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UUA Joins Amicus Brief Supporting a Strong U.S. Asylum System

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Update: The Kairos Center is organizing an in-person vigil related to this case in front of the Supreme Court on Tuesday, March 24th, from 8:00 am to noon ET. Unitarian Universalists will be represented at this vigil. If you are interested in joining, please visit the EventBrite link below. 

No Turning Back: Faith Vigil to Defend the Right to Asylum

‘The inherent [worthiness] and dignity of every person’ is core to Unitarian Universalism: every person, no exceptions.”

  • Statement of Conscience: Immigration as a Moral Issue

On Tuesday, March 24th, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on Noem vs. Al Otro Lado, a case that will decide if the “turnback” policy at the Mexico border is lawful and therefore impact the U.S. asylum system. In February 2026, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) joined an amicus brief organized by The Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice on behalf of religious organizations that support maintaining a strong asylum system in this country.

You can read that amicus brief here (PDF, 45 pages).

As the brief states, all of us who signed onto it “make safeguarding the stranger a core component of faith, a duty obligatory upon not just the individual but upon society as a whole. [We] unite to voice this shared moral truth and ensure our asylum laws are not interpreted in a manner anathema to their purpose and history.”

The Unitarian Universalist (UU) position is laid out in the brief:

At the heart of the Unitarian Universalist covenantal faith tradition is the mutual commitments members and congregations make to one another to live out shared religious values, including that “every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love, and compassion.” Unitarian Universalist Bylaws, Art. II., Sec. C-2.2. These commitments compel Unitarian Universalists to act for justice and protect human rights. Since the early 1960s, Unitarian Universalists have resolved to offer sanctuary for refugees, end inhumane raids and unjust deportation, and “protect and assist immigrants and asylum seekers in their attempts to lawfully enter and/or remain in the United States.” Action of Immediate Witness: Protect the Rights of Immigrants and Asylum Seekers (2019).

In 2013, UUs adopted a Statement of Conscience that acknowledged that Immigration is a moral issue. In it, we affirmed “a belief in ‘the inherent [worthiness] and dignity of every person’ is core to Unitarian Universalism: every person, no exceptions,” and that our principles and values as religious people called us “to acknowledge the immigrant experience and to affirm and promote the flourishing of the human family.” We affirmed that all immigrants, regardless of legal status, should be treated justly and humanely and committed to a moral immigration policy, including asylum for refugees and others living in fear of violence or retribution.

“Over the past decade, Unitarian Universalists have worked tirelessly to support the rights of immigrant families and communities, and to help meet the needs of asylum-seekers. And over the past year, UUs have made our moral and religious voice clear – through legal action, protests, mutual aid, and more,” said Carey McDonald, the UUA’s Executive Vice President. “We are pleased to be part of this coalition, and thank the Kairos Center for their hard work on behalf of religious institutions and migrant communities.”

Further Reading