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54 The GUIDE to YELLOW SPRINGS 2019 – 20 YELLOW SPRINGS NEWS Detox. RELAX. Breathe. THINK. Dream. RECOVER. Enjoy. Float sessions range from 1 hour to 8 hours. 937-696-9595 www.GravitySpa.com Unfinished Creations 243 Xenia Ave. 767-7173 M–F 10:00–5:30 Sat 10:00–5:00 Custom Jewelry & Repair Art & Office Supplies Precious & Semiprecious Stones robbed “a couple of times” before arriving in Tijuana, Rolland said. “They’ve passed through a variety of unforgiving climates, from hot sunny tropi- cal jungle to freezing desert night condi - tions,” he wrote in an online post. Legal, civil rights The Trump administration's narrative describes the migrants as “criminals” trying to “invade” the U.S. But many civil and humanitarian rights organizations as well as faith groups agree that the migrants not only deserve humane treatment, but also have the right to seek asylum. According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services section of the Depart - ment of Homeland Security website, the first step for seeking asylum in the United States is “Arrive in the U.S.” The second step is “Apply for asylum.” Coming to the Tijuana port of entry, the largest such legal entry point along the border, is the legal means for seeking asylum. Trump, however, has called their pres- ence a threat, with Homeland Security supporting the president by claiming “our system is currently overwhelmed by unchecked mass immigration, particularly at our Southwest border.” The American Friends Service Commit- tee, a Quaker activist organization, among others, have countered that narrative. “Border crossings are not surging and are near historic lows,” the group stated in preparing for a week of action at the border. The group’s goals are threefold: “end the detention and deportation of immigrants, respect the human rights of migrants and end the militarization of the border.” The local Quaker Meeting did not plan anything specific to AFSC’s December 2018 week of action, but the congrega - tion focused throughout the fall on issues of immigrant and refugee justice, including exploring ways that Yellow Springs can sup- port a sanctuary ethic. Rather than sending a military presence, the U.S. could have sent more people to work on processing entry requests, Rolland said. “The moral fiber of our country is at stake right now,” Rolland concluded. Members of the Antioch College com - munity agree. Richard Kraince, an associate professor of cooperative education and dean of the Cooperative, Experiential and International Education Department, along with Encore Miller Fellow Jalyn Roe are mentoring stu- dents exploring migrant justice issues. Student Marcel Vanarsdale served as a point person for a clothing drive hosted by the Antioch Creative Collective in collabo - ration with villager Cristina Hipp's efforts. Matthew Morgan, an alumni and member of Antioch’s Board of Trustees, wrote a letter to the Antioch community in Decem - ber 2018 describing his experiences visiting Tijuana earlier that month, with the goal of promoting a connection with the college. “This is a unique moment in time, and there are many possibilities, and ways to move forward,” he wrote. “I experienced love, compassion, mercy, and a deep commitment to helping people, a great ongoing work to reducing suffering.” Anthropology faculty member Jennifer Grubbs has also recently returned from the Mexican border, where she volunteered in several immigrant shelters, meeting migrants from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. She also attended several deportation hearings at the Federal Build - ing in San Diego. She detailed her experiences in her blog, “thoughtsofapregnantvegan,” where she concluded: “We have an ethical obligation to bear witness to the injustices that occur in our names as U.S. citizens. We must show up, even if in fractured, brief ways that are constrained by our own (very dif- ferent) lives.”  ♦ Migrant justice Continued from page 53