UUFSMA: “Finding Inspiration in the Trenches: A Report from the Front Lines”

UU Service

“Finding Inspiration in the Trenches:
A Report from the Front Lines”

Rebecca N. Eichler, Esq.

Sunday, January 19, 10:30 a.m.

Hotel La Aldea

by Jon Sievert

At this week’s Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (UUFSMA) service, U.S. immigration lawyer Rebecca N. Eichler speaks about the work of human rights advocates fighting for the rights and dignity of asylum seekers in Mexico and the U.S. Though the goal of U.S. policy is to deter, delay, and discourage asylum seekers, thousands of individuals are confronting the illegal and cruel process with compassion and skill.

In the fall of 2018 when the migrant caravans crossed though Central Mexico, the San Miguel community turned out to feed, clothe, and provide legal and medical attention to more than 6,000 men, women, and children walking north to the United States. The U.S. government’s response to these people once they reached the border has been a stark contrast: In November 2018 the U.S. president issued an Executive Order banning individuals from applying for asylum who do not cross at a designated entry point. In January 2019, the Administration targeted those arriving at the designated ports of entry and ruled they must remain in Mexico while their asylum cases make their way through the US immigration courts.

In July 2019 the government added a new hurdle: all people, including children, who traveled through another country en route to the United States are forbidden to apply for asylum. Most recently, the administration has begun sending asylum seekers at the US-Mexican border to a remote corner of Guatemala to apply for Guatemalan asylum. Today there are more than 50,000 asylum seekers trapped in dangerous border towns in northern Mexico while they seek U.S. protection from harm in their home countries.

Ms. Eichler has more than 20 years of experience working with clients from around the world seeking protection under U.S. law. Through her work with deportees from the U.S. and migrants at the U.S. border, she has gained a unique perspective on the systemic human rights abuses perpetrated by the Trump administration and its violations of U.S. immigration law and international asylum obligations.

Working with non-governmental organizations in Mexico, Ms. Eichler has helped deported Mexicans and their U.S. citizen families cope with their expulsion from the U.S. and establish legal status in Mexico, a country where, despite their Mexican heritage, many have never lived.

For more information about the UUFSMA, including our Sunday morning Children’s Religious Education program, Social Action outreach, weekly discussion groups, social activities, and Care Team, join us any Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at the Hotel La Aldea or check out our website at uufsma.org.

Our fellowship was born in 1987 when a small group of expatriate religious liberals came together to meet as Unitarian Universalists in San Miguel de Allende. The fellowship has been active and thriving ever since. Every UU church has it’s own flavor, and we are no exception. We are a combination of expats and visitors, each actively engaged and contributing to this wonderful Mexican community we love. Because there is a coming, going, and returning aspect, our spiritual community is extremely fluid.  There is a magic in San Miguel which draws us in and binds us together—both as members of the church and of the larger community. Our programming is led by visiting ministers, community leaders, and church members, so the variety is lively. We have opportunities to meet as UU’s each week at discussion groups, breakfasts, luncheons, and in various other ways. Depending on the season, attendance fluctuates between 40 and 140. Our primary focus is on funding social action within the surrounding community. We love good music, good discussion, good food, and having visitors. We invite you to join us any Sunday morning.

Members regularly post updates and information on this site. We also post meeting minutes and announcements there.

To join our Yahoo group site click on this link:

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/UUFSMA/info

Click on “membership”and follow the directions.

Posting a notice on the Yahoo site is easy. Just go to your regular mail browser, type in the address line: uufsma@yahoogroups.com , type your message and hit send!

We encourage you to use this site to communicate with other local UUs.