[Excerpt from Houston Chronicle Op-Ed by TMO leaders Bishop John Ogletree, Jr. and Rabbi David Lyon]

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo left home Tuesday before dawn to spend another day building homes for future Houstonians. Instead, during what U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement described as a “targeted enforcement action” on Houston’s east side, the 35-year Houston resident and small business owner was killed.

We are Houston faith leaders, and our congregations belong to The Metropolitan Organization, a nonpartisan group that seeks the justice that so many of our faith traditions demand. We mourn Salgado’s death. And we demand an independent investigation into the enforcement strategy that led to it.

After hearing testimony at one of six public hearings One LA-IAF has held since November 2025, Congresswoman Luz Rivas introduced the HEART Act, a bill to redirect $76 billion to mental and health services for communities impacted by ICE raids.

In their town of 30,000, EPISO leaders from Socorro, TX learned that ICE bought a warehouse with the intent of using it to detain 8,500 people. Refusing to accept this, they organized hundreds of residents, ultimately scaling back detention center plans and postponing the construction start date.

In collaboration with the Vicar General for the Archdiocese of Omaha, Omaha Together One Community (OTOC) hosted civic academies on Catholic Social Teaching, immigration, and organizing with 400 Anglo parishioners — building new relationships with Omaha's three largest parishes and giving parishioners a deeper understanding of the immigrant experience.

During his U.S. tour, Fr. Mattia Ferrari, Coordinator of the World Meeting of Popular Movements at the Vatican (an initiative of Pope Francis), met with TMO, EPISO, CTI, One LA, and COPA leaders to hear stories of organizing and discuss the importance of popular movements being led by poor and working-class people. They were joined by César Piscoya, Pastoral Advisor for the Latin American Episcopal Council, and Luca Caserini, Founder of Mediterranea Saving Humans.

[Excerpt of Tulsa World Op-Ed by Lynn Minden, leader with Tulsa Lutherans in ACTION, in photo]

"....José came to America legally.  He followed the steps our government provides people who are being targeted and oppressed.  He, like many others, was waiting to have his case heard in immigration court.  He was a hard worker who paid taxes.  He was a valued member of the Tulsa community and of my church family. 

After over a year of organizing with Mountain Voices Project (MVP), residents of Cavern Springs Mobile Home Park in Colorado’s Roaring Fork have raised millions of dollars and negotiated a contract with their landowner to purchase the land under their homes.

As 41,000 central coast residents risk losing state-sponsored healthcare, COPA is expanding their constituency and urging California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas to push back. 

Five years after COPS/Metro proposed, championed, and won voter approval for SA Ready to Work, one of the nation's largest municipal workforce development initiatives, the organization continues to work with the City of San Antonio, Ready to Work staff, and working families to ensure the program is delivering results.