West/Southwest IAF

Developing Leaders, Strengthening Communities

[West/Southwest IAF @WXSWIAF]

"Our community is awake"

Rejecting the idea of the Latino vote as "a sleeping giant," Dallas Area Interfaith leaders in West Dallas knocked on doors and hosted 2 nonpartisan civic academies to listen to, educate, and prepare their neighbors to vote.

👉 https://t.co/TK6tscsq9t

[West/Southwest IAF @WXSWIAF]

“Election officials, staff, and poll workers dedicate their time and talents and they deserve our gratitude and respect, but unfortunately that is not always what they receive.”

- VIP leader Rev. Sarah Oglesby-Dunegan

👉 https://t.co/8OCRrTQzss

[West/Southwest IAF @WXSWIAF]

“These (immigration) practices are creating a consistent and unwavering feeling of fear...Teachers cannot ‘just teach’ through unrelenting trauma.”

- Amanda Girdler at VOICE/ACTION’s Statewide Assembly for Public Education https://t.co/bInI3YxAe6

[West/Southwest IAF @WXSWIAF]

More than 200 leaders filled Friday’s public field hearing hosted by Congressman Joaquin Castro on mass deportations and the proposed ICE detention center in San Antonio.

https://t.co/TMbAiWpkz2

#immigrantrights #sanantonio #texas
@copsmetro

[West/Southwest IAF @WXSWIAF]

A Ribbon Cut, A Legacy Honored

Decades of persistence by St. Timothy's Parish & COPS/Metro turned a vacant lot into a park honoring founding leader Fr. Albert Benavides — now home to a brand-new skate park for the community.

https://t.co/QaBhRK3CYs
#COPSMetro #WestSouthwestIAF

[West/Southwest IAF @WXSWIAF]

After extensive organizing by EPISO to block a $123M ICE detention center, the Trump administration is now abandoning its proposal – a major victory for leaders who’ve fought for decades to protect local water and the dignity of their neighbors. https://t.co/pBBtNVmU7Z

[West/Southwest IAF @WXSWIAF]

EPISO's organizing in Socorro, TX is drawing national attention. Leaders mobilized residents and challenged the proposed $123M ICE detention center, resulting in federal officials to delay the project 18 months and significantly reduce its scope.

https://t.co/XGuP7JNWnl

[West/Southwest IAF @WXSWIAF]

One LA IAF Leaders convened six public hearings with testimonies that informed the introduction of the HEART Act, connecting local organizing to proposed federal action.

🔗 Read more: https://t.co/Lxd8LFXGt7

#OneLA #LosAngeles #WestSouthwestIAF

[West/Southwest IAF @WXSWIAF]

Fr. Mattia Ferrari joined leaders from TMO, EPISO, CTI, One LA, and COPA to witness organizing in action—from immigrant healthcare victories to public actions responding to ICE raids.

Read More: https://t.co/CHUI9p84DD

#WestSouthwestIAF #Houston #LosAngeles #MontereyCounty

[West/Southwest IAF @WXSWIAF]

Glenwood Springs residents just won a historic deal to buy the land under their homes! After a year of organizing, 98 households raised $11M to stop displacement.

Read more: https://t.co/Pxr3QUIPgL

#MountainVoicesProject #AffordableHousing #Colorado

[West/Southwest IAF @WXSWIAF]

After Hurricane Beryl, TMO leaders secured $250,000 for Houston's first Community Lighthouse at New Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Kashmere Gardens, providing power and essential resources during outages.

👉 https://t.co/Je3eNFZtsz

#Houston #TheMetropolitanOrganization

[West/Southwest IAF @WXSWIAF]

#250 #WethePeople

[West/Southwest IAF @WXSWIAF]

💥Congratulations to United San Joaquin on its Founding Convention and launch as the newest organization in the IAF network! 700+ leaders from CA's Central Valley gathered as a testament to the power of communities uniting across differences for the common good. ¡Bienvenidos!

[West/Southwest IAF @WXSWIAF]

👏 Congratulations to @OneLA_IAF!

Honored by LA County with the John Anson Ford Human Relations Award for organizing Freedom Schools—uniting faith & community institutions to protect dignity, build solidarity, and strengthen civic life.

Learn more: https://t.co/fxTSxcyQvg

[West/Southwest IAF @WXSWIAF]

The unbinding of Lazarus is "a collective action in a moment of deep crisis, and it is hopeful, showing how things can change. It is public work and connected to power, as the priests and authorities look on."

https://t.co/TQoZpfy9XM

[West/Southwest IAF @WXSWIAF]

🏠 “It’s the right thing to do — both morally and financially,” said VIP leader Heidi Thomas.

Last week, VIP gathered outside Mesa City Hall urging the council to take the final step to open the Sunaire Hotel for families experiencing homelessness.

More: https://t.co/dYlgZEdfMP

[West/Southwest IAF @WXSWIAF]

"What happens to my community happens to me,” said VIP leader Idefonso Magaña.

In a recent story America Magazine (a Jesuit publication), VIP leaders share what they are hearing from immigrant families and how faith communities are responding.

https://t.co/EJ7IpjP5fx

[West/Southwest IAF @WXSWIAF]

Feeling hopeless about how our immigrant neighbors are treated?

Organized people make a different reality possible.

👏 COPA leaders worked with Monterey County to deliver Esperanza: healthcare access for 500+ undocumented adults.

🔗https://t.co/KtFWWpzgxC

#ImmigrantJustice

[West/Southwest IAF @WXSWIAF]

“Every night, she cried herself to sleep reading the Bible, because she was so terrorized at the thought she would never see her kids again.” — TWM's Rev. Dale Dalman sharing Jessica’s story: an asylum seeker detained by ICE in a factory raid.

Learn more: https://t.co/Uhk4Q7ZURv

[West/Southwest IAF @WXSWIAF]

On MLK Day, we remember Dr. King’s call to build the “beloved community” - through the slow and patient work of building relationships.
https://t.co/pHPEIaWmIB