Call to Action: Urge Federal Elected Officials and the President to Create Lasting Bipartisan Immigration Solutions That Are Secure, Humane, Efficient, and Focused on Growth
The American people have cast their majority vote, and President-elect Donald Trump will take office this January. As he begins working to enact his immigration campaign promises, we pray for and call on him and other elected officials to ensure future policies and actions are rooted in moral, ethical, practical, and legal principles.
Some MWEG leaders are traveling to Capitol Hill in D.C. this week to talk to legislators about immigration and would love to hand deliver your letters that convey your personal convictions on this important and urgent issue! Use our advocacy tool to write a letter to your representatives. Quickly enter your contact information, write your letter, and send with just one click.
Campaign promises of mass deportations and halting refugee resettlement do not align with principles of ethical government. With the exception of Native Americans, we are all immigrants or descendents of immigrants who continue to strengthen and enrich our country. Mass deportations would be a costly and logistical nightmare for us all. Even the threat of such action puts us — particularly those of color who some might perceive as immigrants — in extremely vulnerable positions. In addition to that risk of racial profiling, mass deportations would tear apart families, with devastating consequences for children.
Americans have expressed overwhelming bipartisan support for policies that prioritize security and order while responding to humanitarian needs and spiraling backlogs. Fair and just laws and policies establish trust in our institutions, for both citizens and noncitizens alike. We can secure our borders and do so with compassion, wisdom, and order.
Mormon Women for Ethical Government (MWEG) affirms our moral responsibility to provide succor and relief to refugees and asylum seekers (Principles of Ethical Government 3d) under international and national laws. Their story is our story, and we must continue to provide refuge for all who qualify, particularly those facing threats to religious liberty. “Economic and social inequity damages the moral fabric of societies and weakens democratic governments” (PEG 3e). Migrants seeking economic opportunity and protection need better legal pathways to fill essential jobs and contribute richly to our society.
President Biden, former President Trump, and other presidents have used their legal authority to enact temporary policies to relieve pressure at the border. Such presidential actions include the DACA program for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a yearly refugee resettlement target, and humanitarian parole programs for Afghans, Ukrainians, mixed-status families, Haitians, and others. While these actions have provided some relief, they are extremely vulnerable to legal challenges and changes in administration. Lasting solutions must come from Congress, the only body that holds the power to create thoughtful and long-term immigration reform.
Our elected officials have too long used immigration as a political wedge — often with dehumanizing rhetoric — that stokes fear and anger, paralyzing productive action. Join us in urging the Biden administration, the incoming Trump administration, and your own representatives and senators to preserve current beneficial programs and work together on bipartisan solutions that modernize and strengthen our immigration system, treat immigrants as children of God, and respond to legitimate humanitarian, security, and economic needs.