The Unitarian Universalist Association Condemns Family Separation at the U.S./Mexico Border

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The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) condemns the Trump administration’s appalling assault on vulnerable families seeking asylum in the United States.

“The policy of this administration to separate children from their parents at the border is immoral, inhumane and indefensible," says UUA president, the Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray. "These families arrive desperate for safe-haven, seeking asylum having fled violence and disruption in their own homeland – and instead of safety, they are further traumatized, victimized and criminalized at the hands of the U.S. government."

Those who are fleeing violence and seeking safety for themselves or their families should find support and reassurance at the U.S. border, not the criminalization and separation of their communities.

Compounding this travesty is the Trump administration's use of religion to justify separating families at the U.S. and Mexico border. This is nothing short of religious malpractice.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ use of the Bible to justify family separation echos the ways the Bible was used to support American slavery, Nazi Germany, and South African Apartheid.

The UUA rejects this administration’s manipulation of sacred texts to explain the dehumanizing consequences of its immoral policies.

As people whose religious tradition calls us to seek justice, we will continue to side with those most in need and most vulnerable, building on our decades of commitments to support the dignity of immigrants and displaced people. Through our Love Resists campaign, we will continue to help those seeking sanctuary and safety. We will also continue to follow the lead of organizers and organizations most impacted by these immoral immigration policies.

“Every human being has a right to flee from danger,” says Rev. Frederick-Gray. “Every parent has a fundamental right to seek safety and survival for their children. Migration is not a crime. Being a refugee is not a crime. Certainly, I would do whatever was needed to protect my child and my family – wouldn’t you?”