What We Believe

We believe immigration detention is inhumane and unnecessary. Detention is not necessary to safeguard our communities and ensure people attend court hearings.  There are humane and effective options to detention, and we believe that profit should not be earned from the suffering of people seeking refuge. 

We believe that all people have inherent dignity. From this dignity comes the fundamental right of migrants to cross borders in search of a living wage, a safe community, and a life free of persecution. We understand that, most often, these actions are taken by migrants not only for their own benefit but also to promote the well-being of their families and communities.

We recognize that immigrant communities are strong, resilient, and powerful.  We affirm this truth by acting in solidarity with people affected by immigration detention, supporting their efforts, promoting their rights, and helping their voices be heard.  We see people impacted by immigration detention as partners and not just as people we are helping.  Impacted people inform our decision-making and guide our work.

We believe that relationships are transformative. Relationships are the most powerful antidotes to fear, mistrust, and hatred.  When we open ourselves to knowing and learning from people affected by immigration detention, we nurture compassion, cooperation, and mutual respect.  Our staff and volunteers not only support people affected by immigration detention but are also transformed by the relationships we build with them.

We believe that nonviolence and reconciliation are powerful moral forces for social change.  We seek to defeat injustice, not people. Following the principle of reconciliation, we seek to bring unity and take active measures to fix broken systems.  We are committed to working from a place of love and of hope in our common humanity.

We believe that hospitality connects people.  Hospitality concretely affirms that love is more powerful than fear. While it is easy to welcome those familiar to us, hospitality challenges us to include people of diverse backgrounds, identities, and beliefs.

We believe the economy should serve people and not suppress them.  Without sufficient economic alternatives to the prison industrial complex, impoverished rural communities are often coerced into reliance on prison corporations and government agencies.  We believe our society and government should divest from incarceration and invest in providing just wages without exploiting vulnerable communities.