Desert Notes August 14, 2025
For the last two weeks I have served as a legal observer in our immigration courts with Borderlands Resource Initiative, joined by other clergy and volunteers. I have sat through four hours of court proceedings to observe how this process works and to provide witness to the ways in which our system is functioning. As you may know, a few weeks ago ICE disrupted this system and was pulling people out of the court building and the parking lot, preventing them from access to due process and traumatizing communities seeking asylum. Bringing legal observers and advocates into this system has de-escalated these tactics and even helped shine a light on how immigrants are experiencing these systems. Folks have also been trained to accompany and be witnesses in other settings.
If you are interested in this, please let me know and I will share your contact information so you can be invited to training. Especially if you know Spanish and a third language–being able to explain basic information about people’s rights and the procedures in the courtroom is helping a lot of people navigate the complexities. We also have opportunities to help get resources like groceries to families who have a loved one in detention and may be afraid to leave home. For the safety of the folks we help, we won’t be sharing details about this online.
We are also partnering with Corazon to strategize and deepen our support of immigrant families in our community. We have a meeting next week:
Lunch and Strategy Session: Belonging Organizing, & Unwavering Solidarity
- Wednesday, August 20
- 11:30a – 1:00p
- Hosted in East Valley Tempe/ Chandler area (will share address after registration)
Please RSVP here if you want to attend with me and Beatriz Arias Cisneros.
In addition, I am part of a local network of city, school district and non-profit resources here in Chandler that are helping support families impacted by these traumatizing tactics. We will meet about once a month. If you’d like to learn more let me know and I’ll share the meeting information.
We are also hosting a resistance fair on Sept 6. VUU members and friends have been working hard to create an event that will help you connect, learn and be engaged as we resist authoritarianism together. Check out the information about this event (here, in FB, and on Instagram) and plan to attend–and maybe even volunteer to help us run the event! Bring some friends!
In gratitude, Rev. Sarah