-- Migration Action Committee --
Vision Statement of the Migration Action Committee (approved 2018.03.11)
The Migration Action Committee (MAC) of Pima Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, in recognition of our common humanity with people in migration, stands in solidarity to advocate for an end to (those) immigration and border policies that violate human rights and to offer aid to those harmed by current laws.
Pima Monthly Meeting's endeavors in immigrant justice can be traced back to the Sanctuary Movement in the 1980s. The Migration Action Committee has provided financial assistance for food, clothing, shelter, and the promotion of justice for immigrants since 2015; and two years later began helping with immigration bonds.
Since 2017, Pima Monthly Meeting has assisted in the liberation of many individuals from immigration detention. Bonds have ranged from $1,500 to $20,000 or more. Detainees released on bond are generally more successful in winning their cases in immigration court and receiving approvals to remain in the United States than immigrants who remain detained for the length of their case.
-- Migration Action updates --
The Migration Action Committee continues to receive requests for various forms of assistance from detainees and family or friends of detainees.
MAC distributed funds to-date in 2022
(made possible with budgeted and donated funds)Bond support, amounting to $19,500, has been provided to liberate nine Friends from immigration detention, coming from Colombia and Venezuela.
MAC has additionally provided $1,168 to facilitate transportation for some liberated detainees, and to pay for a work permit for one asylum seeker.
Important to note: earlier this year, bond amounts were frequently given at the minimum level of $1,500, but unfortunately the minimum level has increased to $3,000. Additionally, though we have received requests for larger amounts, we do not currently have the funding to consider such requests.
Our current fund balances limit us from considering any bond request greater than $2,500.
The Migration Action Committee is grateful for the generosity of Friends
that make our work possible.
-- Migration Action Funds --
Pima Monthly Meeting has established two funds to support immigrant friends:
The Migrant and Border Concerns Fund is used for the promotion of justice for immigrants, community education on immigration and border concerns, more general needs of immigrant friends, and financial support of local organizations advocating for immigrant and refugee rights as well as the payment of immigration bonds.
The Bond Fund for Immigrants is used solely to bond people out of immigration detention. Money used to pay immigration bonds in some cases returns to the organization at the conclusion of the person’s court case; when that happens, the funds are recycled to pay bonds for other immigrants in detention.
reference: Immigrant Bond Considerations (bilingual)
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(100% of the money donated to the Immigrant Bond Fund is used to pay immigration bonds, and 100% of the money donated to the Migrant and Border Concerns Fund is used for immigration and border concerns; no money from either of those two funds is used for administrative or operating expenses.)