Religion

45 posts
Asylum Border Refugees Religion

“Do not come.” Faith Leaders React to VP Harris’ Comments in Guatemala

Do not come. Do not come. The United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our border.” Those were the words Vice President Kamala Harris spoke, and wanted the world to hear, in her trip to Guatemala this week.

It is not “illegal” to seek asylum in the United States. It is immoral to fail to see people seeking asylum for what they are–human beings who never planned to become “refugees,” but have been forced to flee or watch their children die. Recognizing this reality, the only way to address it is through a humane, orderly path to safety. 

Immigration Justice Press Releases Refugees Religion

Religious Resources for Lent and Shabbat

Ahead of Ash Wednesday, the Interfaith Immigration Coalition (IIC) is releasing a booklet of nine Lenten reflections to guide individuals and congregations seeking to review how our faith-based values require us to demand a just and humane immigration system. Also during this time, IIC member HIAS is once again hosting its Refugee Shabbat, assisting congregations, organizations, and individuals in the United States and around the world with dedicating a Shabbat experience to refugees and asylum seekers. 

Anti-Discrimination Appropriations Asylum Border DACA / TPS Enforcement Immigration Justice Press Releases Refugees Religion

Tear Down Walls and Build Communities

The Interfaith Immigration Coalition (IIC) released “The Interfaith Framework for Welcoming and Supporting Migrants, Immigrants, Asylum Seekers, and Refugees,” a set of recommendations on immigration-related policy for the Biden-Harris administration. Together, these changes remove the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant, anti-refugee, anti-Muslim, and racial bias from federal administration, and begin to restore fairness and welcome to immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and their loved ones.  

Asylum Enforcement Immigration Justice Religion

The Cry to #FreeBinsar Grows Louder

Over 1,000 faith leaders from forty-three states, including WI, MI, PA, NC, and the District of Columbia sent a letter to Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, Senior Official Tony Pham, and the U.S. Congress calling for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to “release Binsar [Siahaan] from detention immediately and allow him to proceed with his asylum case.”

Binsar and his wife
Asylum Enforcement Immigration Justice Letters Religion

Leaders of Diverse Faiths Write #FreeBinsar

1,038 faith leaders sent a letter to Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, Senior Official Tony Pham, and the U.S. Congress calling for ICE to “release Binsar from detention immediately and allow him to proceed with his asylum case.” They also demand a statement from ICE “clarifying and assuring that it will adhere to its own policies and will not enter houses of worship or other sensitive locations such as hospitals, schools, and public religious ceremonies or demonstrations.”