Family Safety Planning Session Keeping Families Together

1. Family Safety Planning Session Keeping Families Together

2. Family Safety Planning Session Welcomeand Introductions

3. About LIRS LIRS is Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. Ministries of LIRS help… • child migrants at risk, • asylum seekers and torture survivors, and • refugees.

4. About LIRS LIRS Ministries are made possible by… • Lutheran churches, • networks of service providers, and • donors, volunteers and advocates. Visit LIRS online at www.lirs.org.

5. About Be Not Afraid Be Not Afraid is a project of LIRS. Be Not Afraid tools • Know Your Rights Session • Family Safety Planning Sessions • Worship and Bible Study tools • Raids Preparation tools • Advocacy tools

6. Session Outcomes By the end of this session we will… • identify support systems within the family and community and learn how to access each in the case of an immigration related emergency, and • know how to create a family safety plan.

7. Session Overview During this session we will… • discuss real-life situations, • map family and community resources, and • use a guide to begin creating family safety plans.

8. Note The information in this session is general. We will not be able to address specific or personal questions in this session. Please talk to an immigration attorney or specialist about personal concerns.

9. True or False? • In the event of an immigration emergency, it is important to have the name and phone number of an attorney you can contact.

10. True or False? • Immigration officials will not detain parents who need to be at home to take care of their children.

11. True or False? • In the event of an emergency, a school will allow any relative or friend to take a child home or to a safe place.

12. True or False? • People arrested by immigration officers have the right to make a phone call to a lawyer, family member or friend.

13. True or False? • It is not necessary to keep a copy of immigration documents and important family papers such as birth certificates, passports and marriage certificates in a safe place.

14. True or False? • It is important to have a attorney to contact. • Immigration officials may detain parents who need to take care of their children. • Most school will not allow a relative or friend to take a child home without previous written permission. • People arrested by immigration officers do have the right to make a phone call. • It is necessary to keep important documents in a safe place.

15. Immigration-Related Emergencies Family Safety Planning Session

16. Immigration-Related Emergencies Sharing Stories • Form a group of three. • Share a story of an immigration-related emergency—either a personal experience or a friend’s experience. • Discuss the following questions: • What was out of your control? • What was in your control? • What’s one thing you could do to plan ahead for such emergencies?

17. Planning Ahead • What items or resources would you need to keep your family safe in the event of an immigration raid or emergency? • Is it important to have a lawyer in case you or a family member is detained by immigration? Why or why not?

18. Planning Ahead • Do you have a family member or friend who has access to your bank accounts and could get money for bail or other emergency needs? • How might your church or community be able to help?

19. Discussion of the Chen Family’s Story Planning Ahead

20. Family Safety Planning Worksheet • Return to your group of three. • Discuss the following questions : • What paperwork is needed for each category on the worksheet (legal, medical, important information, family & children, community & church)? • How or where could you seek help related to each category?

21. Family Safety Planning Worksheet Legal • Have the name and phone number of a lawyer that you can contact in case of an emergency. • Keep the lawyer’s contact information in your plan and in your wallet. • Create a signed agreement that gives authority to someone you designate to make decisions for you.

22. Family Safety Planning Worksheet Medical • List the names of all family members and note any medications each one is taking. • Also note each family member’s serious health conditions and food allergies.

23. Family Safety Planning Worksheet Important Information • Write down the names, dates of birth, and immigration numbers (if they have them) of all family members. • Keep all documents—immigration, birth certificates and passports—in a safe and easily accessible place.

24. Family Safety Planning Worksheet Family—Short-Term • Make arrangements for someone to care for your children or other family members who need assistance. • Note the name and phone number of this person in your plan and keep it with you in case you need to call him or her.

25. Family Safety Planning Worksheet Family—Long-Term • Think about signing a guardianship form (see handout packet) in case decisions need to be made for your children. • If you are at risk for deportation, think about obtaining passports for your U.S. citizen children so that they can travel back and forth from your home country to the United States.

26. Family Safety Planning Worksheet Community & Church Where could you access the following resources? • food bank • emergency financial assistance • legal services • shelter • other

27. Family Safety Planning Toolkit • General Power of Attorney • Authorization for Temporary Guardianship • United States Customs and Immigration Service Form G28

28. True or False? • In the event of an immigration emergency, it is important to have the name and phone number of an attorney you can contact.

29. True or False? • Immigration officials will not detain parents who need to be at home to take care of their children.

30. True or False? • In the event of an emergency, a school will allow any relative or friend to take a child home or to a safe place.

31. True or False • People arrested by immigration officers have the right to make a phone call to a lawyer, family member or friend.

32. True or False? • It is not necessary to keep a copy of immigration documents and important family papers such as birth certificates, passports and marriage certificates in a safe place.

33. True or False? • It is important to have a attorney to contact. • Immigration officials may detain parents who need to take care of their children. • Most school will not allow a relative or friend to take a child home without previous written permission. • People arrested by immigration officers do have the right to make a phone call. • It is necessary to keep important documents in a safe place.

34. My Plan What are the five parts of a good family safety plan? • Legal • Medical • Important Information • Family & Children • Community & Church

35. It’s Up to You You now have the tools you need to plan for an immigration-related emergency. Now it’s up to you... • to create your plan, • to make sure everyone knows what to do, and • to gather and protect all important documents.

36. What Did You Think? Please complete the feedback form. Let us know how much the session helped or how we could make it better. We appreciate your comments and suggestions!

37. Announcements and Closing Prayer Conclusion