Washington, DC – Following is a statement from Elissa Diaz, Policy Associate for Church World Service and Chair of the Interfaith Immigration Coalition.
Today we celebrate the opportunity to turn a page, as a country, and move toward healing. When it comes to federal immigration policy, the past four years have been dark, driven by xenophobia.
The U.S. government turned on men, women, and children fleeing violence, destroying our proud role as a place of refuge. The incarceration of children and families, persecuted people, and long-term U.S. residents has shocked and grieved our souls. The refugee, asylum, African, family, and Muslim bans, the destruction of Temporary Protected Status, the multiple attempts to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and so many other anti-immigration policies will be a defining trait of the Trump presidency in the annals of U.S. history.
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” (1 John 4:18)
At every point these past four years, the interfaith community has demonstrated our commitment to human dignity and perfect love. We have been there to minister to and care for asylum seekers, refugees, and other migrants. We offered our houses of worship as sanctuary spaces. We educated congregations and communities about the unlawful, immoral, and destructive policies our government was pursuing. We worked to register and turn out voters in record numbers, including new U.S. voters. And we stood up for the principles of democracy to ensure that every sacred vote was counted.
We will continue this mission in the coming weeks and months, as the country recovers from the division sowed by the current administration and as President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Harris prepare to take office.
There is a lot of work to do, to undo the destruction the Trump administration has wreaked on families and communities. Now is also time for Congress to do its job and pass broad-scale immigration reform that recognizes immigrants’ essential roles in this country and that this is already their home. We will hold the government accountable to building a country where all people can live in safety and dignity and are able to thrive.
The Interfaith Immigration Coalition is made up of over 55 national, faith-based organizations brought together across many theological traditions with a common call to seek just policies that lift up the God-given dignity of every individual. In partnership, we work to protect the rights, dignity, and safety of all refugees and migrants.
Follow us on Twitter @interfaithimm
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