Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey (Rio Texas and Texas Annual Conferences) along with the Rio Texas Conference of the UMC are taking the point position for a faithful response on immigration issues in the U.S. due to the proximity to the border and the length of the border that Texas shares with Mexico. Our church is in the Rio Texas Conference.
We have pulled together a variety of resources to be of help, including to help members of our congregation know their own rights if ICE questions us.
Churches (and other organizations) have 4th amendment rights. That gives them the right to refuse to admit law enforcement into the church [or business] unless certain conditions are met.
• A valid search warrant must be presented that was signed by a judge (not just an ICE or other law enforcement official).
• All names listed in the search warrant must be correct, with correct spelling and contact information
Plus they have the right to remain silent (5th amendment rights).
We have printed up Red Cards - Know Your Rights in Spanish on one side and English on the other. There are videos, links to all the Texas-based legal organizations that provide services to immigrants, and so forth. We will be adding the form for those parents who want to assign power of attorney to an American citizen to allow them to care for their children if the parents are arrested for deportation.
The United Methodist Church is one of 27 religious groups including millions of Christians and Jews suing the Trump administration for infringing on our right to religious freedom through their changes to the sensitive locations designation that would allow ICE to seek undocumented people on church premises.
Here's some that you may want to know about.
Red Cards / Tarjetas Rojas
The Know-Your-Rights Red Cards are available in more than 20 languages. On one side they advise of legal rights, on the other side are those rights in English. The cards are designed to be provided to immigration authorities while staying safe, asserting those rights, and asking for a lawyer.
Download printable Red Cards or order from here.
Know-Your-Rights
Informed Immigrants provides a concise set of what rights immigrants hold and how to exercise them in various settings: Website visitors can choose their language in which to view the website. Specific legal recommendations for the following situations are covered:
Your Rights Inside of Your Home
If ICE comes to your door
If ICE has a valid warrant or enters your home without permission
Your Rights Outside of Your Home
If you are stopped in a public space
If you are at work
If you are driving
If you are at an airport or port of entry
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