Helpful Resources for Churches to Share with Immigrant Members and Neighbors as They Prepare for Upcoming Policy Changes 2025
from MNA Refugee & Immigrant Ministry
Did you know?
The average undocumented person has been present in the US for more than a decade.
Most immigrants in the US have permanent legal status. They may be a refugee, or a sponsored family member awaiting their green card or they may already be a naturalized US citizen.
On the other hand, many of our neighbors – and many of our brothers and sisters in Christ – do not have permanent legal status. They may have temporary status such as Humanitarian Parole (HP) or Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Some may not have documents giving them permission to remain in the US.
Many undocumented persons are married to green card holders or to US citizens. Many have US citizen children – mixed status families.
Our neighbors who have no documents and those who have temporary status are facing much uncertainty in the months and years ahead. Example: persons who have applied for asylum in the US have been given court dates years in the future, with uncertainty during the interim.
The following resources, collected from reliable secular sources, may be useful to you as you seek love your immigrant neighbor well.
Individual and Family SAFETY AND STABILITY PLANNING for mixed-status families:
- https://usahello.org/safety/ (Immigrants with smart phones may want to add USAHello to their apps – a wealth of resources viewable in many languages.)
- https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/research-resources/make-a-plan-essential-steps-for-migrant-parents-for-preventing-family-separation/
- https://www.ilrc.org/resources/step-step-family-preparedness-plan
- https://www.immi.org/en/Home/make-a-plan Step-by-step online planning, viewable in Spanish as well as English
For persons who have applied for ASYLUM:
For persons with TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS (TPS):
For persons with DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS status (DACA):
LEGAL RIGHTS regardless of immigration status
- https://www.nilc.org/resources/know-your-rights-what-to-do-if-arrested-detained-immigration/ (In multiple languages)
- https://www.cliniclegal.org/resources/protecting-your-community/know-your-rights/know-your-rights-flyers (printable wallet cards as well as flyers about immigrant rights in workplace raids, home, in jail or detention, public spaces, etc.)
- https://www.informedimmigrant.com/resources/
- https://www.informedimmigrant.com/resources/detention-deportation/know-your-rights/
- https://immigrantjustice.org/know-your-rights/ice-encounter
Find RELIABLE IMMIGRATION SERVICES by location:
- https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/legaldirectory/
- https://www.immi.org/en/Info/get-legal-help (enter zip code to search)
IMMIGRATION SCAM WARNINGS:
- https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/scams-against-immigrants (multiple language downloads)
- https://www.immi.org/en/Info/learning-center/know-your-rights/watch-out-for-immigration-scams/ (viewable in Spanish as well as in English)
- IMMIGRATION COURT AND REMOVAL PROCEEDINGS
- https://www.immi.org/en/Info/learning-center/know-your-rights/immigration-court-and-removal-proceedings/
