God's Resistance: Mobilizing Faith to Defend Immigrants

Explores the power of faith to drive resistance to anti-immigration policies in the United States God’s Resistance chronicles the work of faith-based activists who have mobilized to counter the effects of mass detention and deportation. Focusing on Southern California, home to a large undocumented population, the authors examine which strategies have been most effective, as well as the obstacles that faith presents to organizing effectively. In-depth interviews with over forty activists, leaders of congregations, lay participants, and immigrants allow us to hear at first hand the challenges and occasional triumphs of this work. The authors show how faith-based organizations have a distinctive set of advantages to leverage in social movements that are often overlooked and underappreciated by secular activist organizations, but they also face particular challenges that can hinder their effectiveness. The volume offers insights into how these advantages can be maximized, and how the obstacles can be overcome. The powerful testimony from asylum seekers and detained immigrants found in these pages, along with the concrete examples of effective strategies, are indispensable for anyone invested in the fight to recognize the humanity of one of the nation’s most vulnerable populations.