This Monday, April 15,  Christians For Socialism is proposing a day of prayer for all those in the States facing deportation (see below for more specifics). Consider joining them.  

On Tuesday, April 2, a court ruled that hundreds of Assyrian/Chaldean people in the Detroit area detained by ICE could be deported to Iraq after a legal battle carried out by the ACLU. The Assyrians/Chaldeans are a regional minority who have been targeted and brutalized in Iraq. The deportation would be especially dangerous for Assyrian/Chaldean Christians.

This story is an important one among many stories that have motivated activists to intervene in creative ways to stop these deportations from happening. Large campaigns have been waged across the United States, occupying space and pressuring city officials to act. The immediacy of these deportations is deeply troubling–as early, potentially, as April 9. Some potential deportees have filed for immigration, and others remain detained.

Though not all of us can be physically present in Detroit to stop these deportations or support those trying to find avenues to stay, we can raise awareness about this story in two ways: using social media and committing to a 24 day of prayer.

We propose to designate Monday, April 15, as a day to commit to praying for the following things:

1) safety and justice for Assyrians/Chaldeans and all those facing the threat of unjust immigration laws,

2) the abolition of ICE,

3) an effective group of organizers with creativity, courage, and energy to step in between the violent US state and vulnerable communities, and

4) an end to violence in the world, especially Iraq.

If you can commit to spending part of your day in prayer for the above, we ask that you share this commitment publicly with others and encourage those you know to do the same.