5 Things you can do to Support Buen Pastor community members

From our friends at Southern Coalition for Social Justice:

Dear friends and supporters,

Thank you so much to the many individuals who have signed our petition. This Thursday, members of the Buen Pastor congregation will have their case heard by the immigration court in Charlotte, North Carolina. Can you be there with us?

This community has been fighting against their deportation after being stopped by Customs and Border Protection on their way home from a religious jubilee over Easter weekend. For the past year, they have been speaking out against human rights abuses committed against them.

We have asked Immigration and Customs Enforcement to drop charges against the church members based on the memo released by the Obama administration on June 17th that instructs ICE to use its discretion to drop the charges against immigrants who do not have other charges and have a civil rights complaint filed with DHS that is under investigation. However, despite over 700 letters in their support, we still have not received an affirmative response from ICE.

Here are ways five ways you can support members of Iglesia Buen Pastor this upcoming Thursday:

1. Sign an online petition. Sign our online petition asking DHS to drop the charges against Buen Pastor congregants today!
   
2. Attend the court hearing. SCSJ invites allies and supporters to come to the court hearing on 9/22. We ask that you arrive at 8:00 A.M. wearing a white shirt and black pants as a sign of support for the church members. We will have buttons for people to wear. For directions, click here.
3. Join Buen Pastor & SCSJ at a solidarity press conference and picnic. Following the court hearing, we will hold a press conference and solidarity picnic in front of the court house at 11:00 A.M. We invite you to bring a side dish or dessert to share.
4. Participate in a National Call in Day to ICE asking them to drop the charges. SCSJ with NNIRR are organizing a national call in day on Thursday, September 29th urging DHS to take immediate action to drop all charges against members of the Buen Pastor congregation and stop their deportation.
5. Share this e-mail with three friends asking them to do the same.
   

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Fontaine
Community Organizer
Southern Coalition for Social Justice