Migrants from Latin and South America are frequently the victims of exploitation and extortion in their home countries or along their journeys north. Unfortunately it doesn’t get much better for some once they get here. Instead of cartels, they face unjust corporations. Nowhere is there a better microcosm of multifaceted immigrant exploitation than in Colony Ridge.

Sojo Action, la división de defensoría de Sojourners, invitó a Anyra Cano a unirse en Washington, D.C. a principios de esta semana, con un grupo de líderes religiosos latinos para compartir sobre y abogar por sus comunidades de inmigrantes. Anyra es directora de programas y alcance de Fellowship Southwest y ha organizado docenas de viajes para iglesias e individuos en la frontera este año, a los que les siguen acciones de defensoría. Una de esas actividades recientes de defensoría fue una postal navideña que los niños de dos iglesias del área de Dallas-Fort Worth colorearon y completaron para ser entregadas al Congreso durante esta semana de defensoría de Sojo.

Sojo Action, the advocacy division of Sojourners, invited Anyra Cano to join a group of Latino faith leaders for advocacy in Washington, D.C. early this week, to share about their immigrant communities. Anyra is the Fellowship Southwest director of programs and outreach and has organized dozens of trips for churches and individuals at the border this year, which are followed up by advocacy actions. One such recent advocacy activity was a Christmas postcard which children at two DFW churches colored and filled out to be delivered to Congress during this Sojo advocacy week.

In nearly every moment of the Christmas story, characters heed promptings from angels. An angel announces to Mary she is chosen to be the mother of God, and she accepts. An angel encourages Joseph to support Mary in this calling, and he does. The magi return home from Bethlehem by another road, and the new family flees to another country in order to protect their child, all thanks to divine messengers.

Ministry to migrants looks like many things one would not predict. Most people assume it includes providing meals, clothing and shelter. Emotional and spiritual attention is just as important in FSW migrant ministries, too. But caring for the whole person, the whole family, also involves commemorating special celebrations like birthdays for children.

It was a normal Monday night in a middle class neighborhood full of busy families driving kids to and fro activities, cooking dinner and doing homework. A fellow mom, Nancy, texted 22 of our neighbors, including me, with this:

A few weeks ago, I was honored to meet over 350 remarkable women from 22 Latin American countries in Bolivia. I joined my friend and mentor, Rev. Alicia Zorzoli, at a quinquennia gathering of Baptist Women in All of America (UFBAL--an auxiliary of the Baptist World Alliance).

I remember when I heard the news that migrants were being pushed into the Rio Grande and getting trapped in razor wire. I’ve never felt such horror and shame, and I know you felt that too.

Linda and I traveled to West Brownsville as an advance team for our church, Iglesia Bill Harrod, located in West Dallas. Anyra Cano, director of Programs and Outreach for Fellowship Southwest (FSW), inspired our trip. We carried donations from what one might euphemistically characterize as an economically challenged church in an economically challenged West Dallas to Iglesia Bautista West Brownsville, a neighborhood and church with challenges on a whole different level.

Last week, I engaged in four different types of advocacy. I have experience in advocacy, but this was a rare week for me. One thing I did wasn’t more important than another. And one kind of advocacy isn’t more impactful than the others. All are needed. And all of us can do one of these things.

Calling all Texans! The Senate is getting to pass two terrible immigration bills that would encourage racial profiling and create a lot of fear and chaos.

The conversation in Austin seems so very far from the realities of those making their way to our southern border.

Last week, as elected officials at the Capitol were debating further militarizing the border and passing punitive policies hoping to deter migrants, Fellowship Southwest was coordinating teams of volunteers to offer those same neighbors a warm welcome, and to work alongside our partners who do so every day.

Today, 39 national and local organizations launched a new campaign to #LetAsylumSeekersWork faster. The effort comes at a time of historic national labor shortages. People seeking asylum in the United States are eager to support themselves and join the labor force yet are currently required to wait up to six months or more to access work permits. Groups behind the effort are calling for urgent congressional action to reduce the amount of time asylum seekers must wait before being eligible to apply for work permits. 

Kaitlin Curtice spoke at the Fellowship Southwest Compassion & Justice Conference. As a citizen of the Potawatomi nation, she is a strong leader for Indigenous rights. She gave the audience a handful of easy ways we can learn, understand, and support organizations that advocate for Indigenous peoples and their rights.

Take action now!

Estamos a las puertas de una crisis mundial de hambre y desnutrición sin precedentes, y tu apoyo puede hacer la diferencia. La Ley Agrícola de los Estados Unidos o Farm Bill –un proyecto de ley crucial que no solo afecta a la agricultura estadounidense sino también a la seguridad alimentaria mundial– expirará el 30 de septiembre y necesita que el Congreso la reautorice. Por eso, necesitamos tu ayuda para que el Congreso apruebe y fortalezca el Farm Bill antes de que culmine este mes.

We are facing a global hunger and malnutrition crisis of unprecedented proportions, and time is running out on a bill that would make a difference. The Farm Bill –a crucial piece of legislation that impacts not only American agriculture but also global food security–  is up for reauthorization, with the current bill set to expire on September 30. We need your help to ensure that Congress passes and strengthens the Farm Bill to address these pressing issues.

We are at a critical juncture where our faith and values call us to stand up for justice and compassion. We invite you to join us in a vital advocacy effort alongside various faith-based organizations and religious leaders. Together, we aim to address the injustices perpetuated under Operation Lone Star in Texas.

Our Christian faith calls us to stand alongside our immigrant neighbors, particularly Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, known as 'Dreamers.' These young individuals were brought to the U.S. as children and enrolled in the DACA program, which provides protection from deportation and allows them to work. However, our commitment to solidarity is now urgently needed as recent developments have cast a shadow of uncertainty over the lives of nearly 600,000 Dreamers, who have known no other home than the United States.

Marianela Hernandez knows what it’s like to immigrate to the U.S. from Venezuela. She and her family went through the process just seven years ago. But a lot has changed since then, and on her recent trip to Brownsville, Texas, to serve migrants, she saw people who could have been her, had her family waited until now to leave.