<div style="font-size:10pt;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;color:black;"><div style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;color:black;"><br><br><br>-----Original Message-----<br>From: SOPHIA Updates <admin@sophiawaukesha.org><br>To: gerflak <gerflak@aol.com><br>Sent: Tue, May 14, 2019 9:53 pm<br>Subject: Asylum Seekers | Implicit Bias Workshop | Response to Anti-Muslim Event<br><br></div><div id="yiv1110669022">
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<h2 style="font-family:Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0, 0, 139);"><span style="font-size:24px;">An Opportunity to Assist Asylum Seekers in Phoenix</span></h2>
<p><i>A letter from SOPHIA volunteer and Immigration Task Force member, Ron Hopkins:</i></p>
<div>I was in Phoenix, Arizona last February when the Asylum Seekers issue surfaced as front line national Immigration issue. I was both appalled and elated at the same time. Appalled by our President’s response. Elated that an immigration process was being followed to the letter of the law and that so many good people stepped forward to help the asylum seekers in their time of need. Please read on, we also have an opportunity to be one of the good people stepping forward to help. Here’s what is happening.</div>
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<li>Immigrants fleeing from life threatening violence and oppression are crossing the border and instead of fleeing from ICE agents, are actually seeking them out and asking for asylum as allowed under our laws.</li>
<li>Once this happened, ICE agents have no other legal option but to take them into custody. The asylum seekers then are taken to detention centers, where the only belongings they are allowed to keep are the clothes on their back.</li>
<li>There is an effort to keep mothers and children, fathers and sons together and they are placed in chain link fence enclosures with and open toilet as they await their “credible fear” interview to determine if they are eligible for a court hearing to be granted asylum. This hearing usually happens within a few days.</li>
<li>If the Asylum Officer determines a credible fear of persecution, the asylum seeker will be scheduled for a hearing with an immigration judge on their asylum claim. It is true that these hearings are backlogged two to three years.</li>
<li>Next, the asylum seekers are given papers that allow them to legally, yes this needs to be repeated, legally, reside and work in the United States until their hearing date. They are given a ticket for transportation to go live with friends or relatives while awaiting their hearing date.</li>
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<div>Since ICE agents have taken away all their belongings, they are released into the Phoenix area with only the clothes on their backs. Area airports and bus terminals are overwhelmed and here is the wonderful response by people who care. Local churches and non-profits stepped forward and asked ICE to drop the asylum seekers off at their sites where they could stay for a few days until their ticket to travel was valid. As they arrived at these sites, they are met with open arms and human kindness for the first time since they crossed our border.</div>
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<p><b>Here is our opportunity to live out our faith and step forward to welcome the stranger among us. The churches and non-profits need clothing, personal items and packets of food to tide over the asylum seekers as they travel to their destination. This is an opportunity to help those on the front lines of our broken immigration system. Please, send a check to help the asylum seekers to Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest to the address below.</b></p>
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<p>Hannah Miller | Director of Community Engagement<br>
Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest<br>
2502 E. University Drive, Suite 125, Phoenix, AZ 85034<br>
cell: 602-663-7645 | office: 480-396-3795 ext. 1122<br>
<a href="mailto:hmiller@lss-sw.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" ymailto="mailto:hmiller@lss-sw.org">hmiller@lss-sw.org</a> | <a href="http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=YFFZDi1VTK4jbk5CGfyL73UKr4e9Jynq" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.lss-sw.org</a></p>
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<p>Thank you,</p>
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<div>Ron Hopkins</div>
<div>SOPHIA Immigration Task Force</div>
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<h3 style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=0em8SB4%2Fk9PDmHl%2BiKye5Ta%2B4OsI30gk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Help spread the word: click here to download a flyer and list of requested items.</a></h3>
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<h1 style="font-family:Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><span style="font-size:24px;font-family:Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;color:rgb(0, 0, 139);">Implicit Bias Workshop - June 14 & 15</span></h1>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;font-size:12px;">Join SOPHIA and WISDOM as we learn to recognize and understand implicit bias to build stronger communities. Instruction, videos, and discussion will help us dig into implicit bias and why it's an important topic. We'll also engage in group and independent activities, allowing for deeper self-reflection. In closing, we will discuss the way forward, personally and for our communities. <b>Register, learn more, and help spread the word: </b><a href="http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=5AjwwbiD812Q6fRkbIADcza%2B4OsI30gk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>www.sophiawaukesha.org</b></a></p>
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<h2 style="font-family:Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0, 0, 139);"><span style="font-size:24px;">Response to Anti-Muslim Event</span></h2>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;font-size:12px;">Thank you to all who called and wrote the Waukesha County Expo Center and Waukesha County Executive's office in response to news that an Islamophobic conference would be taking place at the Expo Center on May 10 and 11. While the event was not cancelled, we raised awareness and our voices in support of our Muslim neighbors and the value of diversity in our community. SOPHIA partnered with other local organizations in releasing a joined statement yesterday afternoon to the media, Waukesha County Executive, Waukesha Mayor, all members of the Waukehsa Common Council, the head of police, Carroll College, and others. Click the links below to read the cover letter and statements:</p>
<p style="font-family:Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><a href="http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=1jKDOQU3oPmefmPAZQIPfja%2B4OsI30gk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cover Letter</a><br>
<a href="http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Se5axALcR8B8urk4cCuRuza%2B4OsI30gk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> MMWC Statement</a><br>
<a href="http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=tSTfZI6junsnnQ2xcWrLMja%2B4OsI30gk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> SOPHIA Statement</a><br>
<a href="http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=V63XnKnFib03DKFIRtIlyDa%2B4OsI30gk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> ISM Statement</a><br>
<a href="http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Iy7vthFZKkXqXOvngsYcKDa%2B4OsI30gk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Blue Sky Statement</a><br>
<a href="http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=68e%2FhKWXONxwieOmvWZBBHUKr4e9Jynq" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> BEGIN Statement</a><br>
<a href="http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=paQwPIry29%2F5N7hoK%2F2GPTa%2B4OsI30gk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Interfaith Conference Statement</a></p>
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