Panel of experts discusses ‘Asylum Seekers at Our Southern Border’

Look beyond the headlines at a panel discussion about “Asylum Seekers at Our Southern Border,” on Tuesday, November 19, from 7-8:30 p.m. The panel is presented by the Church and Society Committee of the United Methodist Church of Whitefish Bay, 819 E. Silver Spring Dr.

The three-person panel includes Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Voces de la Frontera; Joe Rivas, an attorney and Professor of Immigration at Marquette University; and Rev. Dan Dick, Assistant to the Bishop of the Wisconsin Annual Conference
.
Mike Martin is the moderator, and audience questions are part of the evening’s schedule.

“This is an opportunity for all of us to learn more about a topic that is of vital concern to us as citizens and caring Christians,” says Cynthia Boock, member of the Church and Society Committee.

Topics include “Giving a face to the asylum seekers – Who are they? Who qualifies for asylum and what are the steps in applying for asylum? What is going on in Wisconsin and throughout the US in faith based communities to support asylum seekers? As people of faith, where do we go from here? Are there action steps for us to take?”

Neumann-Ortiz s the founding Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera, a low-wage and immigrant workers center with chapters in Milwaukee and Racine. Voces de la Frontera is increasingly recognized as Wisconsin’s leading voice for immigration reform. Neumann-Ortiz is a national leader in immigration reform, serving on the board of a national coalition of the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FAIR) and has been interviewed on National Public Radio and CNN. She serves on the board of the Wisconsin Legalization Coalition (representing 44 allied organizations in the state).

Rivas has practiced immigration law for over 30 years. He teaches immigration law as an adjunct professor at Marquette University Law School, has addressed immigration law issues on radio and TV and is listed in Best Lawyers in America under the section on Immigration Law. He is fluent in Spanish.

Rev. Dick is Assistant to the Bishop with the Wisconsin Annual Conference. He served as the Director of Connectional Ministries from 2009 to 2015. Rev. Dick worked for the General Board of Discipleship in Nashville, Tennessee for 15 years. He served as a board member for the Wisconsin Annual Conference’s General Board of Church and Society and participated in the revision and writing of the updated Social Principles.

For more information, phone United Methodist Church of Whitefish Bay at (414) 964-2424 or visit umcwfb.org

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.