Check out the latest immigration news: National | North Carolina | Faith+Immigration
Immigrant rights is one of the defining civil rights struggles of our time. Will our state and nation welcome our new neighbors in a spirit of hospitality or will we turn to succumb to fear? And will the Church learn to see immigrants as a gift from God?
Our work for immigrant rights focuses on providing faith-based resources for congregations to think and speak theologically about our encounters with our new neighbors. At the same time, we are helping to mobilize people of faith, connecting them with grassroots movements and legislative efforts to empower immigrants here in North Carolina.
Background
Since its inception more than 75 years ago, the Council has been actively pursuing a platform of peace and social justice across the state. One of the founding issues for us in 1935 was opposition to segregation and support for racial justice; the Council has long supported the rights of vulnerable and excluded people. We worked for labor and housing protection for migrant farmworkers when many of them were African Americans traveling up and down the East Coast.
Our commitment to farmworkers has continued even as their demographics have changed to a primarily immigrant Latino population. This commitment is now growing to include the broader issues of immigration policy – a position that remains consistent with our founding principles since current immigrants (especially those who are not documented) are a significant population of vulnerable and excluded people. Jennie Belle is our primary staff person working on immigrant rights.
Recently, we helped to organize the NC Religious Coalition for Justice for Immigrants – a statewide, interfaith coalition of people of faith affirming hospitality over hostility when it comes our immigrant neighbors.
Visit the website: www.welcometheimmigrant.org
Click here to download the Dream Sabbath Toolkit by the Interfaith Immigration Coalition for resources to aid in planning a service of worship to stand in solidarity with immigrant youth.
More on Immigrant Rights
Blog
From the Blog
- Partner Congregations Provide Sanctuary for Woman in Chapel Hill (4/17/2018)
- Council hires new Program Coordinator for Immigration Advocacy (3/23/2018)
- Looking for Help? (1/23/2018)
- Jesus, Martin, and Gilles (1/17/2018)
- Defending Temporary Protected Status (1/10/2018)
- Council Offers Updated Sanctuary E-course (1/5/2018)
- Hope for the Holidays: 2017 Advent Calendar to Defend Immigrants and Refugees (12/4/2017)
- Support the Council on Giving Tuesday (11/27/2017)
- Protect Dreamers This Thanksgiving (11/22/2017)
- Blessed Are the Dreamers (9/7/2017)
- Opposing the RAISE Act (8/18/2017)
- Supporting Young Immigrants’ Dreams (8/5/2017)
- The President’s New Policies are Bad for Cuba and the Church (6/27/2017)
- NC Council of Churches Places Welcome Billboard Along I-40 (6/26/2017)
- Let Us Show Love and Compassion on World Refugee Day (6/19/2017)
- Sanctuary as a Sacred Act (6/2/2017)
- We Are Love Warriors (5/28/2017)
- The Plank in Your Eye (5/27/2017)
- 2018 Budget Proposal is the Antithesis of our Call (5/23/2017)
- Raleigh Report — April 26, 2017 (4/27/2017)
Resources
Resources
- New Bulletin Inserts in Support of Immigration Reform (8/6/2013)
- Sí, se puede: Celebrating Holy Week & National Farmworker Awareness Week (3/1/2013)
- Preparing the Way: A Social Justice Study for Lent (free download) (2/1/2013)
- Farmworkers’ Vital Contribution to North Carolina’s Economy (12/17/2012)
- New Pilot Program: Neighbors Together (11/1/2012)
- Faith & Immigration Podcast: Education for All – Immigrant Youth Movements (10/19/2012)
- Faith & Immigration Podcast: NC Legislation & Lobbying (10/19/2012)
- Faith & Immigration Podcast: Federal Legislation & Lobbying (10/18/2012)
- Advent Guide Focuses on Social Justice (10/11/2012)
- Facts About North Carolina Farmworkers (10/11/2012)
- United States Farmworker Factsheet (9/19/2012)
- Harvest of Dignity Film and Study Guide Now Available (9/17/2012)
- Advent Reflections on Immigration (12/2/2011)
- Becoming the Church Together – A Sermon on Immigration (11/11/2011)
- New Immigration Curriculum: Becoming the Church Together (8/25/2011)
- Hands of Harvest, Hearts of Justice (8/1/2010)
- Farmworkers and Immigration (8/1/2010)
- Immigration Fact Sheets (7/12/2010)
- For You Were Once a Stranger (7/12/2010)
Legislative Updates
Raleigh Report Legislative Updates
- Looking for Help? (1/23/2018)
- Raleigh Report — April 26, 2017 (4/27/2017)
- Raleigh Report — April 21, 2017 (4/21/2017)
- Raleigh Report — April 10, 2017 (4/10/2017)
- Raleigh Report — March 21, 2017 (3/23/2017)
- Raleigh Report — March 13, 2017 (3/14/2017)
- Raleigh Report — March 7, 2017 (3/7/2017)
- Raleigh Report — February 20, 2017 (2/20/2017)
- Raleigh Report — February 15, 2017 (2/15/2017)
- Big Stakes in High Court Pick (2/1/2017)
- A Troubling Choice, Yet Glimmers of Hope (11/11/2016)
- At Campaign Trail’s End, Voters Rule (10/27/2016)
- Scrambled Session’s Lows and Highs (7/10/2016)
- Immigrants as Scapegoats — Again (6/26/2016)
- Beyond Pulse: Vigilance, Tolerance (6/17/2016)
- Trump’s Campaign of Us versus Them (3/21/2016)
- Trump’s Anti-Muslim Bluster (12/14/2015)
- Doing Right by Syria’s Refugees (11/21/2015)
- ‘We stand adjourned’ – finally! (10/3/2015)
- Justice Advocates Convene for the Cause (4/18/2015)
In the Media
In the Media
- Immigration Reform: Time is Running Out (11/16/2013)
- Why I Went to the Prayer Vigil for Immigration Reform (8/29/2013)
- Letter to the Editor: On Pink Licenses (3/5/2013)
- North Carolina: Don’t Follow Arizona (6/29/2012)
- County clergy meet, talk immigration (5/31/2012)
- Our Addiction to Cheap Labor (11/24/2011)
- The Spread of Toxic Immigration Laws (10/14/2011)
- Enseñan las opciones legales (6/16/2011)
- Immigration & Arizona: Making a Problem Worse (5/17/2011)
- Immigration done wisely (2/10/2011)
- N.C. faith leaders push for passage of DREAM Act (11/29/2010)
- ‘Brother Towns/Pueblos Hermanos’ tells the story of 2 towns in Guatemala, Florida (9/27/2010)
- New Documentary on Immigration (9/13/2010)
- Documentales de inmigración (9/13/2010)
- Immigration reform can’t wait any longer (9/8/2010)
- Faith opens their eyes (7/22/2010)
- La fe les abre ojos (7/22/2010)
- Hunger for the DREAM (7/16/2010)
- NC Faith Leaders Meet on Immigration (6/2/2010)
- Immigration debate hits spiritual nerve of clergy (5/24/2010)
Sermons
Sermons
- An Uncomfortable Ministry (10/17/2013)
- Sharing the Story: Empowerment through Radical Hospitality (11/15/2012)
- Becoming the Church Together – A Sermon on Immigration (11/11/2011)
- Peter Gets Religion (11/7/2011)
- A Christian Perspective on Immigration (11/21/2010)
- Living Out Faith (9/5/2010)
- Listen, But Don’t Emulate (5/16/2010)
- We Were Strangers Too (1/10/2010)
- Strangers No More (4/28/2009)
- Jesus the Stranger (2/15/2009)
- What Do You See? (9/30/2008)
Issue Statements
Issue Statements
- Statement Affirming the Ministry of Sanctuary by Congregations (3/8/2018)
- Statement on Local Immigration Enforcement (12/2/2008)
- Support for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (12/5/2006)
- Our Increasing Latino Population (11/12/2002)