In episode 5 of Here I Pod, host Regina Q. Banks is joined by the ELCA's Program Director for Migration Policy, Giovana Oaxaca for an extended interview. 

Their conversation explores the work of AMMPARO and the ELCA in supporting migrants and refugees. Oaxaca provides historical contexts for today's current immigration policies, and the church's response to these challenges. It highlights the importance of advocacy, community support, and the impact of sensitive locations policies on vulnerable populations. 

In our other sections, Hunger Advocacy Fellow Joey Chin provides a short history of Global Refuge, and AMMPARO representative Stephen Deal shares a faith reflection as well as stories of how serving migrants is transforming churches in the Americas. 

You can take action today using these action alerts in the ELCA Action Center:

• Oppose Mass Deportations – Lenten Action Series - Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
• Help End Pause of U.S. Foreign Assistance - Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Resources: 

• The Latest: Know Your Rights Information - AMMPARO » AMMPARO - Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
• What Can Congregations Do to Prepare for Immigration Raids? - AMMPARO » AMMPARO - Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Special Guests: 

Giovana Oaxaca, Program Director for Migration Policy, ELCA.

Stephen Deal, Regional Representative for AMMPARO.

Here I Pod is a production of ELCA Advocacy. Join the ELCA Advocacy network: elca.org/advocacy/signup

Host: Regina Q. Banks
Production: Blake Chastain, Karen Krueger
Intro/Outro Music: "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" arranged in jazz-style, by Steven Seigart

About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of “God’s work. Our hands.,” the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA’s roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.