Task Force on United Methodist Immigration Ministries of Ohio

10/22/2026

Join us for an interfaith prayer vigil for immigrants on October 28, 2026, at 7pm, at Payne Chapel AME Church (300 South Front Street, Hamilton, OH 45011).

09/30/2026

On the morning of October 14, 2026, two of our United Methodist families will return to the Cleveland Immigration Court for their continued removal proceedings. Can you or your church volunteer to offer hospitality, accompaniment, prayers, and a supportive presence to these families before/after their hearings?

Sign up for the Cleveland Immigration Court Accompaniment Project here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkHA8GjtP4IiAAaApsVm-2e_zFNV_ekmgudbje_HDXTICovg/viewform?usp=header.

Thank you so much to our dedicated volunteers for your presence and witness! 🙏🏻

09/24/2026

Hope to see you then!

You are invited to a special evening to hear from and learn how we might support our immigrant and refugee neighbors in Central Ohio on Sunday, October 4th from 6:00-7:30 pm in the Maloney Center at Bexley United. We'll hear from Ali Akhundzada, an Afghan humanitarian parolee and founder of Immigrants Integration Station, and Rev. Lizzy Ortiz, co-chair of the Task Force on United Methodist Immigration Ministries of Ohio, along with a reflection from Debbie Nickoli on our congregation's own journey walking alongside immigrant families.

The evening includes light refreshments, personal stories, a panel Q&A, and opportunities to get involved in caring for our immigrant neighbors. We recommend a $20 donation, with proceeds supporting the Bexley United Community Needs Fund, the UM Immigration Task Force, and Immigrants Integration Station. This is a chance to learn, connect, and discover how you can help.

09/18/2026

The Task Force on United Methodist Immigration Ministries of Ohio has had a busy month so far:

We prayed, sang, chanted, marched, and stood in solidarity with Haitians from Springfield who are being targeted by ICE, following this administration's decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Haiti.

We mailed 57 letters of encouragement to Haitians in ICE detention in Ohio, had two clergy visits in the Butler County Jail, sent $650 in commissary donations, and ordered several food items for ICE detainees.

We accompanied one Haitian asylum-seeker to his master calendar hearing in the Cleveland Immigration Court and another to an ICE check-in.

We covered the cost of the family petition filing fee for a husband and father from Peru, as well as initial asylum filing fees for:
- A family of four who fled gender-based violence and violence by cartels in Guatemala
- An indigenous leader who fled political violence in Ecuador
- A 4-year-old girl who fled gang violence, domestic violence, and r**e in Honduras.

With the help of local churches on Welcoming Migrants Sunday, we raised funds for our Advance, which will help us continue to:
- Cover the cost of asylum applications and other immigration filing fees
- Contribute to ICE commissary accounts so ICE detainees can call their loved ones
- Pay for postage so we can mail letters of encouragement and Birthday cards to people in ICE detention
- Launch the Alliance of Methodists for Immigration and Grace in Ohio / Alianza Metodista de Inmigración y Gracia en Ohio(AMIGO) and provide immigration legal services to low-income noncitizens, education about the immigration system to the Church and the public, and advocacy for migrant rights as part of the Immigration Law & Justice Network.

Learn more and join us: https://linktr.ee/UMCImmigrationMinistriesOhio.

Thank you so much for your support!

09/13/2026

Today is the “Welcoming Migrants Sunday” Special Offering in the West Ohio Conference. Please consider donating to the Task Force on United Methodist Immigration Ministries of Ohio through our Advance.

Advance funds will help us:
- Cover the cost of asylum applications and other immigration filing fees
- Contribute to ICE commissary accounts so ICE detainees can call their loved ones
- Pay for postage so we can mail letters of encouragement to people in ICE detention
- Launch the Alliance of Methodists for Immigration and Grace in Ohio / Alianza Metodista de Inmigración y Gracia de Ohio (AMIGO) and provide immigration legal services to low-income noncitizens, education about the immigration system to the Church and the public, and advocacy for migrant rights as part of the Immigration Law & Justice Network.

Donate online (https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZEAN/campaign/C-15MZ6) or by mailing a check payable to East Ohio Conference UMC with "Fund 9997" in the memo line to EOCUMC Attn: E Casey, 8800 Cleveland Ave NW, North Canton, OH 44720.

Learn more about the Task Force on United Methodist Immigration Ministries of Ohio here: https://linktr.ee/UMCImmigrationMinistriesOhio.

Special offering video is available here: https://youtu.be/WuXPGwKsHYQ.

Special offering materials are available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15fvTXLK9bkq_4xul3jD5rmQD5BgI-crn?usp=sharing.

09/05/2026

"Welcoming Migrants Sunday" Special Offering

Donate to the Task Force on United Methodist Immigration Ministries of Ohio through our Advance at any time or on “Welcoming Migrants Sunday,” September 13, 2026 and September 10, 2027.

Advance funds will help us:
- Cover the cost of asylum applications and other immigration filing fees
- Contribute to ICE commissary accounts so ICE detainees can call their loved ones
- Pay for postage so we can mail letters of encouragement to people in ICE detention
- Launch the Alliance of Methodists for Immigration and Grace in Ohio / Alianza Metodista de Inmigración y Gracia de Ohio (AMIGO) and provide immigration legal services to low-income noncitizens, education about the immigration system to the Church and the public, and advocacy for migrant rights as part of the Immigration Law & Justice Network

Donate online (https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZEAN/campaign/C-15MZ6) or by mailing a check payable to East Ohio Conference UMC with "Fund 9997" in the memo line to EOCUMC Attn: E Casey, 8800 Cleveland Ave NW, North Canton, OH 44720.

Special offering materials available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15fvTXLK9bkq_4xul3jD5rmQD5BgI-crn?usp=sharing.

Special offering video here: https://youtu.be/WuXPGwKsHYQ.

Learn more about the Task Force on United Methodist Immigration Ministries of Ohio here: https://linktr.ee/UMCImmigrationMinistriesOhio

08/31/2026

Yesterday, the Task Force on United Methodist Immigration Ministries of Ohio joined community members for a peaceful rally in Springfield, OH. We prayed, sang, chanted, and stood in solidarity with Haitians from Springfield who are being targeted by ICE, following this administration’s decision to terminate TPS for Haiti last month. As we witnessed in Blue Ash, many Haitian community members have received ankle monitors. Some have been detained, including Pastor Joubert Adrien and Pastor Julio Dumano.

“Some are afraid to go to work. Some are afraid to take their children to school. Can you imagine that? . . . Some are afraid to seek medical care or report a crime because they're worried that asking for help could put their families at risk. . . . Just for a few moments imagine waking up every morning and wondering whether leaving your house could change your life forever.” - Pastor Viles Dorsainvil, Executive Director of the Haitian Support Center

The Task Force on United Methodist Immigration Ministries of Ohio believes that we must welcome the stranger and treat migrants, asylum-seekers, refugees, and immigrants as our native-born citizens. E.g., Leviticus 19:33-34, Matthew 25:35. We oppose all laws and policies that attempt to criminalize, dehumanize, or punish displaced individuals and families based on their immigration status. Additionally, we decry all immigration policies that separate families, undermine due process, detain noncitizens in for-profit detention centers, and diminish protections for asylum-seekers, TPS holders, and other vulnerable migrants. See The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, ¶ 163(G).

Coverage from WOSU here: https://www.wosu.org/politics-government/2026-08-30/faith-leaders-hold-rally-at-springfield-city-hall-to-support-haitian-community?_amp=true

08/28/2026

The Task Force on United Methodist Immigration Ministries of Ohio has supported ten detained noncitizens so far this year, including a Haitian faith leader who was arrested by ICE in Springfield, OH. One of our members had a clergy visit with him this week, during which he requested our support. There are several ways that you can support him and his family in the coming weeks:

(1) Write him a letter of encouragement. Please use this form to submit your letter of encouragement: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfpCNKseYFpKFIpi2SiVmHXt78ayNZyRc0DJilN0pmecA15pQ/viewform. We will translate your messages into one of his preferred languages. He is a Christian faith leader and would especially appreciate messages with Bible verses and prayers.

(2) Contribute to his ICE commissary account so that he can purchase food items and make phone calls to his loved ones. You can donate to our Advance online at https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZEAN/campaign/C-15MZ6 or by mailing a check payable to East Ohio Conference UMC with "Fund 9997" in the memo line to EOCUMC Attn: E Casey, 8800 Cleveland Ave NW, North Canton, OH 44720. All surplus donations will support the Task Force's other ministries.

(3) Pray for him, his family, his church, and his community. Above all else, he requested our prayers for peace and liberation.

08/25/2026

The Springfield community is being terrorized by ICE. There are many ways to be in solidarity:

Donate Items or Funds

Funds: Haitian Community Support and Help Center, Springfield
https://ancljkuy.donorsupport.co/page/FUNDVDTREKM

Funds: ABLE Law (runs nonprofit immigration clinics in Springfield)
https://donate.stripe.com/4gMeV50JD9DE4227VX2B200

Funds: St. Vincent de Paul Springfield providing food, clothing, rent assistance (irrespective of religion). There is currently a tremendous need for food boxes.
https://www.wesharegiving.org/app/giving/WeShare-2851

Items: Drop off at Dayton Barrel House in Dayton, 417 E. Third St. , opens at 11 am Tu - Sat., 1 pm on Sun., 4 pm on Mon.
High priority items for Springfield are listed below and on the flyer.. Please stick to these items as they are components of standard food boxes.

Diapers, toilet paper, baby wipes, toiletries (please no opened toiletries)

Apple sauce cups, dried beans (one to two pound bags), bagged rice (one to two pound bags), cereal (boxed), mac and cheese (boxed), ramen (boxed), spaghetti (boxed), peanut butter, shelf stable milk.

Canned: corn, peas, green beans, potatoes, peaches, ravioli, spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, chicken, tuna

Advocate to Extend TPS for Haiti for 3 years: Call your senators and log your calls: https://amnesty.quorum.us/campaign/166398/ (Amnesty International and Haitian Bridge Alliance)