January Newsletter: Taking Action Together in 2025!

Written By Kendra Berry

January 1, 2025 • 1 Tevet 5785

TASTE OF HONEY

Loving your neighbor, who is like you, whose identity you share, is not enough. You must stretch the boundaries of love to wrap into its embrace the stranger, the people in our society who are furthest away from power. To counter the frenzy of rhetoric and the aspirations of policy that demonize these human beings, we need to love them fiercely. We need to love them fully.

This is the moment to ask yourself -- this is the moment I am asking myself -- who am I in relationship with? Whose worries am I worrying? Whose dreams am I dreaming? How wide is my circle? How open is my tent?

Here in the Pacific Northwest, let us ask ourselves these same questions; let us strengthen this JCIJ community so we can ensure an ever-widening circle, a consistently open tent for all of the people migrating and building lives here, led by bravery, creativity, and resilience.

  • Italics from Rabbi Morris Panitz’s Shabbat talk “Love the Stranger” at IKAR, a synagogue in Los Angeles, on November 17, 2024. Quoted by Talya Gillman, who also wrote the last paragraph.

NEWSLETTER SURVEY

Please take a moment to share some feedback about the Jewish Coalition’s Newsletter. What do you prioritize reading? What improvements can we make?

On February 10th, join the Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice for our 3rd annual Take Action for Immigrant Justice: JCIJ Advocacy Training during Legislative Session.

Hear immigrant-led WA Immigrant Solidarity Network’s Policy team share about legislative priorities and create action plan for how to take impactful action this legislative session. This is a free virtual event. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link.

Order your JCIJ T-Shirt! - Orders Close January 7, 2025

Order your JCIJ shirt today to wear when advocating, volunteering, or involved in community engagement! Or just support JCIJ by having custom merch. Please place your order by Sunday, 1/7/2025 at 5pm PT.

T-Shirts are unisex and fair trade. T-shirts cost $36 per shirt and can be mailed to you or delivered in-person at WAISN's Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Day on January 30th.

SAVE THE DATE: Accompaniment Training for New Volunteers - February 23, 2025

Save the date for JCIJ’s Accompaniment training intended for new volunteers on Sunday, February 23, 2025. Learn how to accompany immigrant community members to ICE check-ins, biometrics and ankle monitor appointments, and court and asylum hearings. Training will be participatory and practical. 

You will be ready to volunteer after this training! Time and in-person location TBD! Registration will open soon.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network: Deportation Defense

WAISN's Rapid Response
January 12 | 12-2 PM
Register for their next online training that will be held on Zoom. 

WAISN's Know Your Rights with ICE trainings
January 8 | 6-8 PM
Members of immigrant and refugee communities are also encouraged to attend WAISN's Know Your Rights with ICE trainings. Click here to learn more and register for their next online training.

Faith Action Network: Transforming Our Future through Advocacy

Faith Action Network has a full slate of opportunities for you to grow your advocacy skills and learn about FAN’s policy priorities, as well as an all-liaison meeting. Please note that there are two time offerings--evening and afternoon--for the Legislative Preview. The content will be the same for both. Learn more below:

Church Council of Greater Seattle: Immigration Town Hall - Save the Date

The Church Council of Greater Seattle invites the community to an immigration town hall on January 16 at 6:30 pm as they share how they will be showing up in deep solidarity and mutual accountability with migrant neighbors. The Council has been deeply invested in centering migrant communities throughout its 105-year history. Register here!

VOLUNTEER

JCIJ supports two free legal clinics!

  • A Monday afternoon TPS legal clinic from 11:45 am - 4:15 pm for Spanish speakers at Riverton Park United Methodist Church. Volunteers who speak Spanish are especially needed, but fluency is not required!. No legal experience required. We have an amazing team of dedicated volunteers (weekly commitment not required). Join us! Email Ellen Kleyman at ellenkley@gmail.com. Volunteer at tinyurl.com/jcijvolunteer.

  • A monthly day-long Asylum Clinic for past and current residents of Riverton Park United Methodist Church. This clinic is held on weekends. We are seeking immigration lawyers or paralegals; non-immigration lawyers and paralegals; people with an interest in learning about immigration law; and people who have sufficient fluency in Spanish, Lingala, French, Haitian-Creole or Portuguese to serve as interpreters. Volunteer at tinyurl.com/jcijvolunteer

Huge Pro Se Asylum Clinic on Inauguration Day - Volunteers Needed!

Besides Riverton Park’s monthly Pro Se asylum clinic (Jan 11th), Riverton is working with a number of organizations, including both Seattle and Washington State OIRA (Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance), Collectiva, Riverton Church, NWIRP (NW Immigrant Rights Project), WA AILA  (American Immigration Lawyers Association), and WAISN to organize a huge Pro Se Asylum clinic on January 20, which is both Presidential Inauguration Day and MLK day, a federal and state holiday. 

In addition to assistance with Asylum applications, there will be teams assisting with Know Your Rights training and registration with the WA MASS (Migrant and Asylum Seeker Support) program.

The goal for this clinic will be to serve 200 or more clients — the monthly clinics serve about 30 clients. Large numbers of volunteers will be needed as:

  • Administrative volunteers — paralegals, law students, and others that will assist clients in filling out forms).

  • Interpreters — primarily Spanish, Lingala, Portuguese and French. 

  • Others who can serve as runners or who can provide other support throughout the day.

If you haven’t previously volunteered at the monthly asylum clinic and want to volunteer, please visit tinyurl.com/jcijvolunteer. We will be sending out a formal registration for volunteers as we get closer to the date.

AIDNW Short-Term Emergency Housing Volunteers

AIDNW is attempting to put together a list of volunteers who are willing and able to provide short-term emergency housing to immigrants released from the NW ICE Detention Center. If you are willing to be on such a list, please contact Aidan Perkinson, AIDNW Volunteer Coordinator, at volunteercoordinator@aidnw.org

ADVOCACY

JCIJ’s Primary Legislative Priorities:

  1. Unemployment Insurance for Undocumented Workers

    Every worker deserves access to unemployment insurance when the unexpected happens and they experience job loss. Create and fully fund an unemployment insurance program for undocumented workers equivalent to the existing program that is available for Washington residents.

  2. Health Equity for Immigrants

    Everyone deserves access to health care regardless of immigration status. Advocate for a bill to codify and fully fund the Apple Health Expansion Program, which would provide coverage to all eligible low-income immigrant and refugee community members. Advocate for Cascade Care subsidies to make health care within reach.

  3. Support for Newly Arrived Migrants

    Newly arrived migrants deserve to be welcomed into our sanctuary state and receive services and resources that allow them to thrive. Advocate for a Budget Proviso to obtain continued funding for the Washington Migrant and Asylum-Seeker Support (WA MASS) Project administered by DSHS Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance (ORIA) with the goal of supporting economic stability and long-term integration.

RESOURCES

NWIRP Resources | Northwest Immigrant Rights Project

  • Check out webinars by the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project that help provide recommendations and grounding in the reality of this moment and impacts on immigrant rights. 

  • NWIRP has partnered with the Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) to create a new series of informational videos and PowerPoint slideshows in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese for asylum seekers living in Washington State to help navigate the immigration court and asylum process.  

  • Know Your Rights Resources - When the government arrests or tries to arrest someone, or when a government official or police officer "just wants to talk," every person in the United States has certain basic rights. These rights apply to everyone, regardless of citizenship - and regardless of who is President. 

Resources for Deportation Defense | Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network

The Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) has put together many helpful resources to prepare for this current moment:

NEWS

WAISN & NWIRP on Advocating for WA immigrants under Trump | NPR
In an NPR news podcast, WAISN’s Vanessa sat with KUOW’s Libby Denkmann and the Northwest Immigrants Rights Project’s (NIWRP) Matt Adams to discuss how WAISN and other WA immigrant advocates are preparing to continue the fight against increasing anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric. 

The Alienation of Jaime Cachua | New York Times
Jaime Cachua’s story, who is scrambling to stay in the country as his friends and family members in Rome, Ga., voted to support mass deportation.

What Will Mass Deportations Look Like? | American Immigration Council
The incoming administration will move to expand its existing authorities like state and local law enforcement partnerships and expedited removal to scale up the federal government’s ability to arrest and deport more people.

Policy Options: Protecting Immigrant Communities at the State and Local Level | American Immigration Council
As we look ahead to 2025 and the uncertainty around federal immigration policy, it will be increasingly important for states and localities to safeguard the safety and well-being of their immigrant residents. They can do this by enacting policies that protect immigrant rights, ensuring equitable access to services, and prioritizing public safety over unnecessarily performing federal immigration enforcement duties. 

This fact sheet from the American Immigration Council on expedited removal explains how the process works, how it’s been used in the past, concerns and potential for erroneous deportations.

Immigrants Who Legally Entered U.S. May Be Vulnerable to Mass Deportations | The New Yorker (from CLINIC)
At last, the Biden administration announced a humanitarian parole program that included Venezuelans, allowing them to enter for two years with residency and permission to work. She and her family were accepted. By early 2024, more than one million people took advantage. However, these people — who entered legally — are vulnerable to President-elect Donald Trump's mass deportation plans as their temporary status can be revoked.

SONGS IN THE KEY OF JCIJ

Curated by Dina Burstein

Like a Maccabee — Joanie Leeds and Josh Shriber sing a Chanukah song loved by my grandson Manny.

’Como la luna y el sol’ - Sephardic Inspiration in Toledo- Ana Alcaide — The video for this beautiful song was filmed in Toledo, Spain.

Demons - Allison Russell — Sage advice from Allison Russell.

Trees - Laurie Lewis — A respectful nod to trees at this solstice season.  Thank you, Laurie Lewis.

Boogie Woogie Hannukah — One last word on Chanukah from the Seattle Men’s Chorus.

Be in touch with the Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW
at team@jewishcoalition.org and learn more at jewishcoalition.org.

Follow JCIJ on Facebook and Instagram.

Donate to build Jewish Coalition’s advocacy, accompaniment and community engagement.

Volunteer for or learn more about accompaniment, legal support, observing ICE flights, tutoring, interpreting, crafting JCIJ communications, and supporting immigrant-led partners.   

Kendra Berry
Next

December Newsletter: We Are in This Together