Washington, DC – In a stunning reversal of previous statements and campaign promises, the Biden Administration has waived more than 20 laws to allow for the construction of a border wall in south Texas.
As faith groups committed to humane reception at the US-Mexico border, this announcement is a significant disappointment as the government prioritizes physical barriers instead of a humanitarian response to people fleeing dangerous conditions. There is also serious concern about the negative environmental impacts this construction will have on the region, as well as the violation of Indigenous lands. This decision to expand the wall is holistically damaging and irresponsible, failing to meet the needs of people on the move and border communities.
“Immigration policies express who we are as a nation.” said Giovana Oaxaca, IIC Co-Chair and Program Director for Migration Policy at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. “No symbol is more imposing than the border wall standing between the U.S. and Mexico. The determination to continue construction of the border wall by waiving twenty-six federal laws and regulations raises serious concern about the potential for significant human and environmental risk. This rivals the determination of past administrations whose lessons should be relevant today. This determination shows misplaced and inappropriate reliance on policies that have failed to produce just outcomes, and on the contrary, have exacted steep costs: on Indigenous communities, God’s creation, and people moved by hope coming to the border. The current policy is not right or effective, we raise our witness with ELCA synods, border ministries, and partners, to call for better alternatives to the status quo.”
“The United Church of Christ has worked steadfastly against the increased border militarization that will continue to push people into unsafe conditions causing a rise in migrant deaths. This new border wall construction not only goes against our sacred value of welcome, but it also goes against the campaign promises of President Biden, ” said Rev. Noel Andersen, IIC Co-Chair and Coordinator of the United Church of Christ National Collaborative on Immigration. “Our congregations at the border and throughout the country have shown the willingness and ability to welcome people, and we expect the same from this administration. Rather than investing in a wall and increased militarization, we need additional funding to go towards a humane response that includes shelter, services, case management, work permits and temporary housing.”
“We are disappointed that the Biden administration is waiving more than 20 federal laws and regulations and proceeding with the construction of additional sections of the border wall in Starr County, Texas,” stated Pablo DeJesús, Executive Director of Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice. “These are some of the same policies that hurt so many people and damaged the environment during the previous Administration. Corruption, political instability, violence, and natural disasters in Central and South America are the reasons most people feel compelled to leave their homes and come to the United States. Building additional miles of wall will do little to slow down such immigration but will likely increase the demand for human smugglers. Our Unitarian Universalist affirmations of the worth and dignity of every person, justice and compassion in human relationships, and respect for our environment lead us to call for the President and Congress to work together to find fair and just, long-term solutions to the challenges of immigration to the United States.”
“We are deeply disappointed by the Biden administration’s decision to waive over 20 environmental laws and regulations and invest in border wall construction,” said Barbara Weinstein, Director of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism. “Increased investment in the border wall alone distracts from the need for real immigration reform, which would strengthen security, protect those fleeing hardship and persecution, meet the needs of employers, and more. Jews around the world have just celebrated the holiday of Sukkot, during which we invite guests into our places of temporary dwelling. The holiday is a reminder of the importance of being a haven to those in need and the spirit of welcome that is common across faiths. Our commitment to just and humane immigration policy is rooted in this tradition, as we urge the administration to focus on impactful reform that reflects America’s history as a nation of and strengthened by immigrants.”
“Prioritizing physical barriers over a humanitarian response to people fleeing dangerous conditions contradicts the values and principles that define us as Americans. This decision raises significant concerns regarding the Administration’s immigration approach and its apparent disregard for the welfare of vulnerable individuals seeking refuge,” said Kristyn Peck, Chief Executive Officer of Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA). She continued, “The determination to continue with the construction of a border wall in South Texas not only goes against the ideals of a compassionate and humanitarian immigration policy but also poses substantial environmental risks and threatens Indigenous communities. It is imperative that we reassess this approach and pursue more equitable and sustainable solutions to address immigration challenges.”
“The administration’s actions not only run contrary to President Biden’s promises on the campaign trail, but to our most treasured values as a nation. We would be better off embracing our spirit of welcome, not the enmity of exclusion. Meanwhile, as the president has championed mending our divisions and creating paths to expand our capacity to welcome, he is contrarily committing to build a wall on our southern border that alienates hopeful Americans from our communities,” said Danilo Zak, Associate Director of Policy and Advocacy at CWS. “Our cities, towns, and neighborhoods have shown the willingness and ability to welcome the stranger. They have seen that through accepting new neighbors, how our economies and culture have benefited. The federal budget is a moral document that should be used to invest in community wholeness. To instead invest in a wall, or to disregard a population in need of protection, is counter to what our communities want and need.”
“We are concerned and taken aback by the recent news of the Biden Administration deciding to forgo campaign promises and expand the building of the border wall in Starr County, Texas,” said Rev. Kendal L. McBroom, Director of Civil and Human Rights of the United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society. “Our Scripture and Church teachings call us to be hospitable, welcoming, and to embrace those seeking refuge, security, and peace of mind. To continue building a wall diminishes our witness as a nation and a people. As the United Methodist Church, we call on this administration to cease its actions and we call on Congress to find other solutions to a very real problem but one that is developed and executed out of care for the marginalized, families, and children.”
“Mr. President, don’t build this wall. Our better angels are calling us to expand our welcome of immigrants and refugees who are fleeing violence and extreme danger from increasingly volatile countries. The United States has a long history of welcoming immigrants, and women religious have consistently been on the forefront accompanying and serving immigrant and refugee communities across this country. Building a border wall is not the response we should deliver. We are capable of much more,” said Fran Eskin-Royer, Executive Director of the National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd.
“Building a wall is not the solution to a surge of migrants at our southern border,” said Sister Marie Lucey, Associate Director of Franciscan Action Network. “A wall is inhumane, ineffective, and a waste of taxpayer dollars. We understand the pressures the Biden administration is under to alleviate the build-up of migrants, but we prioritize the God-given dignity of all persons and the right of all people to migrate. The numbers cited represent women, children, and men who risk dangerous journeys to seek safety and protection in this country. We agree with the administration that real solutions lie with members of Congress who continually fail to enact fair, effective, and compassionate immigration legislation. However, we urge the administration not to allow construction of additional sections of the border wall. We urge a humanitarian response with funding for service providers, and greater attention to root causes, not investment in a physical wall. Our faith and our Franciscan recognition of migrants as brothers and sisters demand that we call on the Biden administration to say NO to wall expansion.”
“Most of the people traversing the perilous route to seek refuge in the United States would not make the journey if the conditions in their home countries were conducive to a safe, dignified life. Walls do not deter people from migrating when the root causes pushing them to flee go unaddressed. Walls and any form of barriers only make the journey more dangerous, more fatal. The people of the United States value the sacred dignity of human life and the resolve to protect life; building more walls and creating more barriers to people fleeing violence, poverty, and persecution is contrary to American values. Mr. President, your hands are not tied. Please work with Congress to overhaul the current broken immigration system and create more sensible and humane solutions to manage migration to the United States,” said, Sr. Susan Nchubiri, Program Associate, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns.
“We are dismayed by the Biden administration’s expediting of border wall construction, skirting 26 environmental, public health, and cultural preservation laws,” said Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights. “As a human rights organization, we believe in facilitating safe passage and access to services for migrants. We are disappointed to see President Biden renege on his campaign promises, and continue the harmful, destructive immigration policies from the Trump administration. In Jewish tradition, we are commanded to welcome the stranger, as we ourselves were strangers in Egypt (Mishpatim). Only the worst villains in the Torah subject their fellow humans to further trauma in moments of need — from the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah, who turn their backs on starving travelers and punish those who help them; to Potiphar, who throws captive Joseph in jail on fake charges; to Pharaoh, who enslaves the Israelites after they come to Egypt to escape famine and drought. T’ruah remains committed to an immigration system centered on justice and transparency.”
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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