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NCRJ Public Stance On DHS utilization of ICE

Newton Community for Racial Justice

Statement in solidarity with immigrants in our community

Newton Community for Racial Justice (NCRJ) is ready to defend refugees, immigrants and all those most vulnerable to harm in our community from cruel, unjust and illegal policies and violent enforcement. Our Harvey County communities include people whose ancestors were indigenous to this land, those whose ancestors were enslaved and brought here against their will, and many immigrants, from recent arrivals to those who go back multiple generations. 

For example, European Mennonites facing religious persecution first arrived in the 1870s, and eventually founded Bethel College, Bethel Deaconess Hospital (one of the forerunners of NMC Health), and other local institutions. People from Mexico came to work on the railroad more than a century ago and built thriving churches and businesses. Black people migrated from the southern United States in the 20th century seeking better economic opportunities and escape from repressive and deadly Jim Crow policies. Over the decades, people from other parts of the country and the world have been drawn here to study, work, live and raise families, creating a community that today proudly shows its diversity through foodways, music, dance, celebration, religious traditions and practice, and much more.  

This rich legacy stands in stark contrast to the ways personnel from the Department of Homeland Security and its Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) branch have in recent months demonized, disappeared and murdered immigrants and citizens guilty only of trying to work, care for their families and stand up for their neighbors.

NCRJ condemns and rejects ICE policies and practices, demonstrated most recently in Minneapolis, but also seen in Chicago, Portland, Ore., New Orleans, Los Angeles and other cities and communities around the country.

NCRJ believes that religious, medical and educational settings must be protected from immigrant detention efforts. Allowing ICE agents to enter or gather outside these locations compromises their ability to operate and to provide the services our community wants, needs and deserves. We believe that these rights should be afforded to every person regardless of skin color, language, birthplace, immigration status, age or gender identity.

The NCRJ board and NCRJ membership will continue to seek ways to support all members of our community, but especially those now living with constant fear and uncertainty. We invite others to join us in committing to stand with our neighbors to guard their dignity as human beings and their right to live and thrive in a free society.  

Check out and join in on the ways in which NCRJ is intentionally building a more anti-racist community.

To receive Notifications regarding the Anti-Racism training Click Here.

This annual training invites participants to learn history that is well-documented but was not taught in schools. The annual Anti-Racism Analysis Training is typically held every winter during

Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend.

This training will help to educate Newton residents about what to do when interacting with law enforcement. Please check back frequently for updates regarding when we will offer this training in the future.

NCRJ has been working since 2022 to be more regularly involved in the community. We take an active role in community events with our activities booth.

Some of the activities we endorse:

● We continue to stand with the students at Newton High School in their request to the school board to include more diversity in books and authors within the literature curriculum.