Truth and Action Roundup 8.29.25

View this email in your browser Welcome to the Truth and Action Roundup, your reliable weekly source of information, inspiration, and opportunities for action during the second Trump administration.  Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to continue receiving it. Kilmar Abrego Garcia is currently held in limbo while being threatened with deportation to Uganda if he doesn’t concede and admit guilt for an alleged crime, which only appeared once targeted by the Trump administration. While we can’t walk in his shoes, we can speak honestly about what we have seen so far. Once an attorney admitted he was removed from his community and sent to a different country, it was a mistake; we’ve seen the full force of the federal government come down on him.  Mr. Abrego García never intended to become a target, symbol, or martyr. He was simply living his life. Now, he faces an impossible choice: to be sent to a strange land he's never been to or to be detained by a government that has shown hostility toward him. This is his reward for being tortured while in custody at CECOT.   This cruel Kafkaesque nightmare is now aimed directly at our most vulnerable neighbors and loved ones. People without documentation are forced to witness Mr. Abrego Garcia’s treatment and imagine themselves in his shoes. The goal is intimidation. It is at this moment that we must stand as pillars for those in our communities who face the possibility of being forced to leave the people they love and the lives they have built. As threats against everyone increase, we have a sacred duty to speak righteously, show our neighbors the love of Christ, and create as many sanctuaries as possible.  — Rev. Moya Harris and Chad Stanton, Sojourners  P.S. We must also express our profound sorrow and deep sense of mourning over the loss of life in the latest school shooting in Minneapolis. While we’ve seen Christianity invoked as a salve and refuge for those grieving, we must also remember it’s a sacred call and moral obligation to work toward ending suffering as well. In the News Here’s a look at what happened this week: 1) The Trump administration’s deportation regime continues to create suffering and pushback: The administration will resume “neighborhood checks,” a long-dormant practice in which USCIS agents scrutinize the neighborhoods and question the neighbors of immigrants applying for U.S. citizenship. These checks have been waived since 1991. A federal judge has ordered the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention center to close due to its environmental impact on the Everglades after a lawsuit was filed by local members of the Miccosukee tribe and environmental groups. Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was placed in ICE detention once again on Monday, will remain in the United States for at least another month after a judge blocked the administration’s attempt to deport him to Uganda. His lawyers have filed to seek asylum for him once more in the United States. 2) In international news: The administration’s attempt to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda occurs amid “devastating consequences” for Uganda due to cuts to development assistance through USAID. The nation hosts more than 1.9 million refugees and asylum seekers, many of whom have previously benefited from USAID-funded programs. Israel faced new international condemnation after a series of strikes on Nasser Hospital killed at least 20 people, including several journalists. 3) The Trump administration continued to abuse its power in a wide variety of ways, often using the pretext of being tough on crime to do so: A coalition of retired military personnel and active duty families are protesting the deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., from Ohio and several other states. Judges and grand jurors are pushing back on the federal takeover of the District’s policing, with judges admonishing the government for conducting illegal searches and grand jurors refusing to return indictments in multiple cases. Trump claimed the authority Monday night to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, citing a “criminal referral” that accuses Cook of mortgage fraud. Cook’s legal team swiftly announced her intent to file a lawsuit to block what they called Trump’s “illegal action.” The FBI raided the home of Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton—who has become a vocal Trump critic in the past few years—last Friday. The raid is reportedly related to the handling of classified documents. Trump’s Education Department accused George Mason University of having “unlawful” DEI policies and demanded the university issue an apology. George Mason President Gregory Washington stated, “Today, we are seeing a profound shift in how Title VI is being applied. Longstanding efforts to address inequality — such as mentoring programs, inclusive hiring practices, and support for historically underrepresented groups — are in many cases being reinterpreted as presumptively unlawful.” The White House fired the recently confirmed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Susan Monarez, after she “refused to resign amid pressure to change vaccine policy, which sparked the resignation of other senior CDC officials,” according to the Washington Post. Take Action Free DC is calling for a “We Are All DC” national march on September 6th, where partners around the country will join the people of the District of Columbia in calling for an end to the occupation by federal forces. Mennonite Action is heading to Washington, D.C. for a Day of Action to Stop Starvation on Tuesday, September 9. What We’re Reading “We’re Playing the Wrong Role in the Good Samaritan Story” | …we’re much more likely to be sanctioning the robbery and assault of the stranger. (By Chad Stanton) “James Dobson Tried to Destroy Us” | The Dobson media empire was one of several overlapping Christian mega-institutions that sought to monetize our childhood and adolescence. (By Jason Kirk) Deep Breaths  BREATH AND STOP The other day, I had a follow-up doctor’s appointment. I pushed myself to get there early, only to find out—again—that I was at the wrong office. The reminders had been sent. The appointment was on my calendar. The problem wasn’t forgetting—it was not paying attention to the details. I was on autopilot, making assumptions. Moments like this force me to pause: What is going on, Moya? God, what am I missing? Too often, I find myself doing a whole lot of doing and not enough being. I get caught up in checking the boxes, forgetting why the boxes matter in the first place. So I stop. I breathe deeply. I let my emotions move through me without letting them take over. Breathing resets me. It calms the noise long enough for me to ask again: What’s underneath the surface? Howard Thurman spoke of listening for the sound of the genuine. Recently, that sound was being drowned out by the frequency of evil—the constant cacophony of cruelty that keeps us trapped in a state of fight or flight. So I breathe to quiet the noise, to clear space for the Spirit, to realign with the sound of the genuine within. Friends, we are in this for the long haul. We must take regular moments to reset, to pray, to lament, to breathe. Powers and principalities are real, but so is God’s presence with us—even here, even now. So when life feels off, BREATHE and STOP, and listen for the sound of the genuine. I am sharing Howard Thurman’s 1980 Baccalaureate ceremony speech at Spelman College. Take a moment to be still and listen to Thurman. — Rev. Moya Harris, Senior Program Director, Sojourners P.S. While we have your attention, Sojourners is currently holding a fundraising drive where the first $25K from small-dollar donors will be matched by longtime supporter Rev. Steven Poole. Please consider supporting our work as we continue to bear witness and act in this harrowing moment. The Truth and Action Roundup is compiled by Sojourners staff: President: Rev. Adam Russell Taylor Senior Research Associate: J.K. Granberg-Michaelson Digital Content and Community Specialist: Kassandra Tapia Chief Program and Impact Officer: Bryan Epps Political Director: Chad V. Stanton Senior Program Director: Rev. Moya Harris Digital Education and Outreach Specialist: Cortnie Brooks Mobilizing and Policy Assistant: Miriam Tellez Senior Director of Marketing: Sandra Sims Donate Subscribe Copyright © 2025 Sojourners. All rights reserved. Email: sojourners@sojo.net | Tel.: 202.328.8842