville, Texas.

As usual, the text can be reformatted for a half, vertical page, back to back. For my documents, I use Calibri font, size 12.

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Immigration Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. —1 John 4:20-21

 Of the people living in the United States today, 35.7 million were born elsewhere. Twelve million live without documents. Of the total, 1.6 million are children, half of whom live below the poverty line. This movement of people can be seen in every continent of the world. Global migration was estimated at 191 million in 2006. Global migration has increased dramatically in recent years due to economic policies like free trade that have eliminated jobs and pushed farmers from their land in poor nations of Africa, Asia and Latin America and pulled them into the more prosperous nations of North America, Europe and Asia. Competition for resources and displacement due to climate change in poor nations has also contributed to these patterns. In the United States, communities are being transformed. Many U.S. citizens express fears related to race, jobs and security, which has led to an anti-immigrant backlash and migrants—especially women migrants and their children—being endangered by the rash of state anti-immigrant legislation. The use of local police for immigration enforcement, growing criminalization of immigrants who have committed no crime and rising detentions and deportations have all contributed to family separation.

Our Vision We affirm a world in which God’s vision of beloved community, a world in which nationalities and borders do not divide us as the people who God loves. We affirm the human rights of every person regardless of status and affirm that these rights do not stop at borders.

 United Methodist Church Policy “To refuse to welcome migrants to this country—and to stand by in silence while families are separated, individual freedoms are ignored, and the migrant community in the United States is demonized by members of Congress and the media—is complicity to sin” (Resolution 3281, “Welcoming the Migrant to the U.S.,” The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church 2012). “Ways must be found to share more equitably the resources of the world” (¶163E United Methodist Social Principles). “The current global economic system reflects an expectation that many people will live in poverty, or have their nations torn by conflict, so that others may live in abundance. That many people will resist poverty and war through migration is an ancient and modern fact of human existence … The United Methodist Church commits to engage in strong, coordinated advocacy on migration issues and on behalf of actions that overcome poverty, war and other causes leading to the displacement and marginalization of people” (Resolution 6028, “Global Migration and the Quest for Justice,” The Book of Resolutions).

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Cindy Johnson, immigration counselor for UMW, Inc., and interim executive secretary for Christian social action, recently gave us this report about the refugees seeking safety in South Texas.

The involved bishops from both Texas and Mexico and a bishop from Honduras have recently visited in Brownsville. They agree that a top priority is to protect the immigrants—particularly youthful ones—from human predators. So they need advocates for children, to help keep them safe.

Personal needs for the immigrants include sports bras (since these garments come in small/medium/ large) and underwear.

The greatest need in Brownsville at the moment is financial support for the Good Neighbor Settlement House, which is a national mission institution of UMW. Gifts can be made through your UMW Unit. Or you may send a check made payable to Good Neighbor Settlement House, to the House at 1254 Tyler Street, Brownsville, 78520.

Cindy issued an enthusiastic invitation to United Methodist Women to visit and see for ourselves the work that is being done at Good Settlement.