Social Justice

Calling all Texans! The Senate is getting to pass two terrible immigration bills that would encourage racial profiling and create a lot of fear and chaos.

Today, 39 national and local organizations launched a new campaign to #LetAsylumSeekersWork faster. The effort comes at a time of historic national labor shortages. People seeking asylum in the United States are eager to support themselves and join the labor force yet are currently required to wait up to six months or more to access work permits. Groups behind the effort are calling for urgent congressional action to reduce the amount of time asylum seekers must wait before being eligible to apply for work permits. 

With less than two weeks left in the 88th Texas Legislative session, much remains up in the air. The recent passing of critical deadlines means several bills of concern are officially dead. Unfortunately, some good proposals died as well. In other cases bad bills have been resurrected as amendments to legislation not killed by calendar deadlines. 

Fellowship Southwest held its first day of advocacy in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 28, 2023. It was a wonderful day of education and fellowship with advocates from all around the state.

CLICK HERE to read all about the day, including visits with legislators, and see lots of photos.

FSW Executive Director Stephen Reeves is in Washington, D.C. this week with Elket Rodríguez, Chrissy Tatum Williamson. Elket is a CBF field personnel and immigration specialist in Texas' Rio Grande Valley, and Chrissy is the pastor of Greystone Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC.

Evangelical Immigration Table invited advocates from all over the country to join together in an organized action week for immigration advocacy. They are asking Congress to pass long overdue immigration reforms to provide permanent solutions for Dreamers, TPS recipients, and agricultural workers, and work with administration officials to improve border management.

Thanks be to God, the state of Texas did NOT execute an innocent Latina mother yesterday.

When the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted Melissa Lucio a stay of execution on Monday, they also directed Cameron County District Court to review the new evidence in her case. “It’s a pathbreaking decision,” The Washington Post reports. “It’s not merely a temporary stay of execution, it’s a potential opening to liberty.”

You have likely heard and read all about Melissa Lucio's tragic upcoming execution by the state of Texas, from us, from our partner Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, the Innocence Project (screenshot above captured from Instagram @innocenceproject quoting FSW pastor Jesse Rincones), from the media (NPR, CBS, John Oliver, and many others).

This week has shown a promising development in the case for clemency for Melissa Lucio, the first Hispanic woman on Texas' death row. Melissa was sentenced to death following the tragic death of her two year old daughter Mariah in 2007. Recent compelling evidence points to Melissa's innocence.

Thanks to the faithful work of Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Fellowship Southwest and CBF Texas have been aware of and concerned about the upcoming execution of Melissa Lucio. Many believe she was unjustly put on death row. Lucio is scheduled for execution April 27.

It's an election year. The best way to ensure sound policy-making in your state's upcoming legislature is to have a say in who the policy makers are.

In Texas, early voting for primary elections ends tomorrow, Feb. 25. Election Day is Tuesday, March 1. In a state like Texas, the primary election is sometimes even more important than the November general election, but voter turnout is critically low.

Fellowship Southwest is deeply disappointed in the recent failure of federal voting rights legislation in the U.S. Senate. The freedom to vote and ensure all votes count is fundamental to our democracy. Moreover, we have a long and sad history of denying citizens the equal right to vote due to racial discrimination. The struggle continues to this day, and federal legislation is needed to protect the right to vote.

John Ogletree is the definition of a public servant. But one of his most treasured positions, a school board trustee, has just been taken away from him because of his advocacy for diversity and inclusion in the district.