Huge thanks for following along these weeks of blogging! Your support and kindness has astounded me. The following is adapted from what I spoke yesterday at our vigil at the Mesa Verde ICE Center in Bakersfield, CA. Almost exactly one year ago, my dear friend Jo and I were stuck inside an immigration detention center …
Author Archives: caliakammer
Some Have Entertained Angels
Today, let’s meditate on Colossians 3:11. Read through this verse slowly, letting our imaginations wander through how the call realistically applies to our present circumstances: Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison, as …
The Flores Agreement
Some people have unique positions and abilities to act in support of incarcerated migrants. Today, we learn about Holly Cooper and the legal team of the The Flores Agreement Counsel, some of the few people who have access to CBP facilities. They consist of the group of lawyers that first reported on the inhumane conditions …
An Honest Update
Well, folks, I have had quite a journey so far: a couple days hiking out of sagebrush-strewn Owen’s Valley, followed by five days of scaling snow-capped mountain passes in the high Sierra Nevada, and most-recently, a few days trekking through crisping desert basins and canyons. In spite of my years of backpacking, navigating, and general …
The Crosses We Bear
I’ve read defenses made by some United States citizens arguing that, if migrants know they will face harsh treatment in this country, then they should not bother coming to the U.S. for asylum. What gross privilege we have to assume that migrants have other options of where to turn when desperately fleeing for safety. If …
God Our Mother
Empathy comes through education. Putting forth the effort to listen and consider the background, hardships, and worldview of another helps pick apart our barriers of harmful stereotypes and presuppositions. Today, I invite you to read this article exploring the plight of female-identifying immigrant farmworkers. Then, let’s pray the following prayer for migrant women, adapted from …
Robbers and Samaritans
co-authored with Jo Buckley Luke 10:29-37 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. …
Each Name
Today’s action idea: Though our hope for healing and justice does not lie in government, we can recognize the potential power in political tools. Today, sign the following petition urging Senators to close the present concentration camps, and pass it along to a few others as well. If we believe that each person whose name …
Where is our “yes”?
I’ve sensed feelings of fear from folks who support enhanced militarization of the immigration process and borders. Often we hear concerns of United States citizens’ jobs being ‘taken’ by immigrants. Many are anxious that the United States lacks sufficient resources to take in people seeking refuge and asylum. When people believe strongly in their reasons …
Al Otro Lado
While being physically present in our communities to support undocumented folks is essential, we cannot ignore the privilege of being able to contribute financially. Today, we’re focusing on Al Otro Lado, a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, that offers direct legal services, to migrants, refugees, and indigent deportees in Tijuana and L.A. An immigration lawyer I spoke …
