Originally posted at blogs.elca.org/ammparo/what-can-congregations-do-to-prepare-for-immigration-raids

As immigration enforcement activity increases in many of our communities, Lutheran congregations across the Grand Canyon and Sierra Pacific Synods are asking a faithful and urgent question: How can we prepare to offer care, accompaniment, and sanctuary to our neighbors?

A new guide from AMMPARO (Accompanying Migrant Minors with Protection, Advocacy, Representation and Opportunities), a ministry of the ELCA, outlines practical steps congregations can take to prepare for encounters with immigration officials, rooted in our Gospel call to love the stranger and seek justice.

Key Steps Congregations Can Take:

• Connect locally: Reach out to migrant organizations and Rapid Response Networks in your area to understand needs and how your congregation can be part of the response.
• Offer Know Your Rights sessions: Host events with local attorneys or organizations to share critical legal information with members and community neighbors.
• Distribute Red Cards: Provide Red Cards that outline legal rights to carry in the event of an ICE encounter.
• Prepare ministries: If your church hosts ESL classes, meal programs, or other outreach ministries, ensure you have a written response policy, clear signage about private/public areas, and trained staff who know how to respond to enforcement encounters.
• Avoid offering legal advice: Instead, connect individuals to licensed immigration attorneys and share trusted resources like the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Grounding Our Response in Lutheran Theology

This is a time to embody our Lutheran commitments: to serve our neighbors, to welcome the stranger, and to speak out with love and clarity. As Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton recently stated, “This church is committed to upholding the humanity of everyone, regardless of who we are or where we come from.”

Participating in this work is not only about crisis response—it’s also about long-term accompaniment. Congregations can join the AMMPARO U.S. Network as Welcoming Congregations, staying connected to advocacy alerts, training, and mutual support.

Additional Resources and Actions:

• Visit ELCA.org/AMMPARO for multilingual “Know Your Rights” flyers, prayers, and webinar recordings.
• Sign up for the ELCA Advocacy Network to support state and federal efforts for compassionate immigration reform.
• Learn how to responsibly share post-raid stories by reviewing guidance on trauma-informed storytelling and media engagement.

In this season, we remember our calling as Christians to be people of refuge, justice, and peace. May we prepare not in fear, but in faith—knowing that God walks with us as we walk with one another.

📖 Read the full guide and access resources: https://blogs.elca.org/ammparo/what-can-congregations-do-to-prepare-for-immigration-raids