In the spirit of our shared work to care for our community, we call on faith leaders and other New Yorkers to join ongoing efforts to accompany and support our immigrant neighbors across New York City.
There are many ways to get involved, from accompanying community members to immigration court and ICE check-ins at 26 Federal Plaza and 290 Broadway to providing legal and language support, welcoming new neighbors, and participating in court watch, rapid response, and other forms of accompaniment and solidarity. Below, you will find more information about volunteer opportunities with El Barrio Angels, New Sanctuary Coalition, Sacred Court Support, and Jews for Racial and Economic Justice’s Court Watch.
EL BARRIO ANGELS
El Barrio Angels at The Church of St. Edward the Martyr provides a safe space and network of resources and support to immigrants, regardless of status or ability to pay. There are a variety of volunteer opportunities available: legal and paralegal work, welcoming and asking information for intake, interviewing for and preparing asylum cases, interpreting or translating (typically between English and French, Spanish, Pulaar, Wolof and Arabic, but other languages are very welcome), information processing, and many other tasks.
Knowledge of another language besides English is very helpful, but not required, but please be ready to use a translation app. You must be at least eighteen years old to volunteer with El Barrio Angels. Sign up to volunteer at the link below.
NEW SANCTUARY COALITION
Every day at 26 Federal Plaza, humanity is denied. As faith leaders from across our many traditions, we cannot remain silent while our siblings are subjected to a system of cruelty and chaos.
Now, we are moving beyond the sidewalk. We are calling on leaders of all faiths to walk into the principality: inside the walls of 26 Federal Plaza. We refuse to remain outside while our neighbors are led through the darkness of deportation proceedings.
As ICE and the federal government continue to operate in the shadows, detaining our neighbors on hidden floors and transforming a supposed house of ‘justice’ into a site of cruelty, we will not look away.
Find events, actions, and the information about New Sanctuary Coalition’s weekly community meetings at the link below.
SACRED COURT SUPPORT
Become a volunteer with Sacred Court Support, an interfaith immigration court accompaniment initiative led by B’nai Jeshurun, Co-Counsel NYC, HIAS, and St. Paul & St. Andrew United Methodist Church.
Our greatest current need is for volunteers who are proficient in languages other than English – especially Spanish, Arabic, and French – and who have weekday daytime availability.
Sacred Court Support volunteers accompany immigrant community members to court hearings and ICE check-ins as allies, witnesses, and friends—showing up with compassion and solidarity during an often isolating process.
JFREJ – NYC JEWS AGAINST DEPORTATION
JFREJ is organizing to protect immigrant New Yorkers in court & all over the city. We are organizing to get ICE out of New York and protect all our neighbors against federal occupation through court watch, local rapid response, and organizing with our movement partners. Sign up to join them.
JFREJers work with their partners to provide direct support to neighbors attending their scheduled appearances at Immigration Court through daily Court watch Shifts.
Visit their portal to sign-up for more information on how to do Court Watch through JFREJ. They additionally rally organizing Rapid Response and Legislative advocacy.
