What is it?
The Beloved Community's Social Justice Advocacy Committee is a group of motivated individuals who seek to turn faith into action through concerted efforts focused on several key issues.
What issues is the committee focused on?
The environment and climate change, racial tolerance and immigration, and affordable healthcare.
When does the committee meet?
After the 10 a.m. service the second Sunday of each month, at the Beloved Community.
Can I be a part of the committee?
Absolutely! All are welcome.
Letter-Writing Campaign In Support Of The Hmong Community
Join us in an interfaith letter writing campaign to help protect our Hmong and Lao neighbors from deportation. HR 6034 is currently in the House Judiciary Committee for consideration. It will protect our Wisconsin neighbors from deportation orders. See below for instructions about how you can participate in this project before May 27.
House of Representatives
Currently HR 6034 is with the House Judiciary Committee, and already co-sponsored by our Rep. Ron Kind (not a committee member). The advocacy step at this point would be requesting that the committee schedule a hearing, writing not as their constituents (because we are not) but as citizens caring about the issue. Ideally, this would go at least to committee chairs and ranking minority members, but can include as many members as we like. For this reason I am also including Wisconsin member Jim Sensenbrenner.
Letter links:
Chairman Nadler:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HHaNahDpUS9A5-CXWW_t4xkXgMViwXxNxpreFJ_2oQI/edit?usp=sharing
Vice-Chairman Scanlon:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vUmIb_9cBPFE8ebeac0-Qs9i0vQV3VRusen0G4MMg9A/edit?usp=sharing
Ranking Member Jordan:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_bMaAIWzHefqfdoRwypZWikKKftVBE9NVMUFika4hKA/edit?usp=sharing
Wisconsin Member Sensenbrenner:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XPyjRwnOVVf6dwEnSrFkmZyybRwul2xNc0Z-lhnYCNQ/edit?usp=sharing
Senate
We can ask Sens. Baldwin and Johnson to introduce a bill in the Senate, with reference to the House bill.
Letter links:
Senator Baldwin:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZAyowIQDJ4L8LL3SWk0_NynHCXpj76DGrfNMspAP9yM/edit?usp=sharing
Senator Johnson:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YEdu7FhAB_-78_IHTOf7xmP5jl2aWjyS5hMwbGkqGzk/edit?usp=sharing
Please note that these are letter templates, and shared documents. DO NOT SAVE CHANGES! Instead, download the document if you wish to save it.
To print and send these letters:
- Download the template
- Note the space for letterhead at the top
- Substitute with the actual date for the date at the top
- Put your name and address in the name and address area below the signature area
- Add a personal concern in the space at the bottom; otherwise, delete the space.
Please return signed letters (or mail) by May 27 to:
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
2000 Roosevelt Drive
Plover, WI 54467
Starting May 26 there will be a bin outside our side doors at Good Shepherd to drop off the letters. Good Shepherd will be putting separate envelopes in larger mailers and they will pay for the postage.
If you wish to mail letters on your own, that is fine as well.
Scripts for Contacting Local Governments and Law Enforcement
Mayor’s Office
"My name is _____, and I am a member of (name of faith community). I’m calling as a faith partner in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America XXX Congregation, which acts in solidarity to end detention, deportation, profiling, and criminalization of immigrants. (I appreciative the ways XXX has already committed to supporting immigrant neighbors by funding services for non-detained immigrants, and by currently considering assistance for detained immigrants)However, in light of the Trump Administration’s recent threats of mass arrests of immigrants next week, I want to make sure the XXX government does everything in its power to protect our residents. That means: 1) absolutely no coordination between XXX law enforcement and ICE; 2) XXX residents detained by ICE must be able to access XXX's immigrant justice legal services; 3) the XXX jail must end its policy of notifying ICE when an inmate with an immigration detainer is released; and 4) no detention beds may be made available to ICE, even temporarily. Thank you."
Director of Corrections
"My name is _____, and I am a member of (name of faith community I’m calling as a faith partner in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America XXX Congregation, which acts in solidarity to end detention, deportation, profiling, and criminalization of immigrants. In light of recent threats from the Trump administration around mass arrests of immigrants next week, I want to make sure the XXX government does everything in its power to protect our residents. That includes two key things: 1) not allowing ICE to use DOC detention beds, even on a temporary basis, and 2) not notifying ICE when an inmate with an immigration detainer is released. Thank you."
Police Chief
"My name is _____, and I am a member of (name of faith community). I’m calling as a faith partner in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America XXX Congregation, which acts in solidarity to end detention, deportation, profiling, and criminalization of immigrants. In light of recent threats from the Trump administration around mass arrests of immigrants next week, I want to make sure the XXX Police Department does everything in its power to protect our residents. That includes two key things: 1) no coordination between XXX Police and ICE on immigration law enforcement and 2) access to XXX's immigrant justice legal services for those detained by ICE. Thank you."
County Executive
"My name is _____, and I am a county resident and member of (name of faith community). I’m calling as a faith partner in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America XXX Congregation, which acts in solidarity to end detention, deportation, profiling, and criminalization of immigrants. I appreciate the ways the county has already committed to supporting immigrant neighbors by funding services for non-detained immigrants, and by currently considering assistance for detained immigrants. However, in light of the Trump Administration’s recent threats of mass arrests of immigrants next week, I want to make sure the county government does everything in its power to protect our residents. That means: 1) absolutely no coordination between county law enforcement and ICE; 2) County residents detained by ICE must be able to access the county's immigrant justice legal services; 3) the county jail must not provide detention beds to ICE, even temporarily; and 4) no notification of ICE when an inmate with an immigration detainer is released. Thank you."
Sheriff
"My name is _____, and I am a county resident and member of (name of faith community). I’m calling as a faith partner in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America XXX Congregation, which acts in solidarity to end detention, deportation, profiling, and criminalization of immigrants. In light of recent threats from the Trump administration around mass arrests of immigrants next week, I want to make sure the sheriff’s department does everything in its power to protect our residents. That includes two key things: 1) not allowing ICE to use county detention beds, even on a temporary basis, and 2) not notifying ICE when an inmate with an immigration detainer is released. Thank you."
Thank you for giving your attention to this message.
God's blessings,
Team LOPPW
Links To Resources
Episcopal Church Advocacy
Episcopal Public Policy Network
ELCA Advocacy
Lutheran Office of Public Policy in Wisconsin
Health Care
ELCA Health Care
Episcopal Health Care Policy
Encourage Wisconsin to Expand BadgerCare – letter-writing campaign
Climate Change
Citizens' Climate Lobby
350.org
Carbon taxing – Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition
Environmental Defense Fund
The Episcopal Church - Environmental Advocacy
ELCA letter-writing campaign on disaster aid and environmental policy
Global Hunger
ELCA World Hunger
Immigration and Racial Tolerance
ELCA Race, Ethnicity, and Culture
ELCA Caring for Creation
Contact Your Representatives
Senator Patrick Testin
(R - Stevens Point)
Senate District 24
(608) 266-3123
Sen.Testin@legis.wisconsin.gov
Representative Katrina Shankland
(D - Stevens Point)
Assembly District 71
(608) 267-9649
(888) 534-0071
Rep.Shankland@legis.wisconsin.gov
U.S. Representative Ron Kind
131 S. Barstow St. Suite 301
Eau Claire, Wis. 54701
Phone: (715) 831-9214
Fax: (715) 831-9272
https://kind.house.gov/contact/email
U.S. Senator Ron Johnson
https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-the-senator
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin
Madison Office: 30 West Mifflin Street, Suite 700
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: (608) 264-5338
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/feedback
Write Your Congressperson or Representative
Download the letters below and make your feelings known on immigration and gun control. Simply add your name, sign at the bottom and mail the letter to your legislator.
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