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Title 42 Points to Need for Humane Asylum System

By Giovana Oaxaca, ELCA program director for migration

The announcement of the Biden administration of an end date for Title 42 is a welcome step forward towards restoring access to the right to seek asylum. Rather than promote a safe, orderly or humane process, Title 42 wound up increasing risk and vulnerability. Our Lutheran tradition teaches “hospitality for the uprooted is a way to live out the biblical call to love the neighbor in response to God’s love in Jesus Christ” (ELCA social message on “Immigration,” pg. 3). The human repercussions of Title 42 will be felt for years to come. Hopefully this moment can redirect our policymakers towards rebuilding a humane asylum system.

 

REQUESTING ASYLUM

Asking for asylum at the border is a right guaranteed under the Refugee Protection Act of 1980, as well as a right widely recognized as a U.S. international obligation. It is a lifeline many vulnerable migrants rely on when they reach ports of entry, usually as a last resort and after having travelled hundreds of miles by foot to escape personal danger. An asylee is an individual who meets the international definition of refugee – a person with well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group, who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence. In the United States, asylum seekers apply for protection from inside the country or at a port of entry.

 

WHAT IS TITLE 42

Title 42 is a part of an U.S. public health code that authorizes the federal government to take “emergency action” to prevent the spread of communicable diseases, a power first invoked by President Trump in March 2020. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an order under Title 42 barring certain noncitizens arriving at U.S. borders, even over the objection of leading public health officials in the CDC who saw no valid public health rationale to issue the order.

The public health effectiveness of this measure is questionable. In the United States, community spread was far more likely to be the source of transmission than newcomers. During the time Title 42 has been in effect, millions of people have continued to legally cross the U.S.-Mexico border at ports of entry for tourism and work. People continue to travel to the United States and to foreign countries by plane with little fanfare. Some have argued that Title 42 authority has been used far beyond its intended use as a public health measure.

 

WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW

On April 1, the CDC officially announced May 23 as an end date for Title 42. A potential increase in the number of border encounters is anticipated with this policy shift due to demand and expected seasonal fluctuations.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a comprehensive strategy in anticipation of the expected high volume of arrivals as Title 42 ends. The strategy is a blueprint for ramping up operational capacity, deploying more staff and resources, creating new processing centers and making asylum processing more efficient. The United States is also preparing a new system of adjudicating asylum decision. Of note, it advances an integrated regional approach to migration management. Unfortunately, it relies too heavily on raising the costs of migration instead of working to address the underlying drivers of migration.

Migrants, advocates in the faith community and public health experts have exhaustively argued that restoring asylum and protecting public health can be done together. The U.S. has the ability and resources to welcome humanely, efficiently and safely. Welcoming people in need of refuge is woven into the U.S.’ national identity. Lutheran experience in the United States reflects the continuity of this movement, as at one point after World War II one out of every six Lutherans was a refugee.

The bluntness of Title 42 underlines the U.S. immigration system’s penchant for neglecting human dignity and deflecting responsibility for humane border management. Its uneven use calls into the question even the public health rationale it purported to have. “Too often we perpetuate the racism, the fear of, and the animosity towards newcomers that show themselves in our society,” reads the ELCA “Immigration” social message (pg. 1). Between March 2020 and March 2022, Title 42 was used over 1.7 million times to expel migrants back to Mexico by land and by plane to Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Haiti, Brazil and Columbia.

Even now, Congress is considering an amendment to a COVID-19 supplemental bill that would reinstate Title 42. Historically, exclusionary policies have been most pronounced during moments of social anxiety. However, the choice is not to double down, but to reach out with grace and work towards the common good. Martin Luther once said, “I will give myself as a kind of Christ to my neighbor, just as Christ offered himself to me. I will do nothing in this life except what I see will be necessary, advantageous, and salutary for my neighbor, because through faith I am overflowing with all good things in Christ” (The Freedom of a Christian, pg. 29).

 

UNTOLD HUMAN SUFFERING

There many reasons Title 42 exacerbates human suffering. A paper by the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) underscores how long-term measures to close borders only reduce options for safe and regular migration and may increase the likelihood of irregular migration, smuggling and trafficking, especially as the drivers of migration increase.

Crossings have turned increasingly deadly as migrants have attempted to enter without inspection outside of ports of entry. A June 2021 report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) also acknowledged that Title 42 expulsions have led to “some individuals trying to cross the border multiple times per day.” Owing to the exception for unaccompanied children, the use of Title 42 has also driven families to separate in the desperate attempt to send their children to safety in the United States. No family should ever have to make such a tragic choice.

Migrants are exposed to extraordinary danger upon return. Human Rights First published a report identifying 9,886 reports of kidnapping, torture, rape and other violent attacks on people blocked or expelled to Mexico due to the Title 42 policy. In Mexico, stranded Black migrants and migrants of African descent reported frequent racially motivated attacks and harassment.

According to the IOM the vast majority of Haitians were returned to “highly vulnerable situations with few if any resources” to Haiti, a country most had not lived in recently or at all. Returned and deported migrants to Guatemala and Honduras were equally vulnerable. Some NGOs, including ELCA AMMPARO companions Asociacion Pop No’j and the Mennonite Central Action Committee in Honduras, were able to assist, although COVID-19 set-backs and the sheer scale was considerable.

 

LEGAL QUESTIONS

Legal scholars have continuously called into question the validity of the CDC’s order, given that it supersedes congressional intent by granting the CDC near unilateral power to decide who can be deported. At a minimum, Title 42 is not consistent with U.S refugee law or treaty obligations under Article 33 of 1951 Refugee Convention. Article 33 prohibits expulsions back to countries where a person’s life is in danger (what’s known as a nonrefoulement obligation). The United States ratified the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, creating an obligation back to the 1951 Refugee Convention. At least two high-ranking government officials have resigned over the categorical expulsions they saw as inhumane and illegal, especially to the country of Haiti. The prevailing international standard on deportations prohibits collective expulsion back to danger and urges a dignified returned and reintegration process (Objective 21 of the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration).

Huisha-Huisha v. Mayorkas challenges the overall use of Title 42 to return families back to danger. The D.C. Circuit Court on March 4, 2022 ruled in Huisha-Huisha that the government cannot use the public health order to expel families back to countries where they are likely to suffer persecution or torture. The Huisha-Huisha ruling dropped just as district court in Texas issued another ruling on Title 42 in Texas v. Biden blocking the ongoing Title 42 exemptions for unaccompanied children. The Biden administration averted having to expel unaccompanied children by officially terminating Title 42 expulsions for unaccompanied children on March 21. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees condemns any measure that infringes on the right to ask asylum. Public health experts argue that evidence-based public health safeguards like the use of vaccines, masks, hand sanitizer and other screening tools are strong countermeasures so that Title 42 is not necessary.

On the other hand, following the CDC order terminating Title 42 by May 23, the states of Missouri, Arizona, and Louisiana jointly sued the Biden administration for failure to rescind Title 42 through the proper procedure. While governing authorities have the responsibility to protect the nation’s borders and maintain its security, Title 42 goes too far.

 

ADDITIONAL POLICY RECONSIDERATION

Soon, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to hear a case over the Biden administration’s rescission, or repeal, of the Migration Protection Protocols (MPP). MPP, known as “Remain in Mexico,” leads to people who are legally seeking protection being stranded in perilous conditions in Mexico while they await their court hearing. MPP deprives migrants their opportunity to have their cases fully and fairly considered. This is a deeply flawed program that exposes children, families and vulnerable migrants to serious harm.

 

VISION FOR BETTER

The experience of Title 42 shows that the solution to human struggle and migration is not deterrence-based mechanisms, but addressing the drivers of migration, creating safe and orderly pathways to migrate, strengthening access to protection, and retooling how the government provides reception for those who are forced to come to the border. Any strategy must not bank on deterrence at U.S. borders or even within countries of transit to mitigate the flow of people migrating to save their lives, in search of opportunity or to reunify with family. International coordination and collaboration are essential for any effective migration policy.

Our faith is the strongest compass we have for guidance on how to treat newcomers. Scripture calls us to love our neighbor: “The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:34). ELCA social teaching describes our serving presence in society that “holds power accountable, advocates justice, stands with those who are poor and vulnerable, provides sanctuary, and meets human needs” (ELCA social statement For Peace in God’s World, pg. 5).

 

WHAT’S NEXT

We must continue to show support for restoring access to asylum and continuing the U.S.’ legacy of providing refuge as consistent with U.S. law and international agreements. Some lawmakers support keeping Title 42 over concerns about border security. People’s lives cannot be used to escalate reliance on detention, deportation and border militarization, or to try to dismantle the asylum and refugee system.

While lawmakers will likely never reach a consensus on what a secure border looks like, we can agree that essential immigration reforms must be made – and Title 42 proved to be an unjust and harmful policy. Beyond just denying access to asylum, Title 42 engenders the conditions for an even greater humanitarian crisis at the border and in countries of origin. Communities of faith, through ELCA AMMPARO and across the ELCA, are ready to work together to address the plight of migrants.

Lutheran congregations have responded to newcomer neighbors, welcoming people fleeing conflict in Southeast Asia, war, targeted violence in Central America and very recently have welcomed Afghan families displaced by conflict and Ukrainians in Eastern Europe. This love of our neighbor is our steady guide in uncertain and difficult times.

March Update: UN and State Edition

Following are updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices (sppos) in the ELCA Advocacy Network this month. Full list and map of sppos available.

U.N. | Arizona | Colorado | Kansas | Minnesota | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Texas | Washington | Wisconsin


 

U.N.

Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC), United Nations, New York, N.Y. – ELCA.org/lowc

Dennis Frado, Director

The International Migration Review Forum (IMRF):

  • was created by the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).
  • is a Member State forum, with the participation of stakeholder including civil society, to discuss and review implementation of the GCM and guide the work of the United Nations on migration.
  • will take place every four years starting in 2022. The first session of the IMRF will be held from 17 – 20 May 2022 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York for four days.
  • will be convened under the auspices of the General Assembly.
  • will consist of four interactive multi-stakeholder round tables, a policy dialogue, and a plenary, and result in an agreed Progress Declaration.

 


 

Arizona

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA) – lamaz.org

Solveig Muus, Director

LAMA met for the first time with Arizona hunger advocates including Bread for the World, World Hunger Ecumenical Arizona Task-Force (WHEAT), Arizona Food Bank Network and Arizona Food Systems Network to discuss hunger advocacy legislation for the 2023 legislative session. This new hunger advocacy work group is excited about the possibilities for state-wide collaboration in the future. LAMA attended Arizona Food Bank Network’s Food Day at the Capitol on March 10 in support of our hunger coalition partners.

Voting integrity and access to the ballot are major concerns in Arizona, so it stands to reason that LAMA’s Policy Council determined Civic Engagement would be a policy priority for 2022. After nearly 130 voting-related bills were introduced in the Arizona legislature, dozens survived crossover week and have had or will have hearings this session. LAMA is partnering with Arizona Faith Network (formerly Arizona Ecumenical Council) on voter legislation and registration this year.

In other news, LAMA continues to introduce LAMA and the importance of Lutheran advocacy to our Grand Canyon Synod congregations. This month included kickoff events at Desert Cross Lutheran in Gilbert, AZ and Esperanza Lutheran in Ahwatukee, AZ. LAMA also participated in a forum on Refugee Resettlement with Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest at Ascension Lutheran in Paradise Valley, AZ where, in addition to the presentation, panelists fielded many questions about the refugee crisis in Ukraine.


 

Colorado

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Colorado (LAM-CO) – lam-co.org

Peter Severson, Director

LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN FULL SWING: As the Colorado General Assembly moves ahead to the midway point of its 2022 session, Lutheran Advocacy is actively working on a host of bills related to our 2022 Advocacy Agenda. Among our top priorities this session:

  • HB 1259, Modifications to Colorado Works Program (Duran/Jodeh). This bill will offer badly needed updates to our state’s Basic Cash Assistance program, which is funded through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. It will remove some key barriers to eligibility and increase baseline assistance.
  • SB 087, Healthy Meals for All Public School Students (Pettersen/Fields). The bill continues a program initiated through Colorado’s federal COVID-19 relief funds, covering the cost of school meals for all children in schools participating in the National School Lunch Program.
  • SB 099, Sealing Criminal Records (Hisey/Rodriguez). Also known as “Clean Slate,” the bill automates the record-sealing process for certain non-violent offenses, for which over 1 million Coloradans are already eligible.

LUTHERAN DAY AT THE CAPITOL A SUCCESS: Despite a winter storm hitting the Front Range the night before, we still carried off our Lutheran Day at the Capitol on February 17 with a successful hybrid event. In-person attendees braved the slick roads to gather at St. Paul Lutheran Church in downtown Denver, while even more attendees joined on Zoom, to hear theological grounding for our advocacy, a briefing on the issues confronting the legislature this year, and training for citizen lobbying & advocacy.


 

Kansas

Kansas Interfaith Action (KIFA) – kansasinterfaithaaction.org

Rabbi Moti Rieber, Executive Director

Kansas’ legislative session opened on January 10. Our priorities included:

  • Working with Teach The Truth, to push back against efforts to restrict the teaching of America’s racial history in schools (a coalition KIFA put together and leads);
  • Supporting the repeal of the state food sales tax, among the highest in the nation;
  • Addressing some of the injustices caused by Kansas’ 2015/2016 “welfare reform” law;
  • Protecting the right to vote in Kansas and supporting fair redistricting;
  • Supporting Medicaid expansion and payday loan reform; and
  • Protecting Kansas’ clean energy strides.

We held our annual Interfaith Invocation the morning of January 13 – this was our first in-person event since 2020.

KIFA Advocacy Days were held Feb. 15-17; the first day was in-person and the second two were virtual. Thirty-five people (mostly clergy) attended the in-person day. Highlights included legislative meetings and a “Teach the Truth” rally at noon, which got excellent media coverage. Highlights of the virtual days included a keynote address by Rev. Jacqui Lewis of Middle Collegiate Church in New York, as well as an evening “Prayer Vigil for Grief, Justice and Hope.”

We have testified on over 10 bills and have sent out five action alerts to our supporters (so far!). We are part of coalitions on voting rights, redistricting and clean energy, as well as the Teach the Truth coalition that KIFA leads.

The session will adjourn on March 31.


 

Minnesota

Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota (LA-MN) – lutheranadvocacymn.org

Tammy Walhof, Director

Legislative Session: Bills are moving quickly through House committee hearings. In the Senate, leadership has been slow to offer budget targets to committee chairs. Being so far behind could result in little time for Senate hearings and mean most big items get negotiated by a small group of House, Senate and Administration leaders.

Surplus Uses: Opinions differ radically, even within parties. Proposals include:

  • a wide range of tax cuts (large/permanent, moderate, one-time “rebates”),
  • various investments (housing options/help, infrastructure, education priorities, health costs, climate mitigation/adaptation, etc.),
  • “winner-decide-all” following fall election outcomes (assumes a single party could take the House, Senate & governorship AND be of one mind on priorities),
  • pet projects of individual legislators.

LA-MN believes well-being for the whole state, while addressing our greatest human needs, are most important. Tax changes should be temporary, to prevent the structural deficit and cuts that plagued Minnesota for years following previous permanent tax cuts. Those deficits hurt everyone – rural, urban, small town, suburban; the very young to the old. Infrastructure wasn’t maintained, budget gaps were filled with “borrowed” education funding, and Minnesota was left unprepared for the economic downturn. Housing/ affordable housing are still recovering 15 years later.

LA-MN Staff: Director Tammy Walhof and Hunger Advocacy Fellow Rachel Wyffels have been busy with coalition partners, hearings, conversations with advocates and more. Wyffels has been engaged with the Northeast Minnesota Synod EcoFaith Team in producing creation care trainings. She is cohosting the weekly Zoom trainings with Kali Kadelbach, a Youth Pastor in Princeton.


 

Ohio

Hunger Network Ohio (HNO) – hungernetwork.org

Deacon Nick Bates, Director

Last month HNO hosted a conversation on education and hunger in our communities. Our local school cafeterias are the frontlines against childhood hunger, and our schools are vital in preparing students for the challenges of a constantly changing economy of the future. You can watch that webinar here. You can also watch the short video we put together of educators talking about our schools and the needs that they see.

We are excited to host this month’s webinar on “Caring for Creation to End Hunger”. You can join us on Wednesday March 23rd at 1pm EDT by clicking here to register!

Redistricting takes center stage in Ohio. The majority party continues to pass maps without minority party support that continue to be rejected by the Supreme Court of Ohio for unfairly gerrymandering districts to guarantee safe majorities and super-majorities for the next four to 10 years. Districts need to be fairly drawn to reflect the needs of our communities and not extremist out-of-state interests that can repeatedly dominate district priorities.


 

Pennsylvania

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – Pennsylvania (LAMPa) lutheranadvocacypa.org

Tracey DePasquale, Director

Budget advocacy took shape in February as the legislature was occupied with related hearings. LAMPa began planning legislative meetings and hunger network action on the State Food Purchase Program, the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System and a proposed increase in the minimum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) on our anti-hunger agenda.

In good news on food security and equity, LAMPa Director Tracey DePasquale participated in a meeting of the state Emergency Food Assistance Advisory Committee, where it was announced that an increase in the income eligibility threshold for The Emergency Food Assistance Program should be in place by early summer, allowing people with incomes of up to 185 percent of poverty to qualify. In addition, the Department of Agriculture announced plans to focus on socially disadvantaged farmers in a new federally funded local food purchasing program that will distribute food through the charitable network.

Food security, sustainability and equity were also themes of the Pasa Sustainable Agriculture Conference, which DePasquale attended, connecting with farmers and coalition partners in preparation for work on the federal Farm Bill.

As part of LAMPa’s focus on sustainability, staff worked with colleagues in ELCA federal and U.N. offices to advance work with Pennsylvania congregations and institutions striving to meet climate goals and to support the church’s witness at the sixty-sixth session of the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women, focused on climate change.

LAMPa staff and policy council members worked to prepare for an April hybrid learning and advocacy event focusing on housing and homelessness.


 

Texas

Texas Impact – texasimpact.org

Scott Atnip, Outreach Director

In response to the Texas Legislature’s voter suppression efforts in 2021, Texas Impact is working with partner congregations to equip Texans of faith to support democracy by participating in local elections – from registering voters to recruiting election workers. In addition, Texas Impact joined the Brennan Center’s lawsuit against the Texas voting bill.

ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow Isa Peterson is leading an effort to complete a report on Texas’ Public Utility Commission sunset process, which will be released in March.

Texas Impact’s weekly podcast “Weekly Witness” relaunched in January with a new producer and new format. This will allow even higher quality content to equip Texans of faith to participate in justice and advocacy work.

The Texas Impact Board of Directors is beginning a project to compile social statements from member judicatories.


 

Washington

Faith Action Network (FAN) – fanwa.org

Elise DeGooyer, Director

We launched our work in 2022 with the 60-day Wash. State Legislative Session that began on January 10 and ended March 10. Our new Policy Engagement Director Kristin Ang is off to a great start – she quickly learned from Paul Benz and our many coalition partners and helped prioritize an ambitious Legislative Agenda.

To get our network ready for the 2022 session, FAN hosted two “Preparing for the 2022 State Legislative Session Trainings”. Advocates joined us to get an overview of our legislative agenda, hear from legislators on how and why to advocate, learn about the important websites to visit while advocating in a virtual setting, and meet in breakout rooms by issue topic to delve deeper into the bills on our agenda.

We co-sponsored the Eastern Washington Legislative Conference on January 22, with the theme “Mobilizing for Our Future,” featuring Fr. Pat Conroy, SJ, former chaplain to Congress. Hosted online, advocates heard from an interfaith panel on mobilizing faith communities for justice, workshops on critical issues facing their communities, and a legislative briefing. Our signature event, Interfaith Advocacy Day (IFAD) 2022, was held on Zoom February 10. From Bellingham, Spokane, Tri-Cities, Ellensburg, Vancouver, the Olympic Peninsula, and across the Puget Sound region, 150 advocates representing 39 legislative districts attended more than 80 meetings with legislators and their aides. Workshops were offered by FAN volunteers and our coalition partners, and legislators and faith leaders encouraged attendees’ advocacy. Next month, we will share the recap of some great bill victories, and what will need more work in the year ahead.


 

Wisconsin

Lutheran Office for Public Policy – Wisconsin (LOPPW) loppw.org

The Rev. Cindy Crane, Director

Legislative Bills Supported: The Wisconsin Legislative session is ending. In last month’s update, we listed the bills we supported. In our advocacy for clean groundwater, we also supported Assembly Bill 727, which creates “a commercial nitrogen optimization pilot program, providing crop insurance rebates for cover crops, creating a hydrogeologist position, extending the time limit for emergency rule procedures, providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation.”

Wednesday Noon Live: The Rev. Peter Jonas shared his experience working with other clergy and lay leaders advocating against Trempealeau County becoming a 2nd Amendment Sanctuary. The Rev. Jeff Wild discussed his work blacksmithing and peacemaking. Gun control is not one of LOPPW’s priorities, but we can still offer guidance on how to advocate.

New on LOPPW’s Website: Under Resources, Reflections & Tools we added a “Youth Advocacy” section and “Hunger Leaders WI/UP” section. The latter is to assist a group of ELCA Hunger Leaders from Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in their efforts to network within our six synods. They have included advocacy in their three recent sessions.

Connecting: LOPPW had an in-person presence at synod events in the Greater Milwaukee Synod and South-Central Synod of Wisconsin. LOPPW Director Cindy Crane has been meeting with all six bishops individually to update them and receive input. Crane also attended an interfaith anti-sex trafficking event at a Catholic church and has met with leadership teams for anti-sex trafficking, climate justice and juvenile justice.

March Update: Advocacy Connections

from the ELCA advocacy office in Washington, D.C. – the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Senior Director

Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: March 2022

VAWA REAUTHORIZATION READY FOR SIGNATURE  |  FAITH NETWORKS AND STATE OF THE UNION  |  LEARN MORE ABOUT FAITH AND REPARATORY JUSTICE  |  GLOBAL COVID-19 VACCINES ACCESS  |  TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS DESIGNATIONS

 

VAWA REAUTHORIZATION READY FOR SIGNATURE:  Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is ready for the president’s signature, and we thank the many Lutherans who expressed support using the ELCA Action Alert! Both Vance Blackfox (Cherokee), Director, Indigenous Ministries & Tribal Relations, and Dr. Mary J. Streufert, Director, Justice for Women, in the ELCA commented on this policy development.

“Indigenous women have always been the center of our villages and communities, and the systematic attempts by the U.S. federal government and others to de-center and eliminate them have been egregious and criminal. This latest passage of VAWA that contains expanded protections for Indigenous women and children brings to light the lack of protection offered all these years and finally elevates the standard for the level of justice and care our women have always deserved,” said Blackfox.

“[VAWA] serves neighbors—people in need because they have been targeted with violence based on gender and race. The ELCA as a church is expressly in support of laws that stem these kinds of violence. We trust that God works through us to create safety and flourishing for others, including through laws and policies. We also trust that God works through us to challenge sexist and racist beliefs that make gender-based violence seem like it is normal,” said Streufert.

 

HUNGER AND THE STATE OF THE UNION:  President Biden named the Child Tax Credit as a priority in his State of the Union speech, which is also a priority of our anti-hunger advocacy shared by partners from Christian, Jewish and Muslim organizations. The ELCA is addressing priorities in additional legislation that would have been in Build Back Better legislation.

Collaboratively, our advocacy is working with legislative opportunities with maternal health in Black women, heath care for all, as well as Child Tax Credit potentials. An interfaith webinar on Mar 16 at 1 p.m. ET, cosponsored by the ELCA, will explain changes to the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit, and how you can help spread the word in our communities about these tax credits. More at https://bit.ly/FaithfulTaxFilers

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT FAITH AND REPARATORY JUSTICE:  The ELCA continues cohosting a monthly faith series examining reparations for people of African Descent. The March 16 session will focus on the global and international aspects of the reparations movement; April 20 on housing, land and debt; and May 1 on health.

Event registration and access to previously recorded sessions is available from the National Council of Churches website at https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/reparatory-justice-series/. The March 16 session includes partners speaking about involvement in Haiti and other nations, and study of the rich theology and history developed around the issue.

 

GLOBAL COVID-19 VACCINES ACCESS:  The ELCA continues to advocate to U.S. government and global multilateral entities to ensure better ways to increase access to COVID-19 vaccines, treatments and other resources–especially for low-and-middle income countries.

The Biden administration announced that it will increase its coronavirus vaccine assistance to 11 African countries—based on COVID burden on their populations, capacity of their health systems to quickly administer vaccine doses and ability to effectively deploy additional U.S. investments. The goal is to provide intensive financial, technical, and diplomatic support, including bolstering cold chain supply and logistics, service delivery, vaccine confidence and demand, human resources, data and analytics, local planning, and vaccine safety and effectiveness.

 

TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS DESIGNATIONS:  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is to be commended for designating Sudan and Extending and Redesignating South Sudan for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) due to dire country conditions. In response to the continued conflict in Eastern Europe, Ukraine was also designated for TPS.

TPS offers relief for eligible community members with protection from deportation, work permits and the possibility to live their day-to-day lives without the overbearing fear of being separated from their loved ones. It has been a tool employed by both Republican and Democratic administrations to protect community members in the United States while their home country conditions remain unstable. Other countries the United States should consider designating for TPS include Cameroon and Guatemala, and “redesignating” Honduras and El Salvador.

 


Receive monthly Advocacy Connections directly by becoming part of the ELCA Advocacy network – http://elca.org/advocacy/signup , and learn more from elca.org/advocacy .

 

Ecumenical Advocacy Days – with Scholarships!

Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD) is an annual gathering of Christian advocates and activists. People attending EAD worship, review advocacy best practices, dive deeper into issues of their selection around the central theme, take Lobby Day action, and network with people of faith passionate about the difference policy can make in peoples’ lives. Lutherans in attendance have denomination-specific opportunities to get to know one another and vision what we can do together!

#EAD2022 is a virtual gathering, held Monday through Wednesday, April 25-27, 2022. The schedule is posted to advocacydays.org.

 

THEME IN 2022

This year’s theme, “Fierce Urgency: Advancing Civil & Human Rights,” calls us into solidarity to restore, protect and expand voting rights in the United States and to realize human rights around the world. As people of faith, we know each person to be created in God’s image, imbued with dignity and having a voice that demands to be heard, heeded and treated justly. We arise in unity, holding up a mirror to leaders of nations, putting injustice on display and tearing down the veil of oppression that obscures the beautiful, God-born light shining from within us all.

Several Lutheran leaders will present workshops, and participants will have opportunities to meet ELCA advocacy colleagues and network with other Lutherans during denominational time. Those who attend will also be equipped and receive support to work on voting rights and civic engagement through ELCAvotes.

 

SCHOLARSHIPS

Because EAD, in which the ELCA is a partner, is such an excellent opportunity to connect faith-voices in advocacy action, several scholarships for the registration fee are available to encourage the strength of the witness of ELCA advocacy both in the locations of the attendees and in the ELCA’s voice on federal matters.

ELCA networks offering scholarships include our Companion Synod program, Peace Not Walls, African Descent Ministries, and Witness in Society advocacy.

  • CRITERIA: Due to the limited number of scholarships, selection will prioritize first-time attendees as well as young adults (age 18-35) to encourage diversity in participation.
  • SCHOLARSHIP FORM: https://forms.office.com/r/eBvE50Gd79
  • APPLICATION DEADLINE: Thursday, March 31, 2022 *extended through April 15, with determinations shared on rolling basis
  • SCHOLARSHIP DETERMINATIONS: Announced on April 4.

Scholarship applicants should delay registering for the event until determinations are announced along with instructions for proper registration as a scholarship recipient.

Want to tell others about the scholarships? Use these social media posts from @ELCAadvocacy.

 

REGISTRATION AND LEARNING MORE

Ready to register? Visit advocacydays.org.

You are invited to a talk about EAD hosted by the ELCA Metro D.C. Synod on Thursday, March 17 from 7-8 p.m. ET for more information. The Rev. Amy E. Reumann, ELCA Senior Director for Witness in Society, will talk about the upcoming EAD, including the ecumenical character of the event, the impact of gathering ecumenically for advocacy, the ELCA theological framework for this approach and practical benefits. Connect from the synod’s calendar entry on March 17, “Ecumenical Connections Zoom Meeting: Episode 1.”

Someone who’s been there shared reflections which also tell you more. Read “Lessons for Advocacy from Ecumenical Advocacy Days(4/27/21) in the ELCA Advocacy Blog.

Hope to see you there!

 

Again Asking and Finding Steadfast Love in the Gloom of War

By the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, ELCA Senior Director for Witness in Society

“Why should it be said among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” (Joel 2:17)

The prophet Joel doesn’t hold back when sounding the alarm about the coming Day of the Lord in today’s Ash Wednesday reading. It will be “a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness spread upon the mountains a great and powerful army comes; their like has never been from of old, nor will be again after them in ages to come.” Joel goes on to remind the faithful that despite the terror they see, God’s true nature is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.” He calls on the priests to assemble the people, to repent, and to testify to all who may ask, “Where is their God?” that God is still with them.

 

BIBLICAL CRY IN PRESENT CRISIS

This year Joel’s alert sounds above the horror of the Putin regime’s invasion of Ukraine, a great and powerful army conducting an unprovoked attack against a neighboring state. The valiant resistance of Ukrainian leaders, the courage of civilians fighting back and resilience of so many inhabitants are inspiring. But they do not ease my deep dismay as Russian air strikes and ground fighting continue, and civilian casualties mount. Over three quarters of a million people (as of this writing), primarily women and children, have streamed across borders seeking safety. Many, many more are still to come in a growing humanitarian crisis.

Just like the grinding conflict and famine in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia or endless suffering in Syria and Yemen, the invasion of Ukraine and first days of war there can lead us to question: “Where is our God?” I ask it again when I hear about the plight of the Roma, a marginalized and undocumented people in Europe, facing bigotry as they try to flee. I ask again when reports of discrimination against non-Europeans trying to reach safety surface. I ask it again as I see Russian citizens bravely protesting the actions of their government for which they may expect harsh punishments. I ask it again as the questions about the potential for use of nuclear weapons in this war takes me back to childhood Cold War fears of annihilation.

 

WHERE HELPERS ARE

Fred Rogers, host of the long-running show “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” told the famous story of how his mother told him that in a tragedy he should “look for the helpers” to keep despair at bay. Today, the solidarity of so many around the world with Ukraine who step up to help reflects a glimmer of God’s steadfast love even in the gloom of war.

In our Lutheran family, I can glimpse God’s action and can testify that in the gloom and horror of war, God is here.

  • ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton has called the church to prayer and
  • communicated our concern to Lutheran churches in Ukraine and in Russia.
  • ELCA staff have long and strong relationships with European partners preparing to receive people fleeing Ukraine. These relationships will guide our accompanying actions and support these churches as they address the trauma that comes with violence, dislocation and family separation.
  • Lutheran Disaster Response has created an Eastern Europe Crisis Response for donations to support the long-term response. The ELCA is working through the Lutheran World Federation and the Action by Churches Together Alliance to bring humanitarian aid to Ukraine and at the borders.
  • At the United Nations, ELCA staff are monitoring Security Council deliberation and the global humanitarian response.
  • Through ELCA advocacy we are urging the Biden Administration to offer deportation relief to Ukrainians in the U.S. through a Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation or a Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) order.

We don’t know when this military action will end. Much misery lies ahead and it may be unbearable. In addition to actions we take now as advocates and in relief work, Lutherans are called to confess the ways we have fallen short in our responsibility for peace, and dedicate ourselves anew to be students of peace and act for God’s shalom in our world. The ELCA social statement For Peace in God’s World teaches that peace is deeply rooted in God’s identity, that God suffers with and for our world of violence and the church is called to be a faithful presence, testifying to the God of peace in specific ways, as:

  • a disturbing presence that denounces warful actions and advocates publicly and boldly for peace;
  • a reconciling presence that creates bonds between people, imagines solutions to conflict and counters hate speech, especially among Christians;
  • a serving presence that stands with the poor and vulnerable and compassionately meets human needs and stands for human rights; and
  • a deliberating presence where we discuss and debate responses to human evil.

 

GUIDANCE OF GOD OF PEACE

As the war in Ukraine continues, the God of peace is here and calls us to maintain compassion and concern for all human suffering that results from conflict and war. The God of peace calls us to be active peacemakers who disturb, reconcile, serve and deliberate. The God of peace also calls us to hope, even when hope is shrouded by the pall of war, and to “give God no rest” until that day when the nations “shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:4).

Adapting to the New Climate Needs Stewarding

By Ruth Ivory-Moore, ELCA Program Director for Environment and Corporate Social Responsibility

As Lutherans, we recognize our role as stewards of creation, called to care for the earth as God cares for the earth.* We are passionate about creation care and are aware of impacts climate change is having in our present and potential future. Being informed and prayerful keep us urgently engaged and hopeful in God’s promises as we not only marvel at the beauty of God’s good creation but also look at struggles with clear eyes.

A new – but deemed to be landmark – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change** report was finalized on Feb. 27, “Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability” (IPCC Report). It highlights the widespread damage that has arrived with the changing climate and the urgent need to adapt to these changes. Unfortunately, the message is not new. Yet while the report re-emphasizes the dire situation the global community faces, it also emphasizes hope: The climate we remember is gone, but we can dramatically limit the damage and reduce our risk by adapting to the new climate.

 

A CALL TO ACT

The report succinctly connects humanity with biodiversity. Biodiversity is described by World Wildlife Fund as all the different kinds of life you’ll find in one area—the variety of animals, plants, fungi and even microorganisms like bacteria which work together in ecosystems to maintain balance and support life. “Biodiversity supports everything in nature that we need to survive: food, clean water, medicine, and shelter.” The IPCC Report is a wake-up call for all to act.

 

On the same day that the IPCC Report was publicly released, the ELCA sponsored with ACT Alliance, Lutheran World Federation and the World Council of Churches a side-event to the United Nations Environment Assembly, which brings together representatives of the 193 Member States of the UN, businesses, civil society and other stakeholders to agree on policies to address the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Our co-sponsored event, “Voices of Hope and Faith: Sharing visions of living in harmony with nature,” was an opportunity for youth, indigenous people and women to voice a call for action now.

 

AT A TIME OF CONFLICT AND CRISIS MOVE TOWARD CLIMATE JUSTICE, NOT DESPAIR

This report’s release comes during a time of conflict and extreme pain and sadness, felt with the conflict in eastern Europe and the uncertainty of the plight of the people of Ukraine. We are saddened by these events and pray for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. It may seem like empty words, but I like many am distraught about this act of unprovoked aggression . This conflict is amplified across the world, underscoring how we are all part of the global community.discussion questions

We are all connected. The livelihood of all is impacted economically from individuals to communities to businesses. The need to transition to a renewable energy society is more evident today. Energy independence must be achieved to avoid being subject to changing political landscapes and the unpredictability of the powerful. We must seize this moment of climate crisis and world conflict to move decisively to global resiliency. We do have the tools to make this happen.

“Our tradition offers many glimpses of hope triumphant over despair. In ancient Israel, as Jerusalem was under siege and people were on the verge of exile, Jeremiah purchased a plot of land (Jeremiah 32). When Martin Luther was asked what he would do if the world were to end tomorrow, he reportedly answered, ‘I would plant an apple tree today.’ When we face today’s crisis, we do not despair. We act” (ELCA social statement Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice, pg. 5-6).

 


* Find reflections in the Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice social statement, including pg. 2.

** The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.

February Update: Advocacy Connections

from the ELCA advocacy office in Washington, D.C. – the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Senior Director

Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: February 2022

2022 ELCA FEDERAL POLICY PRIORITIES  |  HOUSING IN FEDERAL BUDGET  |  AFGHAN REFUGEE ADVOCACY   |  FOREIGN ASSISTANCE  |  HOLY LAND CHURCH LEADERS’ CONCERN

 

2022 ELCA FEDERAL POLICY PRIORITIES:  Our annual identification of policy priorities on the federal horizon for ELCA advocacy action is available. Find listing on the ELCA Advocacy Blog, with a downloadable version from the ELCA advocacy resource page. Shaped by the ELCA’s social teaching documents and the experiences of its congregations, ministries and partners, we advocate to end world hunger and stand up for policies that create opportunities to overcome poverty, promote peace and dignity, preserve God’s creation and promote racial and gender justice.

 

HOUSING IN FEDERAL BUDGET:  Congress on Feb. 18 voted on another extension through Mar. 11 of federal appropriations. In a year of historic inflation and rising housing costs, flat level funding for the entire fiscal year would be especially crippling for federal housing programs in particular, which are directly tied to the market.

This comes as the need to pass a full fiscal year 2022 budget, which was first due in Oct. 2021, continues to grow as temporary stopgap delays have kept government funding levels flat across the government and military. Without increases, officials will need to make difficult choices in cutting back vouchers and homeless assistance in communities, at a time when housing affordability continues to fall out of reach for many. ELCA advocacy staff continue to meet with Democratic and Republican legislative offices, highlighting the impact of flat-level funding on those of us in the greatest need. As lawmakers continue these discussions, advocates can highlight their own concerns on the affordability crisis through the ELCA Action Center.

 

AFGHAN REFUGEE ADVOCACY:  On Feb. 19, the last Afghan refugees departed U.S. military bases for resettlement, bringing the need for welcome of 76,000 Afghans evacuees in cities across the country since rapid evacuations took place last summer. However, many Afghan arrivals lack a pathway to legal permanent residency which presents a problem for their long-term safety and security.

Over 40% of Afghans who arrived at U.S. military bases were children. Worship communities have played an important role in resettlement and advocacy through fostering welcoming spaces for inclusion. ELCA advocacy staff have continued to meet with Democratic and Republican senators to create awareness of and support legislative solutions, like an Afghan Adjustment Act. Learn more and add your voice with a related Action Alert.

 

FOREIGN ASSISTANCE:  As COVID-19 and humanitarian emergencies continue to impact many families and communities around the world, the ELCA is collaborating with ecumenical partners to urge the Biden administration to send a request to Congress to ask for supplemental funding.

Current federal government funding has been extended through a Continuing Resolution. Because of this, some humanitarian, development and global health programs are running out of funds. The supplemental funding can be used to address some of these gaps, especially those related to emergency food aid programs and COVID-19 global response. We are concurrently urging legislative appropriators to finalize appropriation bills for Fiscal Year 22.

 

HOLY LAND CHURCH LEADERS’ CONCERN:  On Dec. 13, 2021, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem issued their “Statement on the Current Threat to the Christian Presence in the Holy Land.” The church leaders report that the Christian community has “become the target of frequent and sustained attacks by fringe radical groups.”

The U.S. should urge the political authorities of Israel, Palestine and Jordan to engage in the dialogue requested by the church leaders according to a recent ELCA Peace Not Walls update, and the tool in the Peace Not Walls – January announcement can be used for you to urge this action in Congress.


Receive monthly Advocacy Connections directly by becoming part of the ELCA Advocacy network – http://elca.org/advocacy/signup , and learn more from elca.org/advocacy .

 

February Update: UN and State Edition

Following are updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices (sppos) in the ELCA Advocacy Network this month. Full list and map of sppos available.

U.N. | Arizona | Colorado | Minnesota | New Mexico | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Wisconsin


 

U.N.

Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC), United Nations, New York, N.Y. – ELCA.org/lowc

Dennis Frado, Director

 

  • The sixty-sixth session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66) will take place from 14 to 25 March 2022. This year, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the related safety and health guidelines implemented at UN Headquarters, the official session will take place in a hybrid format with limited in-person attendance prioritized for member states. Interactive dialogues as well as side and parallel events will be fully virtual.
  • Priority theme: Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programs.
  • Review theme: Women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work (agreed conclusions of the sixty-first session).
  • Our Lutheran Office for World Community is active in planning engagement for Lutheran participants at CSW66.


 

Arizona

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA) – lamaz.org

Solveig Muus, Director

 

LAMA held its first Advocacy Day at the Legislature in more than 20 years on February 1, 2022. The day included remarks by House Speaker Russell “Rusty” Bowers; Representative Jennifer Longdon; Bishop Deborah Hutterer, ELCA Grand Canyon Synod; and Connie Phillips, CEO of Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest. More than 85 Lutherans and hunger coalition partners gathered to connect, pray, meet with legislators and hear the Invocation offered by Bishop Hutterer in the State House of Representatives. LAMA announced that hunger advocates including LAMA, Bread for the World, World Hunger Ecumenical Arizona Task-Force (WHEAT), Arizona Food Bank Network and Arizona Food Systems Network will collaborate on hunger advocacy legislation for the 2023 legislative session, opening the door to a new era of cooperation and commitment to ending food insecurity in Arizona. Special attention will be paid to food deserts and indigenous representation. More pictures of the day can be found here.

Meanwhile, as the window for new bill introductions for the 2022 session closes and we enter crossover week, LAMA is keeping eyes on bills related to its policy priorities of food insecurity and civic engagement, including more than 130 voting-related bills. LAMA championed HB2060 during Advocacy Day, a bill that would enable citizens with a drug felony on their record to access SNAP benefits more easily.

LAMA continues our efforts to educate our Arizona congregations about the importance of voicing our common needs in the public square. We are encouraged and grateful to the many congregations who invited us to participate in worship and share our advocacy message.


 

Colorado

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Colorado (LAM-CO) – lam-co.org

Peter Severson, Director

 

DAY AT THE CAPITOL: Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Colorado hosted Lutheran Day at the Capitol on Thursday, February 17, 2022. All faithful advocates in Colorado were invited to this day of learning and action! More information is available at https://www.rmselca.org/co-lutheran-day-at-the-capitol.

LEGISLATING IS UNDERWAY: The Colorado General Assembly is in session, and there are already several bills on the docket that Lutheran Advocacy plans to work on. These include:

  • House Bill 1083, Colorado Homeless Contribution Income Tax Credit (Reps. Tipper & Rich)
  • Senate Bill 19, Access to Suppressed Eviction Court Records (Sen. Winter)
  • Senate Bill 87, Healthy Meals for All Public School Students (Sens. Pettersen & Fields)
  • Senate Bill 99, Sealing Criminal Records (Sens. Hisey & Rodriguez)

More bills are in the pipeline, including reforms to Colorado Works and allocations for housing and support services from federal COVID relief funds.

DISASTER RESPONSE: The Rocky Mountain Synod is actively accompanying people who lost their homes in the historically destructive Marshall Fire in Boulder County on December 30, 2021. Together with Lutheran Disaster Response and Lutheran Family Services, we are working to address the needs of displaced families and people, beginning with those who are part of our congregational communities in the area. Learn more at https://www.rmselca.org/boulder-county-fire-response.


 

Minnesota

Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota (LA-MN) – lutheranadvocacymn.org

Tammy Walhof, Director

 

Budget Surplus: In mid-January, a new budget forecast surprised everyone with an anticipated $7 billion surplus. Although 2022 is a bonding year, the legislature has the option to pass a supplemental budget. Gov. Walz has proposed a supplemental budget focused heavily on education, including universal pre-K. He included $100 million to fund “community stabilization” for Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH). It doesn’t include much for the environment. We applaud the governor’s proposal for NOAH stabilization, but would like to see a larger amount put into affordable housing overall, in addition to addressing the climate crisis.

Session Start: The legislative session started Monday, January 31. The week prior, the House Climate Caucus released a proposed Climate Action Plan, but nothing complementary exists in the Senate yet.

Bonding: Gov. Walz’s $2.7 billion bonding proposal spends almost 60% on asset preservation and infrastructure. It does include $350 million for affordable housing, and $75 million for homeless shelters. The proposal from Homes for All, a state-wise coalition of which LA-MN is a part, calls for $400 million in Housing Infrastructure Bonds (to build more affordable housing), $100 million in bonds for repairs/renovation of Public Housing, and $75 million for shelters. The governor’s proposal also includes $262 million on climate change concerns and natural resources, much of which would focus on electric vehicle charging infrastructure and stormwater construction.

Youth Extravaganza: Hunger Advocacy Fellow Rachel Wyffles recently had the opportunity to engage and introduce youth ministry leaders from across the country to advocacy at the ELCA Youth Ministry Network Extravaganza in Minneapolis. She even prepared a fantastic Youth Advocacy Resource for participants!


 

New Mexico

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – New Mexico (LAM-NM) – lutheranadvocacynm.org

Kurt Rager, Director

 

2nd Session of the 55th Legislature races towards the finish.

The New Mexico Legislature’s current 30-day session came to an end at noon on February 17. Though down significantly from previous 30-day sessions, about 450 bills have been introduced. LAM-NM has been tracking more than 60 bills, actively speaking in support or opposition to those identified as priority legislation.

LAM-NM Advocacy Agenda legislation high-lights:

Affordable Housing & Homelessness – Support for legislation that did not make it out of last year’s session, that would update landlord-tenant relations by increasing time to remedy; for legislation that would ensure annual appropriations to the NM Housing Trust Fund, enabling it to greatly increase the building of low and affordable housing; and for funding of programs that can prevent and assist people experiencing homelessness.

Family-Sustaining Income – Support for capping short-term “store-front” installment loans at 36%; for raising the minimum wage paid to state employees. Opposition of various tax relief measures, preferring instead to see a comprehensive overhaul of New Mexico’s overall tax structure.

Healthcare – Support for legislation that would help identify those low-income and uninsured New Mexicans, connecting them to free or low-cost health insurance plans; for expanding school-based health clinics; and for continued funding for the study of NM’s Health Security Plan.

Hunger – Support for additional emergency funding for New Mexico food banks, and for the Governor’s $24 million appropriation request for the state-wide Food, Farm and Hunger Initiative.

Tax Policy – Opposition of legislation to exempt Social Security from the state’s personal income tax for upper income seniors, preferring instead to see the issue considered during an upcoming, comprehensive overhaul of New Mexico’s tax structure; and of other tax cuts for the same argument.

Criminal Justice – Support for legislation that would provide flexibility for payment of fines, fees, and costs, that would expand community service options, and would require ability-to-pay screening, for legislation that would prohibit imposition of a life-sentence without parole for a juvenile, and for the study of establishing a unified state prison and jail system.

Care of Creation – Support for legislation that promoted restoration of abandoned uranium mines; for environmental rights; and for the Clean Future Act.

Election & Redistricting Reform – Support for legislation that would amend the state’s constitution to create a permanent Citizen’s Redistricting Commission.


 

Ohio

Hunger Network Ohio – hungernetwork.org

Nick Bates, Director

 

CHURCH ENGAGING THE WORD: Education

Strong schools today lead to hunger-free communities tomorrow! Schools are essential in making sure kids are fed so they can learn, students are prepared for the workforce of tomorrow, and future community leaders are prepared to address our communities’ most pressing needs with compassion and wisdom.

EVENT: February 23, 1pm

Register for the zoom here

In 2022, the Hunger Network will host a series of informative zoom meetings to discuss important issues in our communities and how our faith communities can respond through service and advocacy to make sure every child is fed. On February 23, at 1pm, we invite Ohioans to learn about the impact of our public schools on our communities and their role in ending hunger. You can register for this event here.

 

DID YOU KNOW? The Ohio River connects the state with a large inland river system that brings business to and from over 85% of the nation’s major cities. As people of faith, water is holy and sacred to us and just one example of God’s abundant grace that provides for us everyday. Ohio should be proud of our water and seek to protect it moving forward. If you are passionate about clean water in Ohio, please contact our director, Nick Bates at Nick@hungernetohio.com to help us build our water advocacy team!


 

Pennsylvania

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – Pennsylvania (LAMPa) lutheranadvocacypa.org

Tracey DePasquale, Director

 

LAMPa and other hunger advocates cheered increases for food security programs in Gov. Tom Wolf’s 2022-23 budget proposal. The spending plan calls for a $2 million increase in the Penn. Agricultural Surplus Program, plus two new food security measures – a $1 million grant to encourage colleges to address hunger, and a $14 million provision to increase minimum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for seniors and Pennsylvanians with disabilities to $35 from $20. The State Food Purchase Program, which saw a $3 million increase in 2021, is proposed to be level funded.

“As the economy recovers from the pandemic, some households, especially those who were already living at or near poverty, are still experiencing hardship,” said LAMPa Director Tracey DePasquale. “Rising food prices are putting a strain on family budgets, increasing the need for charitable food, while at the same time, decreasing the purchasing power of food banks.”

LAMPa also applauded a $10 million proposed state disaster assistance fund for those experiencing a federally declared disaster who do not qualify for traditional assistance.

In addition to budget advocacy, LAMPa is working with coalition partners to address an underlying cause of hunger – housing insecurity. As housing costs skyrocket, we are advocating to lift the cap on the realty transfer tax dedicated to the Pa. Housing Accessibility and Rehabilitation Program.

As the new session begins, LAMPa is also monitoring elections/voting legislation and working with senate staff and criminal justice reform advocates on legislation to support independent investigations in police use of deadly force.


 

Wisconsin

Lutheran Office for Public Policy – Wisconsin (LOPPW) loppw.org

Cindy Crane, Director

 

Legislative Bills Supported

  • Assembly Bill 728 (clean water – see Action Alert). LOPPW also individually contacted all of the members of the Committee on Agriculture.
  • Assembly Bill 58 (anti-sex trafficking): This bill allows a residential tenant to terminate their lease if the tenant or the tenant’s child fears imminent violence and faces an imminent threat of serious physical harm from another person if the tenant remains on the premises.
  • Senate Bill 746 (anti-sex trafficking): requires the Department of Public Instruction to develop a child sexual abuse prevention policy and instructional program, that is age appropriate, to be provided to pupils in grades kindergarten to six.
  • Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act
  • Afghan Adjustment Act

 

Wednesday Noon Live: We interviewed Deb Martin, Oshkosh, and Cindy Dobberke, Mukwonago, to discuss their work with other hunger leaders to network around Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to counter hunger. They discussed the three sessions – All who Strive a World Without Hunger, which they organized with other hunger leaders. LOPPW is a part of the group to add an advocacy perspective on hunger and gave a brief presentation during the first session.

 

Wednesday Noon Live: with Giovana Oaxaca, ELCA Program Director of Migration

Youth: LOPPW met with representatives from six synods to discuss plans for a listening session for youth to learn about their interests in social justice.

Coalitions: LOPPW met with four coalitions to amplify our work on juvenile justice, climate justice, hunger, and anti-human trafficking.

ELCA 2022 federal policy priorities for advocacy action

DOMESTIC  |  ENVIRONMENT  |  INTERNATIONAL  |  MIGRATION  |  MIDDLE EAST  |  CIVIC ENGAGEMENT  |  GETTING INVOLVED

 

Also available as a downloadable pdf from ELCA advocacy resources page

Every public policy decision has an effect on us and on our neighbors, even neighbors living across the country or around the world. This compels us as church to “unite realism and vision, wisdom and courage, in its social responsibility. It needs constantly to discern when to support and when to confront society’s cultural patterns, values, and powers” (ELCA social statement Church in Society: A Lutheran Perspective, p. 3).

By building relationships with policymakers, taking joint action with values-sharing issue partners, writing comments and much more, we advocate to end world hunger and stand up for policies that create opportunities to overcome poverty, stimulate peace and dignity, preserve God’s creation, promote racial and gender justice, and promote good order in public life. Shaped by the ELCA’s social teaching documents and the experiences of its congregations, ministries and partners, the following are policy priorities on the federal horizon for advocacy action in 2022.

 

Domestic Policy

“The power of God’s suffering, self-giving love transforms and challenges the Church to stand with all who are overlooked for the sake of economic progress or greed. Confession of faith ought to flow into acts of justice for the sake of the most vulnerable” (from ELCA social statement Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All, pg. 4-5).

    • Hunger and poverty – restore, protect and adequately fund food security and child nutrition programs, and advocate to make permanent the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income families. Support measures to reduce economic disparities and reach baseline wages above poverty level.
    • Health care – ensure access to affordable, quality health insurance, recognizing the state-by-state regulatory impact to Medicaid access, and support legislation that addresses racial and economic disparities in health outcomes. Ensure preparedness for public health challenges, such as COVID-19 efforts.
    • Housing – increase shelter, housing and development budget resources, with a special focus on rural development, eviction or foreclosure prevention, HIV and AIDS housing assistance, affordable housing for seniors and ending homelessness. Expand access to resources that help expand homeownership, reduce gentrification displacement and build more affordable housing.
    • Disaster response – improve federal programs that manage community rebuilding after natural disasters and uplift recommendations of impacted churches and ELCA ministries in public policy consideration.
    • Criminal justice – address, with legislative proposals, systemic racial bias in state and federal incarceration systems which unfairly impact communities that face barriers, unjust treatment, violence or inequalities based on race, ethnicity and culture.
    • Civil and human rights – support bipartisan voting protections to ensure no entity can interfere with the right of any citizen to vote in locally, state or federal elections. Assure prohibition of discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation and gender identify in such areas as public accommodations and facilities, education, federal funding, employment, housing, credit and the jury system.
    • Gender justice – support reauthorization and improvement of legislation that combats gender-based crimes such as domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual assault and other forms of violence against women, including recognition of the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women.
    • Realize racial justice – examine and advance action such as the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act and the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans.
    • Set the stage for the farm bill – highlight intertwined priority issues in preparing for the consideration of the 2023 Farm Bill, including retention of funding for domestic nutrition programs, conservation measures, insurance protections, climate viable solutions for agriculture, farmworker realities and global hunger relief implications.

 

Environment Policy

“The principles of participation, solidarity, sufficiency, and sustainability will shape our advocacy—in neighborhoods and regions, nationally and internationally. Our advocacy will continue in partnership, ecumenically and with others who share our concern for the environment” (from ELCA social statement Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope and Justice, pg. 10).

    • Creation care – advance policies geared toward bridging ideological divides while addressing the impacts of environmental degradation. Advocate for comprehensive energy, greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, and adaptation legislation and policies for reaching carbon neutrality.
    • Climate change – promote policies that provide needed technology transfer and international climate finance, which includes financing for loss and damage and avenues for reaching a just transition.
    • Climate and environmental justice – promote environmental justice and other legislation and policies that address the interconnectivity of environmental, economic and social issues that advance strategies for remedying and eliminating systemic biases and injustices impacting vulnerable communities.
    • Sustainability – advance policies and legislation calling for a better quality of life today without shortchanging future generations, which includes legislation promoting transitioning away from fossil fuels, such as tax credits, and regulations that mandate industrial facilities to reduce air, water and soil pollution. Promote innovation, research and conservation practices in rural and agricultural sustainability measures under the farm bill.

 

International Policy

“Yet we do not possess uniquely Christian international policies or a divine or biblical politics for our nation. For political guidance we also must rely upon reason and compassion, and examine and draw upon common human experience through which, we believe, God is at work creating and preserving the world” (from ELCA social statement For Peace in God’s World, pg. 9).

    • Global hunger and poverty – ensure programs that work to fight hunger, poverty and disease around the world are well funded, including humanitarian relief and economic development support efforts.
    • Conflict prevention, peace building and human rights – urge increased investments in programs that address fragility and other causes of conflict before they occur and promote nonmilitary solutions to conflict. Foster a rights-based approach to conflict resolution programs and peace-building efforts, including protection of civilians and minority groups.
    • Gender justice – safeguard and expand safety, empowerment, and rights of women and girls in U.S. international programs. Support legislation that expands protection and promotes comprehensive well-being of women and girls.
    • Global health – galvanize robust appropriations for U.S. programs addressing global pandemics, epidemics and endemic diseases such as HIV and AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and COVID-19. Support efforts to ensure that people on the margins have access to prevention tools, diagnostics, vaccines, treatments and care.

Migration Policy

“[Newcomers] keep before us—so that we do not forget—the grim realities many immigrants face and the strength of character and resourcefulness newcomers demonstrate. They inform us of conditions in other countries and what the role of the United States has been. They provide our church with experience and knowledge to take part in public deliberation on immigration, refugee, and asylum policies” (ELCA social message on “Immigration,” p. 6).

    • Rights of migrants and refugees – advocate for an immigration system that prioritizes human rights, justice, family unity and reunification. Promote equitable access to federal programs. Strengthen the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) policies and pathways for gaining permanent legal status and citizenship.
    • Detention and enforcement – support community-based alternatives to detention, enforcement reform, humanitarian reception and border demilitarization in alignment with international principles and values on migration. Advocate against deterrence and externalization policies that harm migrants, native lands and border communities.
    • Asylum and refugee protection – respond to global forced displacement by advocating for shared frameworks for processing vulnerable migrants that include strong access to protection and due process.
    • Foreign policy and climate displacement – drive investments in human security to alleviate the factors forcing families to flee, including just trade, development and foreign assistance, in ways that are accountable to civil society. Integrate front-line voices in climate adaptation, resiliency and protection options.

Middle East Policy

“But neither inaction nor weak action is an option for the ELCA if it intends truly to accompany the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, the LWF Jerusalem program, and other partners in this time of urgent crisis and opportunity” (from “Churchwide Strategy for Engagement in Israel and Palestine,” Section IV).

    • Humanitarian assistance – end politicization of humanitarian aid and resume funding to humanitarian actors working in the West Bank and Gaza. Work with congressional leaders and the administration to ensure funds appropriated for humanitarian programs in the West Bank and Gaza, including Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH), are obligated.
    • Ensure accountability – hold the government of Israel accountable for the use of military assistance that violates the human rights of Palestinians, such as illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories, the detention of Palestinian children in military prisons, the violent repression of peaceful protesters, and demolitions of Palestinian homes and communities.
    • Freedom to move, speak and act – oppose anti-Semitism as well as efforts to conflate it with prohibitions on speech critical of Israel and other actions making it illegal to engage in constitutionally protected and legitimate speech. Urge an end to punitive visa bans, family entry bans and asset freezes on select officials of the International Criminal Court. Promote greater movement and access in the Occupied Territories, including for Gazan patients to reach AVH.
    • Settlement activities – impose consequences on the Israeli government for future settlement activities it authorizes or undertakes in contradiction to the U.S. position that settlements are illegal under international law.

 

Civic Engagement

In the ELCA we shall “work to further democratic processes throughout the territory of this church and the world, and to redress the persisting social and economic inequalities that prevent many from participating effectively in those processes” (from ELCA social statement Church in Society: A Lutheran Perspective, p. 7)

    • Dialogue and presence in fracturing times – make the most of the presence of Lutherans in every congressional district and county across our nation who are living a life free to serve with and for our neighbors in vibrant civic life and are engaged in houses of worship, social ministries and community activity.
    • Election security and voter access – uphold voting rights in policy consideration and in civic engagement with tools such as registration drives while being aware of historic and contemporary voter suppression in electoral process participation.

 

How can you get involved?

Our ministry of advocacy is a public witness to God’s love for our neighbor, ourselves and for all creation. In addition to activity in Washington, D.C., on federal advocacy priorities, this public witness is also organized by state public policy offices in the ELCA Advocacy Network, through our ELCA Corporate Social Responsibility strategy and by Lutheran Office for World Community representation to the United Nations – plus the advocacy of members, congregations and synods.

Connect with the ELCA Advocacy Network for updates and invitations to action at ELCA.org/advocacy/signup. Find resources at ELCA.org/resources/advocacy and a community with which to engage on social media @ELCAadvocacy.

Me, the Expert?

by Sandra Roper, ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow

I feel like I often fall into the trap of seeing and hearing about different issues in our world through news or social media, but not quite knowing how to engage in a meaningful way. When a local non-profit that I support posted on social media asking people to contact their legislators in support of a bill, I realized that “Hey! That’s something I know how to do!” This call to action came shortly after I virtually attended the Days for All Peoples event through the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP), an ELCA-affiliated state public policy office (sppo). Over 300 people gathered to advocate on VICPP’s 2022 priorities, but it was one of the opening plenaries that really prepped me to confidently reach out to my own representatives.

 

Insights from a Delegate

Former Virginia Delegate Lashresce Aird spoke at the opening plenary on Wednesday morning, sharing the importance of advocacy from the delegate’s perspective. She shared a few tips on what makes impactful advocacy. The three main things she shared were to share personal stories, to not be afraid of being the expert, and to focus on building relationships with delegates.

 

  • Share personal stories: Former delegate Aird shared a story of her own. When she was a delegate, she met a constituent at a conference who shared their personal story and connection to an issue. Months later when there was a vote on a piece of legislation related to it, Aird said she remembered that story vividly, and it helped inform her vote. Sharing a personal story helps delegates connect an issue to their constituents’ lives, needs, and well-being.

 

  • Be the expert: No one can be an expert in everything, and legislators are no exception. Former delegate Aird said not to be afraid to make yourself an expert in an issue when you talk to legislators. Know how your delegate has voted in the past on related issues, so you know if you are asking them either to continue that trend or to change their vote. Know the statistics and facts surrounding your issue and share them with your delegate when you meet. Make yourself a source of reliable information on the subject. That way, as you continue to build a relationship with your delegate, you can be a trusted voice on the issue.

 

  • Build relationships: The best interactions are the ones that are not one-and-done. Former delegate Aird suggests building relationships with delegates during legislative breaks*, so that when pieces of legislation come up during a session that you want to advocate on, there is a history of conversation and a relationship to build off. It is important to follow up on these conversations, thanking legislators for their time and engagement, even if they don’t vote the way you would like, so that you can continue using this relationship to advocate on the issues that are important to you.

 

Putting It Into Practice

Because of former delegate Aird’s advice, I felt confident that my voice could be heard and listened to, that by reaching out to my representative and having continued conversation, I could help make a difference. Because I am not a Virginia resident, I chose not to sit in on the actual meetings with delegates that took place over zoom that week. However, these tips imparted by former delegate Aird have been helpful as I craft letters to my own state legislators in Massachusetts around issues that I am passionate about.


More Information

ELCA advocacy resources “In district meetings with your Representative” and “Virtual Visits” offer additional tips and guidance if you plan to reach out to your representatives on a state or federal level. Interested in state level advocacy? Use this map to see if there is an ELCA-affiliated SPPO in your state and go to their website to see how you can be involved.
*August Recess is one such opportunity with federal lawmakers. Find more information in the ELCA advocacy guide, which is supplemented annually with timely issue suggestions.