The Interfaith Welcoming Coalition in San Antonio

So far as I know, the White House has not appealed the final decision for the Flores case.  The for-profit detention centers for women and children from Central America must shut down.  I'm going to try to post a short video here from the house in San Antonio where mothers just released from these detention centers were given respite and resources for their long bus journeys across the country to reach sponsoring family and friends.   It shows Melanie, who is barely 5 years old, dancing.  Her mother Yanira is nearby.  Yanira brought two teenage boys and little Melanie out of Guatemala, went straight to ICE to ask for asylum, and then was put into detention for several months.  Yanira and her children were asked to stay on at the hospitality house in San Antonio maintained by the Interfaith Welcoming Coalition to assist in helping others released from Karnes City and Dilley.     Below is a recent e-mail

Updates and Urgent Needs We have recently seen a significant increase in the number of families being released and needing overnight hospitality. In the past two weeks, we have provided overnight housing to over 300 people. One night last week, we housed 56 people! We are very excited that more families are being released and hope this trend continues until family detention is ended. U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee recently found that family detention violates the Flores settlement - read more here! As a result of this increase, we have a high need for volunteers at La Casa. We have four shifts - morning, afternoon, 7:30pm-11pm, and overnight. We have a new full-time volunteer through the Mennonite church - Luz Varela. We are very happy to have her! She has been here a week and has already become a vital part of the work we do. She will be at the house in the mornings and evenings this week to train new volunteers. To sign up to volunteer with Luz, please email sanantoniowelcome@gmail.com with your preferred day and time. If you are not fluent in Spanish, daytime volunteering is a great option. Morning and afternoon volunteer times are flexible.

Copyright © 2015 Interfaith Welcome Coalition, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 300 Bushnell Ave. San Antonio, TX 78212 sanantoniowelcome@gmail.com

                                                 

Poem found at northern border, a prayer for women and children detained at the southern border:

Aqui en la biblioteca de un pueblecito, Barton, Vermont,  donde un archivo guardado el año pasado todavía está en la computadora,  yo lo pongo aquí para las mujeres en Tejas que están, con sus niños, carcelados aún que ellos no son illegales.  No son illegales porque ellas fueron inmediatemente despues de cruzando la frontera a la migra, los oficiales de ICE, para pedir asilo.  87% passaron el "credible fear test," pero sin embargo estuvieron pusos en los centros de detención en Dilley y Karnes City, Texas donde han tendio quedar por tan mucho como un año.  Tienen que pagarfianzas grandes, como $10,000 (U.S.) -- todo esta sistema nueva es muy, muy rentable para los dueños de las prisiones!

But now with the Flores case decided, these prisons are to be closed!  We are hoping now that the U.S. Federal Government, or Obama -- as some people call it -- will not appeal the decision of the Flores Case.

I was privileged to work as a  volunteer in a hospitality house in San Antonio, Texas, this spring; I was honored to meet many, many mothers risking their very lives to bring their children out of the drug-cartel-controlled realities of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.  So the prayer I've found up here very near the northern border, near Quebec, is for these many women and children whom I was able to meet and for all the thousands whom I was not able to meet. We don't have to be Catholic or even Christian to appreciate this prayer from Pax Christi and share its hope for "a society of justice."

Prayer for Our Immigrant Sisters and Brothers

Blessed are You, Lord Jesus Christ.

You crossed every border

between Divinity and humanity
to make your home with us.
Help us to welcome you in newcomers,
migrants and refugees.

Blessed are You, God of all nations.
You bless our land richly
with goods of creation
and with people made in your image.
Help us to be good stewards and peacemakers,
who live as your children.

Blessed are You, Holy Spirit.
You work in the hearts of all
to bring about harmony and goodwill.
Strengthen us to welcome those
from other lands, cultures, religions,
that we may live in human solidarity
and in hope.

God of all people, grant us vision
to see your presence in our midst,
especially in our immigrant sisters and brothers.
Give us courage to open the door to our neighbors
and grace to build a society of justice.