Immigration Educational Series begins February 7

February 7 starts a three-part educational series in SW Michigan on immigration

Join Interfaith Action for the first of a three-part educational series, “Immigration—Facts, Faces, Fears, and Faith,” starting on February 7, 2019.

Guided by a panel of experts in local and national immigration we will explore the facts of the immigration debate. The panelists include:

Daniel Inquilla, a Berrien County native who brings knowledge of immigration realities in Southwest Michigan. Since 2017 he has been in private practice in Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, specializing in family-based immigration law. He was a lawyer with Farmworker Legal Services in West Michigan from 1999 to 2017 and a managing attorney with the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center from 2009 to 2017.

Erin Corcoran, executive director of The Kroch Institute of International Peace Studies at Notre Dame University. She is knowledgeable about both U.S. immigration law and international human rights law. She has worked for the University of New Hampshire and the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations and has served as legal counsel to national organizations working with unaccompanied migrant children.

Melissa Stek works in the Office of Social Justice of the Christian Reformed Church of North America, based in Grand Rapids. Before that, she was a legislative assistant to former U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., and also provided support to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. She is a member of the national Interfaith Immigration Coalition.

Following the panel of experts will be a panel of immigrants, all residents of Michiana, who will discuss their experiences with the immigration system and the parts of it they think need to be reformed. Panelists will be a Nicaraguan woman who came to the U.S. on a humanitarian visa because of the domestic abuse she suffered; a “Dreamer” from Brazil; a refugee from South Sudan; an Egyptian journalist who came to the U.S. through the family visa program; and a Mexican immigrant.

Looking forward to seeing you on February 7 at 6:30 p.m. at The Rose Center, 301 Wayne Street, St. Joseph, MI.

Save the dates for the remainder of the series:

Immigration Simulation: March 7
Fears and Faith: April 4
Interfaith Prayer Service: May 2