Migration Refugees Immigration

Migration, Refugees, & Immigration

As we look ahead to a new presidential administration and congress, we anticipate many changes in immigration policy that may cause a great deal of harm to those in our communities. Episcopalians across the church have expressed concern for immigrants including refugees, TPS holders, DACA recipients, and those here without authorization. Below you will find resources and opportunities for action that may help your congregations, networks, and communities to respond now and in the months ahead. Please be in touch with us eppn@episcopalchurch.org if you have other suggestions or resources to share. The Episcopal Church has long stood with immigrants, including through refugee resettlement with Episcopal Migration Ministries. Our commitment to immigrants remains unwavering, and we hope you will join us in taking action.

We have compiled the links to all church resolutions on immigration here: Episcopal Church Immigration and Refugee Resolutions

Table Of Contents

Action Alerts
Immigration
Refugee Resettlement and Protection
- Episcopal Migration Ministries
Ongoing Work
Partner Resources

Action Alerts

Say No to Expanding Detention

Tell Congress to Protect Dreamers

Tell Congress to Help Welcome our Afghan Allies

Immigration

Begin your advocacy with this Overview of Advocacy on Refugee and Immigration Issues, then scroll down for more specific issue areas.

Access to Asylum and Protecting Family Unity

The Episcopal Church supports access to asylum (protection granted by a nation for certain persecuted individuals) and family unity as key parts of our humanitarian protection system. Learn more about how to take action to defend access to asylum and to stop families from being separated.

Episcopal Church Resources

The Episcopal Church Comment on President Trump’s Asylum Rule (2021)

Resources for Migrants Regarding Family Preparedness

Statements

Post-Title 42 Update, Advocacy, and Resources (5/17/2023)

Episcopal Church on the Asylum and Border Policy Announcement (2/22/2023)

Episcopal Church Statement on Immigration Reform – 2/23/2024

Episcopal Church Immigration and Refugee Resolutions

Dreamers and Advancing Immigration Reform

The Episcopal Church supports Dreamers, immigrants who were brought to the United States as children, and recognizes them as part of our churches, communities, and part of our nation. Learn how to advocate for a legislative solution that would allow Dreamers and their families to obtain permanent status in the United States to continue contributing to our society, culture, and economy.

Educational Resources from Partners

Alliance for a New Immigration Consensus (ANIC)
Top 10 Facts: DACA and DREAMers from the Bipartisan Policy Center
Documented Dreamers: An Explainer from the Bipartisan Policy Center
DACA Overview from the National Immigration Forum
DACA Explained from the American Immigration Council
DACA: A Brief Overview from the Migration Policy Institute
The Case for DACA from the Niskanen Center

DACA Legal Updates

Episcopal Church Resources

The Episcopal Church comment on Proposed DACA rule Download

Protect Dreamers

Take Action!

Statements

Episcopal Church Statement on 5th Circuit Ruling on DACA (10/6/2022)

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED)

TPS offers protection for hundreds of thousands of individuals who had to flee or were unable to return to their home countries due to natural disasters or armed conflict. TPS holders are authorized to work in the U.S. and protected from deportation. Learn how to advocate for a solution for TPS holders.

Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) is a temporary immigration relief granted by the President of the United States, protecting certain foreign nationals from deportation, and allowing them to apply for work permits. Unlike Temporary Protected Status (TPS), DED is not based on statute, and does not provide a pathway to permanent residency or citizenship.

Educational Resources from Partners

Fact Sheet: Temporary Protected Status (TPS) – Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota
Temporary Protected Status: An Overview from the American Immigration Council
Fact Sheet: Temporary Protected Status from the National Immigration Forum
Temporary Protected Status and Deferred Enforced Departure from Congressional Research Service
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) from Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC)
Temporary Protected Status from USCIS
What are TPS & DED? from the TPS-DED Administrative Advocacy Coalition
What Is Temporary Protected Status? from the Council on Foreign Relations
Temporary Protected Status and Deferred Enforced Departure from Penn State Law Center for Immigrants’ Rights Clinic
Temporary Protected Status from the Immigrant Legal Resources Center

TPS and DED holders by country

Statements

Episcopal Church Statement Commending TPS Designation for Venezuelans in the U.S. (March 2021)

Letters supporting TPS

For South Sudan (February 2022)*
For Ethiopia (August 2021)

*In March 2022, DHS extended and redesignated South Sudan for TPS

Refugee Resettlement and Protection

We have long supported a robust refugee resettlement program for those who have fled their native countries to escape persecution, oppression, and war. Through The Episcopal Church’s resettlement agency Episcopal Migration Ministries, refugees are resettled to the U.S. and make a new life here with the support of the communities that welcome them. Learn how you can help continue this tradition of welcoming refugees to new homes in the U.S. and to advancing peacemaking and protection for refugees around the world.

Episcopal Church Resources

Sign-on letter

Episcopal Migration Ministries Joins Other Eight US Refugee Resettlement Agencies Appeal to President Biden to Raise Refugee Admissions Cap from Trump-era Historic Lows (April 2021)

Episcopal Migration Ministries

EMM welcomes refugees, educates communities, and mobilizes congregations to advocate for the protection and rights of all migrants. In addition to refugee resettlement, EMM works to preserve the right to seek asylum and for alternatives to immigrant detention.

If you would like to get involved:

Ongoing Work

Immigration is a complex and multifaceted issue with far-reaching impacts for our families, communities, local economies, national security, and the role of the U.S. in the world. Due to the array of policies and laws that make up the U.S. immigration system, as well as the unexpected and new root causes of migration like natural disasters and conflict, we will highlight other immigration issues that require our attention as they come up, which are distinct from the other areas of advocacy listed above.