Across the country, communities are being criminalized for surviving, whether through migration, protest, poverty, or identity.

Systems of policing, incarceration, detention, and deportation punish people rather than addressing the conditions that create harm. They divide communities and reinforce inequality rather than nurturing safety and healing. Criminalization is a tactic used by the powerful to divide and control, and it is not keeping us safe.

We believe in redemption, not retribution. Care, not cages. No person is disposable, and true safety grows from housing, community, dignity, and care, not punishment.

Side With Love organizes alongside movement partners to challenge systems of criminalization and to build communities rooted in healing, accountability, and collective well-being. We offer political education, support for solidarity, and connections to movement partners who are imagining and building something different.

Together, we work toward a future where justice means restoration, where safety is rooted in community care, and where every person is treated as sacred.

We are proud to share with you that the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) has joined with a multifaith coalition and the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection to bring a lawsuit challenging Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) “sensitive locations policy.” The case, Mennonite Church USA et al. v. United States Department of Homeland Security et al., was filed in federal district court in Washington, DC. Churches, as well as schools and hospitals, had previously been protected from ICE enforcement actions, but a Department of Homeland Security memo rescinded that protection on January 20th.

UUA, Other Religious Groups Sue Trump Administration to Halt Immigration Arrests at Houses of Worship

We join this multifaith coalition, representing millions of Americans across dozens of denominations, to challenge the ending of ICE’s sensitive locations.

Upcoming Event

RIC ICE Flights Information Session | Nov. 29

Did you know that as of the end of September, ICE had 155 shuttle flights go through the Richmond airport? These shuttles fly from city to city in the US in order to keep lawyers and families from knowing where their loved ones are. Want to learn more? You are invited to attend an information session at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 29, in the library. Rachel Lawrence, SJ Coordinator at First UU, and Paul Fleisher, RVA Indivisible, will give background on what is happening at the airport, what steps can be taken, and hear your ideas on how to stand up against ICE Shuttle flights in Richmond.

Opportunities Beyond First UU

Amica Center for Immigrant Rights is looking for volunteers for jail visits, document translation, interpretation, detention hotline, client & administrative support, and technical projects. Knowledge of Spanish, French, Haitian Creole, or Portuguese is a must for most jobs. Still have questions? Attend their next online informational session Dec.1 at 7:30 pm. Contact Rachel Lawrence for the Zoom link.