"Immigration Emergency Response Team": all places of worship should do something like this.
This is from St. James Cathedral in Seattle.
http://www.stjames-cathedral.org/immigrant/iert/default.aspx
Immigration Emergency Response Team
Think of this effort as similar to the response after a natural disaster – we hope it never happens, realize it probably will, and can’t quite be sure what exactly is going to be most needed at any given point.
FAQs
What will be expected of me? Only what you are able and willing to offer. We recognize that you may not always be available in the moment.
What kinds of alerts will I get? We expect to send out just two types of alerts. The first is if an immigration raid happens. After the raid has been confirmed, we will send you the details about what happened, help that is needed, when and where to show up, and who to contact. The second type of alert is for accompaniment. That’s when an immigrant has asked for community support when they have to go to an immigration interview, appear in court, etc. In these circumstances, your presence may not alter the outcome, but your show of support means a great deal to the person requesting it as well as their family. If we receive requests for specific help such as notaries for events like Family Emergency Planning Workshops, we will pass those along to specific tram members. We will not be sending alerts regarding marches, demonstrations, legislative advocacy, etc. For those types of alerts, Join the Immigrant Assistance Mailing List.
What types of help might be needed? In some cases, we will be looking for people to show up as soon as possible. In other cases, we will be looking for people to help out in the days and weeks following a raid. Generally, we will have needs for people to help with the following:
1. Accompaniment – offering a supportive, listening presence
2. Help with and/or bring hospitality items (sandwiches, coffee, juice, water, snacks, etc.)
3. Interpretation
4. Notaries Public, Family Law practitioners, and health care professional with expertise in anxiety management are often in high demand
5. Prayer – either on your own, or with an affected community member
6. Transportation
7. Temporarily hosting one or more people
8. Helping families to gather or obtain important docuemnts
9. Set up and cleanup of spaces where the affected community gathers.
10. Cash donations to help families affected by immigration enforcement actions.
SNIP
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