In February 2021, Immigrant Connection (IC) celebrated its seventh anniversary. Since its conception, 22 churches have answered the call to launch local IC legal offices, which makes IC the largest local church-based immigration legal network in the United States. This movement has directly served over 10,000 individuals and families from over 125 different countries of origin and successfully filed over 4,500 immigration cases with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The Wesleyan Church believes in transforming lives, churches and communities through the hope and holiness of Jesus Christ.
Transformation requires connection. God uniquely calls his people to tangibly care for and welcome foreigners living in their midst.
Immigrant Connection exists to fulfill this call.
More people are migrating around the world than ever. Today, over 272 million individuals live outside their country of origin. Over 45 million immigrants live in the U.S., representing 13.7 percent of the nation’s population. The last time this high percentage of immigrants lived in the U.S. was in 1910. In fact, first- and second-generation immigrants comprise more than 28 percent of the U.S. population.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has a program that allows nonprofit organizations to be recognized and individuals to be accredited to provide low-cost immigration legal services. Few local churches initially utilized this impactful opportunity.
Since The Wesleyan Church (TWC) is historically rooted in justice and acting on behalf of those who are marginalized, IC launched one of the first local church-based immigration legal services offices on February 27, 2014. We reflect on what Jesus has accomplished since.
For the more than 75 individuals serving as DOJ accredited legal representatives, site leaders, legal assistants, staff and volunteers, it’s not about numbers; it’s always been about individual lives. Immigrant Connection is named aptly because the focus is not on immigration — it’s on immigrants. Immigration is an issue, but immigrants are people.
IC has seen individual lives transformed.
There’s the story of an Arabic Christian Church without a pastor and IC helping bring a pastor from Egypt to lead the church.
There’s the story of our first client — the daughter of a victim of domestic violence and assault who received a visa. She is now attending school to become a teacher and has a green card, a daughter of her own and leads youth at a Wesleyan church.
And there’s the story of a young woman who had already wasted thousands of dollars trying to receive help until she came to IC, which helped her proceed with a complex application. This allowed her to escape an abusive husband and become a U.S. citizen.
These are just a few of the countless individuals who’ve experienced trauma and have found hope and opportunity through IC.
IC has reunited families that have been separated for decades, sometimes driving clients to the airport and watching firsthand as a husband, wife and children have their first family hug in years. IC has helped immigrant students receive Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status and become their family’s first generation to attend and graduate from college.
IC leaders share that their hearts and lives have been transformed as they practiced biblical hospitality — that they have received far more than they’ve given.
Asylum seekers and refugee newcomers have been accompanied through legal pathways and provided support in a new city. Our offices have cared for human trafficking and domestic violence victims, offering pathways toward lawful status as well as support, hope and restoration. Over 1,000 clients have been helped to take the final step in the immigration process and become naturalized U.S. citizens. IC workers have often attended oath ceremonies and subsequent celebrations.
Individuals may start as clients, but relationships quickly form, as IC staff are invited to baby showers and weddings, holiday celebrations and worship services.
Over 1,000 clients have been helped to take the final step in the immigration process and become naturalized U.S. citizens.
Carole, a Jamaican immigrant, left a high-paying job in corporate America to become a DOJ legal representative and provide legal services in her community. Countless clients have moved forward in the immigration process due to Carole’s diligent work, but her clients talk most about her compassion and hugs.
Carina and Joanna arrived at IC as clients. “Now they are DOJ accredited legal representatives who have served hundreds of clients. Several pastors have found a crucial bivocational ministry through IC, and their pastoral ministry has had an exponential impact. Dozens of lay people joining IC as DOJ legal representatives, legal assistants or volunteers discover a deep sense of purpose. Some are new to TWC, drawn in by the local church’s mission of welcoming and serving immigrants.
IC leaders share that their hearts and lives have been transformed as they practiced biblical hospitality — that they have received far more than they’ve given.
Churches have also been transformed. A diverse cross-section of churches has launched IC local sites: small, large, urban, rural, monoethnic, multiethnic, historic, established and new plants. Many small and declining churches launching IC offices became healthy and growing congregations recognized as core strategic leaders in their communities.
Other churches have used IC’s ministry to launch new services and outreach ministries like citizenship classes and conversational English programs. IC has assisted church-planting efforts, providing crucial connections and a sustainable approach to outreach and community involvement. IC’s legal ministry has helped other churches receive religious worker visas in order to hire immigrant pastors resulting in church planting efforts from Boston to San Antonio and South Dakota to Florida.
These transformed people and churches have created transformed communities and ZIP codes. Rather than being reactive to changing community demographics, IC leaders have proactively led efforts to have a localized global impact.
In 2020, IC was organized as a nonprofit subsidiary of TWC, allowing IC to remain firmly rooted in TWC while reaching out and starting sites in non-Wesleyan churches. A recent one-million-dollar gift from Tyson Foods will significantly help IC expand its services. The hope for the next seven years is to have 50 local church-based IC offices.
May the Lord persist in opening doors and providing resources for IC’s continued engagement in kingdom impact.
