On behalf of the 135 undersigned faith-based organizations and faith leaders from across traditions, we call for an immediate 18-month designation for Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) or Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Cameroon to protect as many lives as possible from a devastating humanitarian crisis and ongoing socio-political conflict. Our call is rooted in our country’s interfaith values of welcome, hospitality, and generous aid to those who call on protection from persecution or are otherwise unable to return to their homeland due to unsafe conditions.
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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.
On Thanksgiving eve, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued a temporary stay of removal for the 28 children and their parents facing deportation from the South Texas Family Residential Center and Berks County Residential Detention Center in Pennsylvania. But the families are not out of the woods yet. The court case continues and a COVID outbreak in the Dilley jail are threatening #SafetyForThe28.
“¿Puedo decir algo más? / Can I say something else?” That’s the voice of “Antonio,” an eight year-old boy, detained with his family in the South Texas Family Residential Center for more than 456 days. He spoke to reporters about his hopes and fears, from the detention center. Antonio doesn’t want to be deported, but he doesn’t want to spend another Christmas in detention either. His voice may be small, but his words were powerful.
“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) Today we celebrate the opportunity to turn a page, as a country, and move toward healing.