Faith Works is Faith UCC’s Social Justice and AcTion Team

We regularly encourage church members and friends to speak out on various matters concerning the wellbeing of all God’s creation and people. Check here regularly for updates, and news, and suggested actions.

Action ALERT: immigrant and LGBTQ+ Rights: - February 9, 2024

Dear Members and Friends of Faith UCC:

We are writing to alert you to certain bills now in the Iowa legislature that would negatively affect our immigrant neighbors:

  • HF2112. Makes Solidarity a Crime. This bill contains provisions that could make it a felony to help an undocumented neighbor with food, housing, or other human rights support. 

  • HF2128. Drives Iowa Kids out of Our Public Colleges. This bill would make Iowa high school graduates who lack documents pay out of state tuition, even when this state is their home.

  • SF108/HSB105. Creates unworkable rules that can harm Employers and Essential Workers. This bill requires all businesses to use the flawed e-verify system, tells people to profile and report immigrant workers in public witch hunts, and contains unworkable rules without addressing any problems.  

Additionally, we are writing to alert you to another discriminatory bill that will do harm to our LGBTQ+ members and neighbors: 

  • HSB614. This bill is a religious exemptions (RFRA) legislation that would allow anyone to use their religious beliefs as justification to discriminate. The law could be used by anyone to claim they don’t have to follow any other law, leading to legal chaos. 

The Faith Works Committee is calling for letters to urge our Iowa legislators to vote "no" on these measures. Please consider sending an e-mail letter to your legislative representatives asking them to vote "no" on these bills. The names of your particular legislators and their e-mail addresses can be found at the following website: http://tinyurl.com/3wt9nevs. 

Thanks to our friends at the Center for Worker Justice who we have been an ally of since 2012 and the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa for alerting us to these bills. As a side note, CWJ held an emergency meeting for their members and allies here at Faith UCC last Thursday evening to discuss these bills. Pastor Ryan gave a short talk. Long-time CWJ immigrant members remembered some of the organization's founding meetings back in 2012 that were held at Faith UCC. They say, “Thank You!” to everyone at Faith UCC for being such active and supportive allies. 

Thank you!

Faith Works Committee