The Honorable Jeff Sessions
\nAttorney General
\nU.S. Department of Justice
\nWashington, DC 20530<\/p>\n
The Honorable Kirstjen Nielsen
\nSecretary of Homeland Security
\nDepartment of Homeland Security
\nWashington, DC 20528<\/p>\n
Dear Attorney General Sessions and Secretary Nielsen,<\/p>\n
On behalf of the 27 undersigned national Jewish organizations and institutions, we write to express our strong opposition to the recently expanded \u201czero-tolerance\u201d policy that includes separating children from their migrant parents when they cross the border. This policy undermines the values of our nation and jeopardizes the safety and well-being of thousands of people.<\/p>\n
As Jews, we understand the plight of being an immigrant fleeing violence and oppression. We believe that the United States is a nation of immigrants and how we treat the stranger reflects on the moral values and ideals of this nation.<\/p>\n
Many of these migrant families are seeking asylum in the United States to escape violence in Central America. Taking children away from their families is unconscionable. Such practices inflict unnecessary trauma on parents and children, many of whom have already suffered traumatic experiences. This added trauma negatively impacts physical and mental health, including increasing the risk of early death.1<\/sup><\/p>\n Separating families is a cruel punishment for children and families simply seeking a better life and exacerbates existing challenges in our immigration system. It adds to the backlog of deportation cases and legal challenges in federal courts, places thousands more immigrants in detention facilities and shelters, endangers the lives of more children, and instills additional fear in people seeking safety in our country. In addition, those seeking asylum or other legal protection face numerous obstacles to making a claim, especially from detention. Separating family members at the border would force families into two or more immigration cases instead of a single case for each family, harming their ability to present a successful case.<\/p>\n Our Jewish faith demands of us concern for the stranger in our midst. Our own people\u2019s history as \u201cstrangers\u201d reminds us of the many struggles faced by immigrants today and compels our commitment to an immigration system in this country that is compassionate and just. We urge you to immediately rescind the \u201czero tolerance\u201d policy and uphold the values of family unity and justice on which our nation was built.<\/p>\n Sincerely,<\/p>\n American Conference of Cantors
\nAmerican Jewish Committee (AJC)
\nAmerican Jewish World Service
\nAnti-Defamation League
\nB\u2019nai B\u2019rith International
\nBend the Arc Jewish Action
\nCentral Conference of American Rabbis
\nHadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc.
\nHIAS
\nJewish Council for Public Affairs
\nJewish Labor Committee
\nJewish Women International
\nMen of Reform Judaism
\nNational Association of Jewish Legislators
\nNational Council of Jewish Women
\nNetwork of Jewish Human Service Agencies
\nNFTY \u2013 The Reform Jewish Youth Movement
\nOrthodox Union
\nRabbinical Assembly
\nReconstructing Judaism
\nReconstructionist Rabbinical Association
\nThe Workmen’s Circle
\nT’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
\nUnion for Reform Judaism
\nUnited Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
\nUri L’Tzedek, The Orthodox Social Justice Movement
\nWomen of Reform Judaism<\/p>\n