Show notes
Resurrection Downtown Kansas City, a United Methodist congregation, hosted a discussion March 10 of the "State of Immigration and Its Impact on KC". Speakers included Adam Kisler1 and Julie Doane of Resurrection, Hilary Cohen Singer, Executive Director of Jewish Vocational Services (JVS) in Kansas City,2 Trinidad Raj Molina with Advocates of Immigration Rights and Reconciliation (AIRR),3 and immigration attorney Angela Ferguson.4
Adam Kisler
Adam Kisler noted that Jacob and Abraham took their families to Egypt to escape a famine. Egypt welcomed them but turned them into slaves. Moses led them out of slavery, making them refugees again. King David fled for his life to escape execution by King Saul, living living among Israel's arch enemy, the Philistines, for roughly a decade until Saul died.
Shortly after Jesus was born, King Herod ordered all males two years old or younger, to be killed. An angel appeared in a dream to Joseph, warning him to take his family to Egypt. What would happen today if a family presented themselves to a border patrol agent, and the father said an angel told me to cross the border? How would that be received?
The Prophet Muhammad fled Mecca with his followers in 622 to escape persecution. They were supported in host communities for a time. More recently, the Dalai Lama and many of his followers have found refuge in India.
Julie Doane regarding Matthew 25 and Hilary Cohen Singer
Julie Doane noted that Kansas City had accepted over 1,000 Afghans in late 2021. Julie said, "We anchor our ministry in Matthew 25 I was a stranger, and you welcomed me."
Julie then introduced Hilary Cohen Singer, the Executive Director of Jewish Vocational Services (JVS) since 2014. Hilary holds a BA in Political Science from Columbia University, a BA in modern Jewish Studies from Jewish theological Seminary of America, and a Masters of Public Administration from the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University.
Hilary Cohen Singer
Hilary noted that immigration policy attempts to address humanitarian issues regarding how we treat the most vulnerable among us. A leading document in this regard is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted in 1948 as the world was grappling with the painful realities of the displacements engendered by the Second World War. In particular, Article 14 says that everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
A companion to that is the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, ratified in 1951. It defines who is a refugee and documents refugee rights and the responsibilities of nations that grant asylum.
Per this Convention, a refugee is someone who, owing to a well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, has left their country and cannot or should not go back for fear of their life. Refugees have three basic rights:
Non-refoulement (non-returning of refugees to dangerous countries; Article 33).
Non-discrimination (Article 3).
Non-penalization (Article 31).
There are many rules regarding who can come, how many and when. Humans officially counted as refugees present themselves to the UN in a "country of first refuge". Then they wait years while their application is processed. Half are kids. When they turn 19 or get married or have a baby, their status changes, and they must start the process over from the beginning.
Hilary described a young woman from Syria, who had turned 19, She and her family had gotten approval to come to the US in 2016. The young woman was approved to come in November; the rest of the family was scheduled for late January. The family decided to send the young woman by herself,
Adam Kisler
Adam Kisler noted that Jacob and Abraham took their families to Egypt to escape a famine. Egypt welcomed them but turned them into slaves. Moses led them out of slavery, making them refugees again. King David fled for his life to escape execution by King Saul, living living among Israel's arch enemy, the Philistines, for roughly a decade until Saul died.
Shortly after Jesus was born, King Herod ordered all males two years old or younger, to be killed. An angel appeared in a dream to Joseph, warning him to take his family to Egypt. What would happen today if a family presented themselves to a border patrol agent, and the father said an angel told me to cross the border? How would that be received?
The Prophet Muhammad fled Mecca with his followers in 622 to escape persecution. They were supported in host communities for a time. More recently, the Dalai Lama and many of his followers have found refuge in India.
Julie Doane regarding Matthew 25 and Hilary Cohen Singer
Julie Doane noted that Kansas City had accepted over 1,000 Afghans in late 2021. Julie said, "We anchor our ministry in Matthew 25 I was a stranger, and you welcomed me."
Julie then introduced Hilary Cohen Singer, the Executive Director of Jewish Vocational Services (JVS) since 2014. Hilary holds a BA in Political Science from Columbia University, a BA in modern Jewish Studies from Jewish theological Seminary of America, and a Masters of Public Administration from the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University.
Hilary Cohen Singer
Hilary noted that immigration policy attempts to address humanitarian issues regarding how we treat the most vulnerable among us. A leading document in this regard is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted in 1948 as the world was grappling with the painful realities of the displacements engendered by the Second World War. In particular, Article 14 says that everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
A companion to that is the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, ratified in 1951. It defines who is a refugee and documents refugee rights and the responsibilities of nations that grant asylum.
Per this Convention, a refugee is someone who, owing to a well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, has left their country and cannot or should not go back for fear of their life. Refugees have three basic rights:
Non-refoulement (non-returning of refugees to dangerous countries; Article 33).
Non-discrimination (Article 3).
Non-penalization (Article 31).
There are many rules regarding who can come, how many and when. Humans officially counted as refugees present themselves to the UN in a "country of first refuge". Then they wait years while their application is processed. Half are kids. When they turn 19 or get married or have a baby, their status changes, and they must start the process over from the beginning.
Hilary described a young woman from Syria, who had turned 19, She and her family had gotten approval to come to the US in 2016. The young woman was approved to come in November; the rest of the family was scheduled for late January. The family decided to send the young woman by herself,