UUSC and the Honduran Caravan

I know our hearts have been heavy in recent days with so much difficult news: Pittsburg; attacks on birthright citizenship; and 5,000 troops sent to the border as if people seeking asylum were our biggest threat – while white supremacist violence takes lives.

Many people have reached out to UUSC asking how they can do more to support the migrant caravan. We wanted to share our latest with you in hopes of opportunities to collaborate.

SOLIDARITY WITH THE MIGRANT CARAVAN

UUSC is part of an interfaith coalition in regular communication with people accompanying the Honduran migrant caravan on their journey through Guatemala and Mexico. Two immediate needs have been identified:

• Volunteers are urgently needed at the Annunciation House in El Paso, Texas, which is receiving over 1,000 asylum seekers a week. The UU College of Social Justice is organizing teams to go for a minimum of one week, as well as placing longer-term volunteers at a migrant shelter in Guadalajara, Mexico. Please share the link to learn more and apply: http://www.uucsj.org/volunteer/us-asylum/
• The Interfaith Immigration Coalition, of which UUSC and UUA are members, has identified an immediate need for more U.S. clergy to physically accompany the caravan through Mexico. This role will be physically and emotionally demanding and requires at least conversational Spanish. Organizers anticipate this will be a hugely impactful and a life-changing experience. Details are forthcoming, but please have potentially interested clergy reach out to hhafter@uusc.org for further information.

• There will likely be additional mobilization for public action at the request of border grassroots partners – we will make sure to keep you updated.

NEW HONDURAS REPORT

Last May, UUSC partnered with SHARE-El Salvador and Sisters of Mercy to send a faith solidarity delegation to Honduras to accompany and hear directly from Hondurans facing political repression and violence following the fraudulent re-election of President Juan Orlando Hernández. This week, as news of the Honduran migrant caravan dominates the airwaves, we have released a new report sharing our findings, “The Struggle for Human Rights and Transformation in Honduras.” We are grateful to our partners in Honduras at Radio Progreso/ERIC and Foro de Mujeres Por la Vida.

• 2 Minute Video: Testimonies of Human Rights Violations in Honduras
• Blog Post: Four Facts You Should Know about the Central American Migrant Caravan
• Podcast & TV Interview w/UUSC’s Hannah Hafter: What is Driving the Honduran Migrant Caravan to the U.S.?

PUBLIC COMMENT ACTION: STOP INDEFINITE FAMILY DETENTION

The Trump administration is trying to dismantle the U.S. asylum system block-by-block, and renew family separation by forcing parents to choose whether their children spend months to years in prison with them, or get separated again. Their new proposal to override the Flores Settlement, a court ruling protecting children, is currently up for public comment.

Please add your personalized comment and share the link with others, especially medical, education, and social work professionals who can weigh with their expertise, before the November 6 deadline: https://www.uusc.org/initiatives/act-now-oppose-indefinite-detention-of-asylum-seekers/<

Please help us distribute these opportunities widely, and be in touch if you would like to collaborate further.

In Solidarity,
Hannah Hafter
(Pronouns: she/her/hers)
Senior Grassroots Organizer
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
689 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139
617-301-4368, hhafter@uusc.org, www.uusc.org