Urgent Call to Action
Sponsoring an asylum seeker and bringing them into your home is a deep act of solidarity. It is a heartfelt act of resistance in the face of this country’s inhumane white nationalism.
Over 35,500 migrants are imprisoned in U.S. detention camps for the "crime" of asking for asylum. They have fled perilous conditions, seeking safety, and instead they are imprisoned in overcrowded camps, separated from their families with little to no access to lawyers. The chance of winning asylum from inside of detention is less than 10%. In this time of COVID-19, those living inside these prisons have no ability to physically distance, and have little access to medical care, soap or water, let alone sanitizers, masks, or gloves.
This is a particularly scary time. COVID-19 has shaken our communities, and we are unsure what the future holds. Asylum seekers are among the most vulnerable in our society. This may seem like a poor time to ask people to open their homes to immigrants seeking safety, but it is also a time that calls on us to stretch ourselves and do all we can to stand against the inhumanity and injustice around us.
This is also a particular moment in our history that is ripe for change. Currently, many immigration justice organizations are calling for the mass release of immigrant detainees, especially those who fall into high-risk categories. Facing pressure from multiple sides, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is being forced to release a small number of people from detention. We are calling on ICE to release them all! In order to be freed, many asylum seekers will need to have sponsors open their doors to them. In this moment of potential, you can make a major difference in someone’s life.
Think deeply about how you, and we, as people of conscience, can embody liberation in this moment — not only the liberation of human beings from cages, but the liberation of our own hearts and minds from the grips of white supremacy. What we choose to do during the Covid-19 pandemic will define who we are; we cannot lose our humanity.
Over 35,500 migrants are imprisoned in U.S. detention camps for the "crime" of asking for asylum. They have fled perilous conditions, seeking safety, and instead they are imprisoned in overcrowded camps, separated from their families with little to no access to lawyers. The chance of winning asylum from inside of detention is less than 10%. In this time of COVID-19, those living inside these prisons have no ability to physically distance, and have little access to medical care, soap or water, let alone sanitizers, masks, or gloves.
This is a particularly scary time. COVID-19 has shaken our communities, and we are unsure what the future holds. Asylum seekers are among the most vulnerable in our society. This may seem like a poor time to ask people to open their homes to immigrants seeking safety, but it is also a time that calls on us to stretch ourselves and do all we can to stand against the inhumanity and injustice around us.
This is also a particular moment in our history that is ripe for change. Currently, many immigration justice organizations are calling for the mass release of immigrant detainees, especially those who fall into high-risk categories. Facing pressure from multiple sides, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is being forced to release a small number of people from detention. We are calling on ICE to release them all! In order to be freed, many asylum seekers will need to have sponsors open their doors to them. In this moment of potential, you can make a major difference in someone’s life.
Think deeply about how you, and we, as people of conscience, can embody liberation in this moment — not only the liberation of human beings from cages, but the liberation of our own hearts and minds from the grips of white supremacy. What we choose to do during the Covid-19 pandemic will define who we are; we cannot lose our humanity.
What is Asylum?
Asylum is an immigration status granted to people who have "suffered persecution or fear that they will suffer persecution due to race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion”. Read more.
What is Sponsorship?
Sponsors are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents who are willing to submit paperwork to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to secure an asylum-seeker's release and then to receive an asylum-seeker in their home upon their release. Read More
TAKE ACTION
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If you are interested in being a sponsor for an asylum- seeker or joining a support team, tell us a little about yourself. One of our volunteers will be in touch with you soon.
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If you cannot house an asylum seeker but would like to be a support to both the sponsor and the asylum-seeker.
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Financial support is an essential part of sponsorship work. Sometimes we cover two weeks housing due to a quarantine. In others there is the need to buy mini fridges, hot plates, microwaves and the like.
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