B Stands for Better Conversations

Greetings,

If your family is anything like mine, the holidays are a wonderful time to gather, reconnect, and enjoy plenty of delicious food. However, amid laughter and catching up, tricky conversations about politics can arise. It can get a little contentious and hard to know what to say. Last month, Students of Welcome hosted a webinar on how to have difficult conversations (especially related to immigration) that I will definitely be thinking about during this holiday season.

Tess Clarke and Ashley Glimasinski from We Choose Welcome joined the Forum intern and Student of Welcome, Tanner Smith, to equip students to have hard conversations. They shared key insights about how to manage these conversations:

Approach with curiosity – Why do you think that way? Do you have a personal experience that makes you think that way?
Use the See, Immerse, Contend, Restore method of peacemaking.
Focus on the humanity aspect by talking about personal experiences with the issue.
If possible, take a break so conversations do not turn emotionally charged.

To learn more about these strategies and others, you can watch the webinar here. As we enter into this holiday season, I hope you feel supported as you talk to family about issues close to your heart.

On a lighter note, at the end of the year, I always take a minute to pause and reflect. One of the ways I love to do this is by creating my top 10 lists of my favorite movies I’ve seen or top books I’ve read. While the past year in immigration has been incredibly tough, there are still accomplishments and moments in 2025 that continue to spark hope for me.

In no particular order, here are the Bibles, Badges, and Business Top 10 Highlights of 2025 list:

#1 The Council on National Security and Immigration reached 50 leaders in 2025, a milestone that reflects the growing national focus on the intersection of immigration policy and U.S. security priorities.

#2 The English Advance in Churches program piloted in 6 states, focusing on English language acquisition in the everyday context. The final public model will launch in 2026.

#3 Students of Welcome held an event co-hosted by Trevecca Nazarene University and Belmont University in Nashville, TN. Forum Fellow Mike DeBruhl and World Relief’s Myal Greene joined for a conversation on migration.

#4 Women of Welcome hosted 35 women from 13 states in Washington, DC, to focus on education and advocacy. During this visit, the women conducted visits with 13 Republican and Democratic offices.

#5 The Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force’s Former Chief Michael Tupper (Marshalltown, IA) received the Keepers of the American Dream Award.

#6 The Evangelical Immigration Table hosted 150 evangelical leaders in Nashville, Tennessee, for this year’s Evangelical Convening on Immigration.

#7 Members of the Bibles, Badges, and Business campaign were featured speakers at this year’s Leading the Way convening in Nashville, TN.

#8 We Choose Welcome partnered with a local Nashville organization to host an all-night event focused on advocacy and peacemaking. 150 people participated in letter writing and making quilt squares, which were sent to lawmakers and members of the administration to advocate for the humane treatment of immigrants.

#9 Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force Co-Chair Chief Rueben Quesada (Swampscott, MA) submitted testimony on ICE’s impact on community trust and public safety to Congress.

#10 Students of Welcome partnered with Abara to host student leaders from 4 universities at the El Paso-Juarez border.

These ten moments mean a lot to me because, while the news cycle and rhetoric around immigration have been largely negative this past year, there are still positive actions breaking through. As we continue into 2026, I am comforted by our community of advocates who work tirelessly every day to fight for immigrants and immigration reform.

Lastly, if you’re looking to take action for your immigrant friends and neighbors this holiday season, the National Latino Evangelical Coalition launched an Advent Welcome: Immigration Solidarity Initiative, "Room In the Inn" campaign. Click here to learn more.

Stay committed and hopeful,

Andrea

Andrea Corro
Field and Constituencies Coordinator
Forum

P.S. At the Forum, we work with a lot of amazing programs and partners to bring people along with us to advocate for important and urgent bipartisan immigration reform. Would you consider contributing to our cause by making a donation so we can continue this work? Any contribution will greatly help us expand and deepen our work toward compassionate and secure immigration solutions!

NEWS CLIPS TO NOTE:

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Trump Administration Aims to Strip More Foreign-Born Americans of Citizenship

FORBES: Immigrant Labor Declines As Trump Imposes New Immigration Restrictions

BAPTIST NEWS GLOBAL: Are all undocumented immigrants criminals?

THE NEXT MOVE: Trump’s Attack on Immigrants Will Redefine What It Means To Be American

THE WASHINGTON POST: I came from Somalia at 19. Let me tell you about the America I met.