In defiance of legislative efforts to denude the Trafficking Victims Act of 2008 of legal protections for unaccompanied minors, Dallas Area Interfaith congregations and bishops called on the White House and Congress to do the opposite: to ensure legal protections for children arriving on our border and stop speed processing of children through immigration courts.

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Ofelia Zapata of San Jose Catholic Church and Austin Interfaith reported to the Austin American Statesman that the organization teamed up with judges to build a hybrid model that would improve indigent defense. She lobbied County Commissioners to support the establishment of a defender's office that would assign lawyers to the cases of poor defendants. The first year, Travis County would receive about $700 thousand to establish the new office, which would ensure that indigent defendants would have an opportunity to meet with their lawyers so that they understand their situation before going to trial.

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At a press conference organized by The Metropolitan Organization of Houston (TMO), religious leaders from Lutheran, Catholic, Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, COGIC and Baptist denominations called on the President and Congress to "welcome" unaccompanied children from Central America and guarantee protections afforded to them in the Trafficking Victims Act of 2008.

Nineteen local clergy signed the letter, including former Catholic Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza, Episcopal Bishops C. Andrew Doyle and Jeff Fisher, Lutheran Bishop Michael Rinehart, General Presbyter Mike Cole of the Presbytery of the New Covenant and Bishop Rufus Kyles Jr. of the Church of God in Christ.

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Together Baton Rouge (TBR) leaders, in collaboration with the East Baton Rouge Food Policy Commission created last year by the Mayor with TBR, delivered five recommendations to a crowd of 80 residents working to end food deserts in East Baton Rouge. TBR leader Edgar Cage reported that, 17% of the parish population lives in areas with "unacceptably low access" to grocery stores -- while the national average hovers at 8%.

"There are many nurturing mothers who care what goes into our bodies and our children's bodies," said Tamika Mason Porter. "And we'll make sacrifices to do it." The real issue, she said, is getting access to those good food choices.

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Dallas Area Interfaith, with member institution Workers Defense Project, has proposed a City ordinance that would mandate water breaks for workers every four hours, bilingual signs explaining the ordinance posted at work sites and a fine levied on employers for every day there is a violation. Said Fr. Joshua Whitfield with Santa Rita Catholic Church, "a city ordinance would be creating a culture of safety and health in the Texas heat."

Last month, 500 DAI leaders unleashed a tidal wave of pent up energy with the public launch of a campaign zeroing in on what Dallas-area residents can do about immigration reform in the Dallas area. Catholic Bishop Douglas Deshotel and dozens of clergy from Catholic, Jewish, Presbyterian and Methodist denominations blessed the campaign, kicking off a summer of action to address key pieces of the DAI immigration agenda.

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Austin Interfaith is calling for an organized, coordinated effort to receive a large number of unaccompanied minors. This, they say, shouldn't be subject to partisan bickering. For Ofelia Zapata, a strategy team member of the organization, the future of migrant children hits close to home. She sees the face of her own grandchild when she looks at the children.

In a presentation to the Travis County Commissioners Austin Interfaith described the arrival of unaccompanied children a humanitarian crisis that requires a thoughtful and proactive response. Specifically they are asking the County to coordinate the use of public buildings to temporarily house children before they are sent to relatives or a foster family and wait for their day in immigration court.

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Valley Interfaith leader Eddie Anaya, organized a forum in Las Milpas to identify the concerns of colonia residents of Pharr. He brought 20 leaders with him to a city-sponsored forum later that week to relay their priorities: a satellite library on the Southside of Pharr, public transportation, improved police response, and identifying an alternative water supply.

"The most important thing about this is teaching our people to voice their opinion and understand the process," said Anaya.

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Valley Interfaith is drawing a connection between stories of cancer-related deaths, three gas stations and a benzene plume moving through a neighborhood blocks from St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in McAllen. Leaders are in the midst of a research campaign with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), Texas state legislators and County Commissioners to get to the bottom of the benzene plume. Discovery of the toxic gas plume emerged from a listening campaign about the concerns of Rio Grande Valley residents.

The OTOC Environmental Sustainability Team formed early this year upon learning that the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) planned to continue burning coal in North Omaha and retreat from the use of renewable energy sources (including wind and solar). They presented 4 key demands to the OPPD Board leading them to revise their plans to end coal burning in North Omaha by 2016 and maintain a minimum use of 32% of renewable sources.

Pictured at right is the team of OTOC leaders that pushed the Board to revise its energy plan. Articles below quote OTOC leader Laurie Gift and OTOC ally Rev. Eric Elnes.

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West Texas Organizing Strategy stirred the pot in Lubbock by hosting a functional community dialogue about Lubbock Power & Light. Leaders invited the a representative from the utility, in addition to Lubbock City Councilman Hernandez and two candidates for Council District 3. Council candidates and the utility representative reported that they found the meeting a useful way to find out what is happening in the community. WTOS leader Edward George said that the meeting was a clear example of what the organization does, giving city residents a way to communicate directly and effectively with their elected representatives.

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