West/Southwest Industrial Areas Foundation organizations are actively working at federal, state and local levels so that immigrant families can participate more fully in public life.
In addition to responding to the humanitarian crisis at the border, local affiliates are bringing native- and foreign-born constituents into conversation around the theology (and economics) of immigration, educating recent newcomers with financial and 'Know Your Rights' civic academies, supporting policies which protect families and working to defeat those that would unfairly penalize undocumented immigrants for their status.
In California, affiliates have expanded access to public healthcare for immigrants, changed vehicle impoundment laws in urban municipalities and equipped thousands of individuals with government sanctioned photo-ID cards; In Arizona, organizations secured in-state tuition for DACA students in local community colleges; affiliates in Iowa have led voter education initiatives on the fiscal and economic impacts of immigration; and organizations in Texas have launched parish ID cards that are providing thousands of immigrants with alternative means of proving their identity to the police.
All immigration initiatives are rooted in the faith and democratic teachings of member institutions and seek to connect leaders across racial, ethnic and language lines.
'Recognizing the Stranger' is a new multi-year regional approach to immigration, working with local parishes to identify, train, and mentor immigrant leaders to build connections among themselves and with nonimmigrant allies in their parishes and the broader community. It is a collaborative effort among clergy, leaders, and organizers to develop capacity to tackle tough issues. With support from CCHD, the strategy has expanded from 7 to19 dioceses across the West and Southwest US.
According to CCHD Director Ralph McCloud, "Recognizing the Stranger is particularly successful because it captures the connections between what happens at Mass on Sunday morning, how families live their lives throughout the week, and how parishioners interact with members of the broader community. I have been impressed that participants seek true change. In the process, parishes are strengthened, unified, and revitalized."
Months after the nation's first sustained immigration raids hit Los Angeles and surrounding cities, the City of Angels hosted the first congressional field hearing on their impact -- a process set in motion after One LA-IAF leaders met with Mayor Karen Bass and pressed for public hearings to document widespread civil rights violations.
Before the hearing, Mayor Bass marched with One LA leaders, clergy, and families to the LA Metropolitan Water District, where the hearing convened. LA Auxiliary Bishop Matthew Elshoff, OFM Cap. also joined the procession.
Crediting One LA with the idea, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Congressman Robert Garcia, ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, announced a broad congressional investigation into civil rights abuses, with the first field hearing to take place in Los Angeles.
On Sunday, October 12, 2025 at the Starlight Event Center, over 650 leaders from across institutions in El Paso gathered as delegations to launch their campaign - "Reimagine El Paso." The action was hosted by EPISO/Border Interfaith, a long-standing grassroots community organization, dedicated to forming people to be active participants in the public arena.
Co-Chair Cindy Ortega of St. Thomas Aquinas told the delegations, "There is a word I learned recently - 'plasticity.' It means that things are not set in stone, they can change. We do not have to be resigned to the way things are- we are moldable and so is the world - we can change things, we can have an impact."
In response to changes in immigration law enforcement and the upsurge in ICE detentions and deportations, Dallas Area Interfaith (DAI) is developing a legal representation strategy for people in detention.
ACTION Tulsa, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization, hosted an event this week at Congregation B’nai Emunah titled “Who Is My Neighbor?” The event focused on dispelling myths about immigration and featured the story of Mohammad Paiman Faqirzada, an Afghan immigrant who resettled in Tulsa in 2021.
Together West Michigan completed its second accompaniment with a man with final order of removal this week. The delegation to the ICE Office consisted of 4 sisters, 3 lay leaders, a bilingual priest, and their organizer. Within 12 minutes, the man was permitted to walk out and take his flight as previously planned on his own terms. In the process, relationships were forged and trust built as the team helps the family plan their next steps.
Amid a growing climate of fear in Los Angeles, One LA-IAF launched its "Freedom School" strategy to respond to recent immigration raids and undermining of civil liberties that have terrorized communities throughout Los Angeles County. Hearkening back to the civil rights movement, 200 leaders spent July 4th reflecting on their faith traditions and American constitutional principles, while learning concrete organizing skills to safeguard their communities.
Omaha Together One Community (OTOC)and allies held a Stand in Solidarity Event to show broad support for immigrant and refugee families, who have long been a part of the fabric of their Nebraska community.
The action featured a powerful lineup of speakers, including OTOC faith and labor leaders and key allies: the president and CEO of Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, president of Nebraska State AFL-CIO, president of the Nebraska Farmers Union, co-founder of the Afghan American Foundation, and the CEO of the Latino Economic Development Council.
As the first-ever American pope takes to the throne of St. Peter on Sunday, immigration advocates in the Valley hope his past can bring change to the future.
“As we’re beginning to learn more about Pope Leo, we have someone who understands the American context and the Latin American context,” said Joe Rubio, the director at Arizona Interfaith Network.
Widespread fear lingers in the immigrant community...after the Trump Administration announced it would allow immigration enforcement arrests in locations including churches and schools.
“In January, when I saw Border Patrol vehicles up here, it got my attention,” says Bishop Joseph Brennan with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno. “It didn’t feel right, it didn’t look right. And my immigration status is good.”
While the uncertainty lingers, the Diocese of Fresno is meeting with government leaders, law enforcement, and the Central Valley Industrial Areas Foundation to brainstorm on how to build – and repair-- community trust....
