A release from the Deportation Defense Response Team, a project of five Church of the Brethren districts in partnership with On Earth Peace and the Church of the Brethren’s Intercultural Ministries
Members of two congregations in the Church of the Brethren’s Southern Ohio and Kentucky District and one congregation in Pacific Southwest District were deported in the last two weeks, to Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. Please pray for their families left behind in the United States and the church communities that continue to support them.
Please also pray for God’s protection and intercession for 10 Church of the Brethren members currently held in detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Deportation Defense Response Team is hoping to raise $100,000 from congregations specifically for legal support for church members across the country facing immigration enforcement. This would match the $100,000 put forth by the church districts that launched the effort in early 2025. To donate, contact atlanticsoutheastcob@gmail.com
The team is actively seeking contacts with Church of the Brethren lawyers who are willing to help fellow church members navigate immigration forms and situations. The team also wishes to connect with people who are not lawyers but who are familiar with immigration law, forms, etc. This involvement may range from consultation to representation, pro bono or at reduced cost. Contact migrantjustice@onearthpeace.org
In related news: The Dayton (Ohio) Daily News published an article about the expected June 24 deportation of Church of the Brethren member Armando Reyes Rodriguez, whose congregation at West Charleston Church of the Brethren had been actively advocating on his behalf and whose pastors had been leading community vigils for his release. Pastor Irv Heishman reported to Newsline that “Armando’s deportation was delayed but still appears imminent.” Find the article at www.daytondailynews.com/local/dayton-father-honduran-immigrant-detained-at-butler-county-jail-will-be-deported/JHSKJDOSZJHXPFC5SOVSTX7A3Y
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Find more Church of the Brethren news:
- Madalyn Metzger and Rhonda Pittman Gingrich to serve in new interim positions with the Church of the Brethren
- Global Church of the Brethren Communion meets in Spain
- Grant of $500,000 to the Church of the Brethren will support Brethren Disaster Ministries
- Discovering joys, challenges, and God at work with the churches in the Dominican Republic
- Global Mission executive visits Church of the Brethren in Burundi, meets with church leaders from Democratic Republic of Congo