The Episcopal Church champions and advocates for humane policy towards migrants because of our belief that every human being is a child of God and must be treated with dignity.

Our ministry with migration, immigration & refugees has deep roots in our faith tradition's commitment to hospitality to the stranger.

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. ”
— Matthew 25:35
 
“When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.”
— Leviticus 19:33-34
 
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
— Matthew 22:39
 

Take Action

Explore resources on immigration and refugees, and ways that you can help.

 
 

Know Your Rights (KYR)

 

Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice - Know Your Rights Video, English

Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice - Know Your Rights Video, Spanish

Recent News

 
 
“...the gospel of Jesus Christ calls us to welcome the stranger and to love our neighbors—whoever they may be—as ourselves.

Our call as faithful witnesses to the gospel has not changed with the new presidential administration. We are called to continue the work that we have always been doing here in Iowa: loving our neighbors, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, standing up for the oppressed and marginalized in our society. As Jesus said in Matthew 25:40, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.””
 

This factsheet (last updated January 21, 2025) describes what the protected areas policy was, what laws apply to those areas now, and what steps advocates and communities can take to support immigrants in continuing to access critical community spaces and services.

Important steps for all formerly protected areas: page 3
Recommendations for places of worship: page 5

 
 
“We are aware of the uncertainty, fear and threat you face as migrants, immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. We want you to know that you are loved and valued by God and by us. You are not alone.

As members of the Body of Christ, we stand together, reminding our nation of its historic commitments to human rights. We will renew our commitment to live out God’s second greatest commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). We will work to protect inherent dignity and insist on fair, lawful and compassionate treatment of everyone.”
 
 
“Because our true citizenship is not here on earth but in heaven, we are called to transcend the earthly distinctions made among us by the leaders of this world. We must proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is promised to the persecuted and answer Christ’s call to welcome the stranger among us.

This vision of God’s kingdom, this new reality, is the one to which we Christians are pledged in our baptism above any political preference or policy, and to which our church must bear witness through word and deed. This sacred call shapes both our churchwide commitment to stand with migrants and the ministries of congregations across our church who serve vulnerable immigrants and refugees in their communities.”
 
 

What We Can Do:

 

Prepare

Everyone has rights, regardless of immigration status. It's important for all of us to know our rights and to have plans in place in case of emergencies so we can protect ourselves and members of our communities.

 

Help Change the Narrative

Immigrants are our family, friends, and neighbors. We are called to welcome everyone, regardless of immigration status, and to stand against policies and actions that marginalize, dehumanize, or take away another human's dignity.

    • Hold prayer vigils or consider having the church open for specific hours for people to enter to pray about immigration issues; such vigils have the potential to shift public opinion and serve to provide public witness to what is happening

    • Host (maybe with other churches in town) a community potluck and roundtable discussions on immigration issues

    • Continue and look for new ways to promote our message that all are welcome at The Episcopal Church

    • Incorporate liturgical and small group resources into your services (e.g. prayers of the people, book studies)

 
 

Engage in Public Policy

Get involved at the national and local levels.

"Legislation/public policy is how we distribute access to things like medical care, clean water and air, food, education, justice, and so on…The voice of the church needs to be present for these conversations, representing as best and as faithfully as we can what we think Jesus would have us do."

- Rev. Wendy Abrahamson, diocesan lobbyist

    • Contact our lawmakers (national and state) directly about legislation that would harm our immigrant neighbors

    • At the state level, comment on legislation, show up at sub-committees, public hearings, and public rallies in support of immigrants

    • Encourage others to engage in public advocacy

    • Host a training session on how to engage in Gospel-based public advocacy aimed at showing mercy and compassion

    • Get involved with our diocesan public policy ministry, "Faith in Action"

 

Connect with Others

Meet and build relationships with your local immigrant-led and immigrant-serving organizations. Connect with other faith groups, non-profits, and others in the community - we're stronger together.

    • Serve as places of welcome and healing, and continue to provide welcoming and safe spaces for support groups

    • Continue all food based ministries serving all who show up at the door; and if such a program does not exist, consider creating one

    • Look for new ways to partner with local community groups to minister to affected individuals and families; e.g. conduct coordinated canned goods drives to fill local pantries; serve as a site for support services provided by other community groups

    • Have a flyer readily available with local non-profits and other agencies involved in providing support services including the contact information for each; this may already exist in some communities, but if it doesn't consider putting one together

    • Provide other forms of material and pastoral support for those targeted by hate due to immigration status or some other perceived status of difference

    • Work alongside friends, families and neighbors to ensure the dignity and human rights of all people.

  • A few of the organizations that have additional resources, and work in multiple communities in Iowa

 
 

Check out each of these pages for resources on immigration and refugees, and ways that you can help:

Immigration Action Toolkit

Episcopal Migration Ministries

Office of Government Relations

IMMJ is a statewide membership-based legal service and advocacy organization driven and led by immigrant and refugee voices and united with allies. They're an affiliate of the Justice for Our Neighbors network and a GILEAD Grant partner organization. They have a ton of helpful resources, legislative updates, community bulletins, and more.

IMMJ Website

IMMJ Facebook

Sign up for their newsletter here

Resources

 

Resources in Requested Languages:

 
 

General

Liturgical & Small group RESOURCES

FOR THOSE IN NEED

From The Episcopal Church

Immigration Action Toolkit: a lot of resources including what to know, ways to help, know your rights information, advocacy resources, organizations, Episcopal Church policies, and more.

Resources from The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations

Organizations

national

Episcopal Migration Ministries: a ministry of The Episcopal Church and one of nine national refugee resettlement agencies in the U.S.; welcomes refugees, educates communities, and mobilizes congregations to advocate for the protection and rights of all migrants

  • Resources include Bible Studies, Book Discussions, speakers, liturgical and worship, toolkits, and activities

Interfaith Immigration Coalition

Detention Watch Network

National Immigration Law Center

local

Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice (IowaMMJ): a statewide membership-based legal service and advocacy organization driven and led by immigrant and refugee voices and united with allies; affiliate of the Justice for Our Neighbors network; GILEAD Grant partner organization

Lutheran Services in Iowa’s Immigrant and Refugee Community Services continue to welcome Iowa’s newest neighbors by providing education, family services, and economic development programs to help them get started on their path to citizenship and building a new life in Iowa.

Catholic Charities Dubuque & Des Moines: Catholic Charities works to welcome and integrate immigrants, refugees and asylees, offering critical services to vulnerable populations.

Refugee Alliance of Central Iowa: a voluntary membership network of service providers, government agencies, religious groups, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions that work together to better serve the needs of the growing refugee population in central Iowa. We provide targeted assistance in the areas of health, housing and transportation, interpretation, education, legal, along with advocacy at federal, state, and local government level.

Prairielands Freedom Fund: Funds raised will be distributed to community members in need of legal bond and representation. Bonding out our neighbors detained by immigration and connecting them with lawyers gives them the best chance at remaining members of our community and helps keep families together. Average bail is $5,000 to $7,000.

Iowa Legal Aid: Provides free civil legal assistance to low-income and vulnerable Iowans, about topics such as housing, income, benefits or safety, how aging is affecting benefits/debts, disaster relief, and more.

*This resource list is made available by the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa for educational purposes only. The opinions, ideas and advice expressed in these documents do not necessarily reflect the policies of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa, nor should they be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney.