Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt Joins DC Area Leaders in Condemning State-Sponsored Violence

“We will not accept the tearing apart of our neighborhoods or the normalization of dehumanization.”

- DC Area Faith Leaders Statement on Immigration Enforcement Actions

Last week, the UUA’s President, Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, joined religious leaders from the Greater Washington area to condemn the lethal use of force by the federal government against civilians. The letter – also signed by Robert Cardinal McElroy, Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington; The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington; Rabbi Abbi Sharofsky, Director of Intergroup Relations & Rabbi-in-Residence, JCRC of Greater Washington; Behram Panthaki, Head Priest, The Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Washington Inc (ZAMWI); Romi Sawhney, Executive Director, Guru Gobind Singh Foundation (GGSF); Bishop LaTrelle Miller Easterling, Resident Bishop The Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula Delaware Area, The United Methodist Church; and Dr. Sousan Abadian, Executive Director, Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington – was written in response to the killings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by federal agents.

“Throughout history, people of faith have been called to speak when human dignity is threatened. We believe that call is before us now,” the leaders wrote in the letter. “Communities in the greater Washington region have already experienced the fear and disruption caused by aggressive enforcement tactics, including incidents near schools and houses of worship—places that should remain sanctuaries, not sites of intimidation. We will not accept the tearing apart of our neighborhoods or the normalization of dehumanization. We urge government officials at every level to recommit themselves to policies that uphold life, dignity, and the rule of law. And we call on all people of conscience to work together for a society in which every person can walk their streets without fear, and with the knowledge that they are seen, valued, and protected.”

The letter was also endorsed by other DC-area clergy, including additional Unitarian Universalist (UU) ministers and UUA staff. UUs affirm a set of shared values — including pluralism, interdependence, justice, and generosity — as matters of religious faith. Additionally, UUs hold sacred the belief that love lives at the center of all that UUs do.

On the same day as the letter’s release, President Sofía joined a number of clergy from across denominations to protest the Department of Homeland Security budget at the nation’s Capitol, where she was arrested. You can read her full remarks at the January 29th press conference and read more about the action in the Capitol at UU World.

Further Reading