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Statement of Belief
Immigrant Justice
We believe that people who love each other have the right to be together.
We believe that what’s happening with immigration policy is racially driven and in order to abolish current practices, the problem must be understood within the frame of white supremacy culture.
We believe that we must show up and support our immigrant neighbors directly while we also continue to advocate for legislative changes that will have a statewide impact.
Immigrant Justice Team
UU Mass Action hosts a UU Immigrant Justice issue team as a way to connect UU congregations to our partners working on legislative campaigns, accompaniment, and sanctuary, as well as learn from each other bet practices and opportunities. We meet on a monthly basis (you are not required to attend all meetings!) and have a listserve to share opportunities and resources.
Upcoming Team Meeting times (Second Tuesdays of the month at 12pm):
Tuesday, January 14, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, February 11, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Monday, February 24, 7:00 - 8:15 PM
Tuesday, March 11, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, April 22, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday, May 13, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, June 10, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM — RSVP here!
Our Partners
We work with many partners across the state on Immigrant Justice. We work with the No Cost Calls/Keeping Families Connected coalition to support phone justice for all who are incarcerated, include those in ICE detention. We partner with BIJAN to support accompanying people in the Immigration court system, ICE detention, and in taking actions against ICE. We are members of the MIRA coalition as well.
In the past, we have been a member of the campaign coordinating team for the Safe Communities Act Coalition. We have been a member of the Work and Families Mobility Act (which passed its bill in 2022!), and the coalition working to pass the Prevent Wage Theft and Protect Injured Workers bill. We have also on the organizing team of the Chelsea/Everett/East Boston May 1st Coalition (International Workers Day).
Our Priorities
Accompaniment
Our work includes both legislative priorities focused as well as supporting the immigrant justice accompaniment networks
Legislative Priorities 2023-24
Priority Legislation:
S.1494/H.1796No Cost Phone Calls/Keeping Families Connected (Sen. Creem/Rep. Tyler) FACT SHEET S.1494 referred to Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, H.1796 referred to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary.
S.997 /H.1401 End ICE Detention Agreements FACT SHEET An Act relative to Massachusetts state sovereignty (Sen. Gomez/ Rep. Cabral) Referred to Joint Committee on the Judiciary.
Endorsed Legislation (With the MIRA Coalition)
SD.1823/HD.3112 An Act improving healthcare delivery for underserved residents of the commonwealth (Reps Jack P. Lewis and Mindy Domb)
SD.1937/HD.2459 Safe Communities Act (Sen Eldridge, Sen Miranda, Rep Balser, Rep Cruz)
SD.1066/HD.3616 Language Access and Inclusion Act (Sen DiDomenico, Rep Madaro and Rep González)
SD.81/HD.3624 Higher Ed. Equity Act (Sen Crighton, Sen Miranda, Rep Michael Moran, Rep Madaro)
SD.1169/HD.1964 An Act providing upstream homelessness prevention assistance to families, youth, and adults. (Sen Crighton, Rep Decker)
SD.778/HD.2153 An Act to ensure equitable health coverage for children (Sen Domenico, Rep Roger)
Accompaniment includes:
Accompanying people to court for immigration hearings, both federal and district courts
Accompanying people to the Burlington ICE office for check-ins
Letter writing in support of someone’s upcoming hearing
Posting bond
Raising funds for bond and legal fees
Developing legal resources and connecting people to attorneys
Participating in vigils and Jericho Walks at Burlington ICE
Family support and much more
Sign up here to hear about these opportunities!
To learn more about how to participate in an accompaniment network or to join the legislative campaign, contact: Tali Smookler at tsmookler@uumassaction.org.
Making phone calls from prison is now free in Massachusetts
County Jails Bring Millions of Dollars to Massachusetts by Imprisoning ICE Detainees WBUR Report
6 Week Curriculum, Immigration as a Moral Issue – Unitarian Universalist Association
Immigration Data, Massachusetts Immigration and Refugee Advocacy Coalition
UUCSJ and UURISE collaboration on an updated toolkit (as of Feb 2017)
The Informed Immigrant – In the wake of the 2016 presidential election, millions of documented and undocumented immigrants face increased uncertainty around their status in the United States. Immigrant rights organizations and leaders across the country have banded together and pooled resources to help immigrants and their allies obtain the current best-known information and guidance.
Informed Immigrant was put together by Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC, Center for Community Change, FWD.us, National Immigration Law Center, SEIU, and United We Dream, among other organizations. The site is also offered in Spanish (Korean coming soon).
Resources
