Faith in Indiana
/
BUILDING AN INDIANA THAT WELCOMES EVERYONE (Fall 2021). People with the courage and tenacity to move far from home to make a better life for their family are the ones who make our country the land of the free and the home of the brave. So when immigrants became the target of racist rhetoric, hate crimes and policies aimed at tearing families apart, Faith in Indiana sprang into action.
Faith in Indiana’s Immigrant Coalition provides the tools and training so immigrants can speak out in public, tell their stories and advocate on their own behalf. The organization built and now manages a sanctuary network to protect immigrants in crisis. When local immigrants face detention and deportation, Faith in Indiana’s grassroots volunteers accompany people to ICE check-ins and support them during the legal process. Over and over, one person at a time, these volunteers have freed immigrants from detention and built public support to stop deportations. At the county level – the front line of defense for vulnerable immigrants – the organization has been successful in ending contracts with ICE and halting policies that criminalize immigrants.
During the last year, as immigrants have been disproportionately vulnerable to the coronavirus (both its medical and economic consequences), Faith in Indiana has been the state’s loudest voice advocating for COVID-19 relief that supports immigrant communities. Thanks to the organization’s work, the City of Indianapolis provided $100 million in rental relief to all residents, regardless of immigration status. Faith in Indiana played an essential role in winning eight COVID-19 testing sites in three counties, located in communities of color, that welcomed people without requiring ID. The group also helped free immigrants from county jails, to protect them from the spread of the virus. The multi-racial statewide network organizes through affiliates in six counties, 191 congregations and organizational members, and partnerships with the 17 largest denominations in the state. Together, they are building an Indiana that welcomes everyone, no exceptions.
In the image, Faith in Indiana Leader Lesly Olivarez urges Senator Todd Young to support a pathway to citizenship for all 11 million undocumented immigrants at 'Freedom Together' March for Citizenship on April 20, 2021.
Clowes Fund Field(s) of Interest: Immigrant Services
