Written by Melissa Dalton-Bradford
Their Story is Our Story information evening served as the grand finale to a densely-packed USA visit. From last weekend spent at my church’s biannual conference, throughout five university lectures I was invited to give, interspersed with time spent with my three university kids Claire, Alessandro and Dalton, it was all a joy. Thank you Jacqueline White for hosting a successful gathering, and Elizabeth Benson, Twila Davis Bird, Garrett Wesley Gibbons, Trisha Bird Leimer, Lindsay Allen Silsby and Morgan Rhys Gibbons, all inspiring co-members of TSOS Refugees, for the artistry, intelligence, and soulfulness which hold this work aloft. And thank you to all of our heroic Syrian, Afghan, Iraqi and Iranian friends. We care deeply about you and your families and want the world to know you as we do.
Official Statement on the Detention of Refugees and Ongoing Community Violence
With another death in Minnesota and continued violence toward individuals and groups standing up for their communities, we acknowledge the profound fear and uncertainty people are feeling--not just locally, but across the country.
On top of this, there are reports that refugees invited and admitted to our country through the U.S. Refugee Admission Program are now being detained, meaning that our new friends and neighbors feel that fear most acutely.
Refugees have already fled violence and persecution once. They came here legally, seeking safety. In moments like these, we reaffirm our commitment to building communities where refugees and immigrants can live without fear. Where they can go to work, send their children to school, and build lives of dignity and belonging.
We call for due process, accountability, and humanity in all immigration enforcement operations. We call upon our leaders to demand the demilitarization of our neighborhoods and cities. And we call on all of us to continue the work of welcoming and protecting those who have been forcibly displaced from their homes.