Columbus, NE - Working for Justice!

(Sandra Sypherd, Rocio Hernández. Rebecca Albers
Maria Davila, and Caryn Vincent)

On July 27th, Sandra Sypherd, Caryn Vincent and myself, Rebecca Albers, had the privilege of meeting with some community leaders in the Columbus area who are advocating for justice for our newest neighbors. Maria Davila with Servicios en General helps immigrants with their taxes. They highlighted that the immigration system is very complicated and that it takes special training and expertise to fill out the paperwork and navigate the proper avenues. Servicios en General is also working toward getting their BIA (Board of Immigration Appeals) accreditation so they can practice some immigration law and further assist members of their community. We also met with Rocio Hernández, a Hispanic Ministries leader in the area. It was wonderful to talk to these ladies and hear how the policies we’ve learned about this summer impact individuals’ lives in their communities.

(Dianna McFarland, Rebecca Albers, Caryn Vincent, Andrea Paret)

That evening we had the opportunity to visit a Justice For Our Neighbors clinic. JFON is a ministry of UMCOR (The United Methodist Committee on Relief). It provides free legal services for our newest neighbors through monthly clinics held at local churches. Trained volunteers help with the intakes and provide hospitality while the immigration lawyer meets with each client to see if they are able to take their case.

Before the clinic, we were able to meet with Diana McFarland, the immigration attorney. She explained what they do at JFON-NE and the restructured immigration system. There are four parts of the immigration system under two departments of the government. The Department of Homeland Security oversees three area: 1) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) , 2) United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and 3) Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The Department of Justice now oversees the the judicial part of immigration through The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). She highlighted that having four separate entities makes navigating the immigration system even harder as they are on their own time tables and don’t have a common database.

Thank you, community of Columbus, for being so welcoming to us as well as our immigrant neighbors. Keep up the good work!