By Heather Hedlund

What does it look like to put our faith into action to love our neighbors? Back in April, I had the privilege of attending a weeklong faith-based leadership training for community organizers. I got to know several Christians (including an immigrant from Haiti) who are working on the ground in Ohio to stand with Haitian neighbors who have lost their Temporary Protected Status and are now under threat of deportation. One of those organizers is Jessie Heizer, who works for UNDIVIDED in Ohio. Recently, Jessie shared about how people in Ohio are putting their faith into action to support their Haitian neighbors right now.

A Resolution of Joy

By Jessie Heizer, UNDIVIDED, reprinted from the Faithful Witness newsletter.

 

Ohio has turned out to show love and support for our Haitian neighbors whose Temporary Protected Status, a legal immigration route for those from countries the US has deemed too dangerous to return to, has recently been ended by a Supreme Court decision. Springfield, OH has one of the nation's largest concentrations of Haitian immigrants impacted by this decision who are now living with the uncertainty of what comes next. Will there be a federal immigration enforcement surge in the city? How will these community members survive without work permits or driver's licenses? What are the legal pathways available now?

We quickly found out that DHS planned a more quiet mass deportation approach when Haitian residents began to receive letters demanding they appear at the Blue Ash DHS office within one week or receive an order of removal. This office is roughly 86 miles or an hour and a half car ride away from the city of Springfield. Without the ability to drive legally, this is a difficult task to coordinate and a sneaky attempt to make life even more difficult for people who are already low on options. They came to the appointment and were told: opt to self deport or we will put an ankle monitor on you. The community showed up to let ICE know that we see what they are doing, and we are not going to let them do it quietly.

The first Sunday, 550 people came. I stayed outside the office greeting people with appointments until about 1 PM. We waited with a grandmother standing in the rain. We saw a mother with two small daughters wearing fancy dresses go inside. We talked to a young man whose hands were trembling while waiting for his appointment. Every person who came out had been fingerprinted and put under arrest with an ankle monitor limiting their mobility to a 75 mile radius of their home and requiring another check in. These people have not committed crimes and have no intention of hiding. One Haitian leader we talked to noted how it brought to mind the shackles of chattel slavery.

The second Sunday I showed up early to join a processional walk with 700 others to line the street in front of the DHS field office with signs, singing and chants. Clergy from multiple faiths gathered at the entrance to greet those with appointments, offer them prayer, communion and anointing. We couldn't control the outcomes for people walking into that building, but we could make sure they knew they were loved and supported.

We grieved together in the rain and heat and talked between hugs about how grateful we all were for the people who showed up to offer what help they could in this moment. From the attorneys who gave up their time to offer free representation on the spot for people, to the translators, to the transportation volunteers who drove and waited hours, to the song and chant leaders, to the safety marshalls guiding the procession, to the clergy offering their moral strength, to the friends at the bagel shop who donated food for people waiting, people showed up in love and solidarity.

It felt somber, but strong, with a resolution of joy that is made by people who refuse to give in to fear and hopelessness.

The situation in Springfield can seem far away, but immigration enforcement is happening here, too. I know of three people in my own friends' networks who have been detained in the last few weeks. One way we can show love to our immigrant neighbors is by accompanying them to immigration appointments, court hearings, or everyday activities. Seattle Christians Organizing Project will be providing Accompaniment Training on Saturday, October 3, from 9 am – noon, which I'll be co-leading. If you'd like to attend this training, please RSVP here.