Harris UMC’s Sanctuary Ministry Team provides support and fellowship to our immigrant neighbors as they navigate our nation’s challenging immigration system. Since 2017, we have convened meetings and trainings and organized an informal Hawaii Sanctuary Network, which includes other congregations and individuals to support immigrants in our state.
Over the past four years, our Sanctuary Ministry Team and volunteer network have directly assisted 33 immigrants here in Hawaii. About half of them are keiki, including some unaccompanied minors. Almost all of them are clients of the University of Hawaii’s Refugee and Immigration Law Clinic or the Medical-Legal Partnership for Children in Hawaii and are seeking refugee or asylee status.
Our assistance includes providing plane tickets, rides, meals and lodging for immigrants from neighbor islands who must travel to Honolulu for their immigration hearings and appointments and meetings with their attorneys. At times they stay in the apartment on Harris’ campus.
We’ve also developed an immigrant accompaniment manual and volunteer training workshop and co-hosted a citizenship workshop at Harris, in partnership with other community groups, such as The Legal Clinic at First UMC.
We are blessed to have such a supportive and generous congregation at Harris. You enable us to do this work! We look forward to continuing to provide support to immigrants in our community as well as building relationships with other immigrant-supporting congregations, organizations, attorneys, and individuals.
