Community immigration forum set for Feb. 17 at Goshen Theater 

The gathering will feature stories of people facing arrest and deportation and how residents are responding to and supporting local immigrants.

A community forum on immigration will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 17, 2026 at the Goshen Theater, 216 South Main Street. Sponsored by the Goshen City Democratic Party, speakers at the forum will provide detailed information about federal immigration enforcement and the impact in Elkhart County.

Paul Stauffer, chair of the Goshen City Democratic Party, said the gathering will feature presentations and personal accounts from local residents and experts navigating the legal complexities of arrest and deportation. Speakers also will discuss ongoing efforts by community members to provide legal assistance and help to those affected and how others can support those efforts.

“The basic concept is to start by telling personal stories of impacts felt by immigrants and their families in our community in light of the Trump Administration’s crackdown and then have a series of speakers from local organizations that work with the immigrants give brief updates on what they have been seeing and what their organizations are doing to help,” Stauffer said. “We will include bright spots and reasons for hope and then close by giving the audience a list of things they can do to help, which is mostly to support local organizations with donations and volunteering, but also to vote for better policies this November.”

Speakers during the 90-minute forum will include:

• Goshen College students Ashley Garcia Coto, Sheila Herrera and Sara Olayo
• David Maldonado, Pastor for Community Outreach at College Mennonite Church in Goshen
• Jean Renel Momperousse, an Elkhart County resident and U.S citizen who grew up in Haiti
• Rafael Barahona, co-owner of LIGHTBOX, a design agency, and the immediate past chair of the Goshen Chamber of Commerce
• Felipe Merino, an immigration and criminal defense attorney from Goshen
• Lisa Koop, National Director of Legal Services of the National Immigrant Justice Center in Goshen
• Jane Ross Richer, the Immigrant Resource Coordinator for the Center for Healing & Hope

There also will be a question-answer period.

The host and moderator will be Richard R. Aguirre, co-leader, Coalition Against the Elkhart County Immigration Detention Center and an Executive Board member of Mennonite Church USA.

Several hundred people are expected to attend the forum.

Aguirre said this forum is especially timely in the wake of continued turmoil over operations by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota and before then in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. 

“This gathering is for friends and allies who want to know about federal immigration enforcement in our area and how life has changed for immigrants over the past year,” Aguirre said. “Attendees also will learn how they can help local immigrants. People will leave the forum better informed and empowered.”

Local organizations that assist immigrants will staff tables in the theater lobby, from 6-6:30 p.m. and 8:30-9 p.m., to provide information and welcome volunteers and donations. Print material will be available, including information about how to contact local elected officials and how immigration enforcement has changed over the past year.

This event has been organized by Goshen Call to Action, a committee of the Goshen City Democratic Party. Call to Action members are Richard R. Aguirre, Norm Kauffmann, Lisa Lederach, Phil Lederach, Michael Stellingwerf and Marcia Yost.