Family Safety
Planning Session
Keeping Families Together
Family Safety
Planning Session
Welcome
and Introductions
About LIRS
LIRS is Lutheran Immigration and
Refugee Service.
Ministries of LIRS help…
• child migrants at risk,
• asylum seekers and torture survivors, and
• refugees.
About LIRS
LIRS Ministries are made possible by…
• Lutheran churches,
• networks of service providers, and
• donors, volunteers and advocates.
Visit LIRS online at www.lirs.org.
About Be Not Afraid
Be Not Afraid is a project of LIRS.
Be Not Afraid tools
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Know Your Rights Session
Family Safety Planning Sessions
Worship and Bible Study tools
Raids Preparation tools
Advocacy tools
Session Outcomes
By the end of this session we will…
• identify support systems within the family
and community and learn how to access
each in the case of an immigration related
emergency, and
• know how to create a family safety plan.
Session Overview
During this session we will…
• discuss real-life situations,
• map family and community resources, and
• use a guide to begin creating family safety plans.
Note
The information in this session is
general.
We will not be able to address specific
or personal questions in this session.
Please talk to an immigration attorney
or specialist about personal
concerns.
True or False?
1. In the event of an immigration
emergency, it is important to have
the name and phone number of
an attorney you can contact.
True or False?
2. Immigration officials will not detain
parents who need to be at home
to take care of their children.
True or False?
3. In the event of an emergency, a
school will allow any relative or
friend to take a child home or to a
safe place.
True or False?
4. People arrested by immigration
officers have the right to make a
phone call to a lawyer, family
member or friend.
True or False?
5. It is not necessary to keep a
copy of immigration documents
and important family papers
such as birth certificates,
passports and marriage
certificates in a safe place.
True or False?
1. It is important to have a attorney to contact.
2. Immigration officials may detain parents who
need to take care of their children.
3. Most school will not allow a relative or friend to
take a child home without previous written
permission.
4. People arrested by immigration officers do
have the right to make a phone call.
5. It is necessary to keep important documents
in a safe place.
Family Safety
Planning Session
Immigration-Related
Emergencies
Immigration-Related
Emergencies
Sharing Stories
1. Form a group of three.
2. Share a story of an immigration-related emergency—
either a personal experience or a friend’s experience.
3. Discuss the following questions:
• What was out of your control?
• What was in your control?
• What’s one thing you could do to plan
ahead for such emergencies?
Planning Ahead
• What items or resources would you
need to keep your family safe in the
event of an immigration raid or
emergency?
• Is it important to have a lawyer in
case you or a family member is
detained by immigration? Why or
why not?
Planning Ahead
• Do you have a family member or
friend who has access to your bank
accounts and could get money for
bail or other emergency needs?
• How might your church or
community be able to help?
Planning Ahead
Discussion of the Chen Family’s Story
Family Safety
Planning Worksheet
1. Return to your group of three.
2. Discuss the following questions :
• What paperwork is needed for each
category on the worksheet (legal, medical,
important information, family & children,
community & church)?
• How or where could you seek help related
to each category?
Family Safety
Planning Worksheet
Legal
• Have the name and phone number of a lawyer
that you can contact in case of an emergency.
• Keep the lawyer’s contact information in your
plan and in your wallet.
• Create a signed agreement that gives authority
to someone you designate to make decisions
for you.
Family Safety
Planning Worksheet
Medical
• List the names of all family members and note
any medications each one is taking.
• Also note each family member’s serious health
conditions and food allergies.
Family Safety
Planning Worksheet
Important Information
• Write down the names, dates of birth, and
immigration numbers (if they have them) of all
family members.
• Keep all documents—immigration, birth
certificates and passports—in a safe and easily
accessible place.
Family Safety
Planning Worksheet
Family—Short-Term
• Make arrangements for someone to care for
your children or other family members who
need assistance.
• Note the name and phone number of this
person in your plan and keep it with you in case
you need to call him or her.
Family Safety
Planning Worksheet
Family—Long-Term
• Think about signing a guardianship form (see
handout packet) in case decisions need to be
made for your children.
• If you are at risk for deportation, think about
obtaining passports for your U.S. citizen
children so that they can travel back and forth
from your home country to the United States.
Family Safety
Planning Worksheet
Community & Church
Where could you access the following resources?
• food bank
• emergency financial assistance
• legal services
• shelter
• other
Family Safety
Planning Toolkit
• General Power of Attorney
• Authorization for Temporary
Guardianship
• United States Customs and
Immigration Service Form G28
True or False?
1. In the event of an immigration
emergency, it is important to have
the name and phone number of
an attorney you can contact.
True or False?
2. Immigration officials will not detain
parents who need to be at home
to take care of their children.
True or False?
3. In the event of an emergency, a
school will allow any relative or
friend to take a child home or to a
safe place.
True or False?
4. People arrested by immigration
officers have the right to make a
phone call to a lawyer, family
member or friend.
True or False?
5. It is not necessary to keep a
copy of immigration documents
and important family papers
such as birth certificates,
passports and marriage
certificates in a safe place.
True or False?
1. It is important to have a attorney to contact.
2. Immigration officials may detain parents who
need to take care of their children.
3. Most school will not allow a relative or friend to
take a child home without previous written
permission.
4. People arrested by immigration officers do
have the right to make a phone call.
5. It is necessary to keep important documents
in a safe place.
My Plan
What are the five parts of a good
family safety plan?
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Legal
Medical
Important Information
Family & Children
Community & Church
It’s Up to You
You now have the tools you need to
plan for an immigration-related
emergency. Now it’s up to you...
• to create your plan,
• to make sure everyone knows what to do, and
• to gather and protect all important documents.
What Did
You Think?
Please complete the feedback
form. Let us know how much the
session helped or how we could
make it better. We appreciate your
comments and suggestions!
Conclusion
Announcements and
Closing Prayer