On Sunday, March 12th, over 100 parishioners and people from the community participated in a workshop on immigration hosted by Holy Spirit Church in Fairfield, California. Attorney and Catholic Charities board member Miriam Sammartino answered questions about the latest executive orders from the White House, how to respond if stopped by immigration, and how to be best prepared in a time of uncertainty.
Fairfield Interim Police Chief Randy Fenn and four officers participated in the workshop and pledged to work with the church and Common Ground to build a better relationship between law enforcement and the community.
Chief Fenn clarified the role of the police department and affirmed that the department does not ask about immigration status in interactions with residents. He also emphasized the need for all people to obtain and carry proper identification.
Building on the energy created by this session, the organizing team of Holy Spirit invited interested fellow parishioners to join them as they work to address these and other issues impacting local immigrants.