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Release Detainees Now
COVID-19 has changed the way we live, work, and learn in the United States, in the all-important effort to slow the spread of this virus. Difficult as these changes have been, most of us are fortunate to be able to socially distance and practice proper hygiene. Inside Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers, however, conditions remain dangerously unsanitary. As COVID-19 continues to present new and pressing needs, consider the ethical obligations in these common scenarios: A young man with asthma fled gang violence in Honduras. He is in ICE custody after presenting himself at the border to declare his desire to obtain asylum. An elderly woman is detained in…
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Update on COVID-19 and Immigration
Many of us are focused on our own social distancing and coping with the stress of strange schedules and new routines. Some of us are shuffling to find childcare or replacement income for lost work. All of these struggles are real and valid. As we deal with our own trials, may we also keep in mind those refugees who are unable to work or social distance while in U.S. custody or in camps, both at our southern border and around the world. Asylum seekers in border camps Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that the Migrant Protection Protocol (MPP), also known as the “Remain in Mexico Policy,” can remain in…
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Refugee Resettlement: An Update
January 9, 2020 By Christie Black, Director of Engagement I have been working within the Phoenix refugee community since 2015, and my immigrant friends have become a part of my everyday life. When the president issued Executive Order 13888 last fall, which requires all state and local governments to opt in to receive refugees in 2020, my heart sank into my stomach. I thought back to when I was volunteering for a local non-profit in 2016. I was helping with their Facebook posting, which required me to receive Google alerts for any mention of the word “refugees.” Some of the media notifications were absolutely ugly — and absolutely false —…
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Call to Action: Call Your Representatives About Migrant Protection Protocol
November 21, 2019 Last week MWEG introduced the Principles of Ethical Government. One of the three guiding principles is responsibility — that “all human beings are mutually accountable to their fellow human beings.” We believe we will be held responsible by our Heavenly Parents for how we treat each other or allow others to be treated. This is no less true of how we are treating our brothers and sisters south of the border who are suffering in Mexico as they wait for asylum to be granted. In January of this year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a new policy called the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP, also publicly…
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Official Statement From Mormon Women for Ethical Government on New Asylum Rule and in Defense of Fair and Just Policy Solutions
July 16, 2019 Yesterday the Trump administration published a new rule designed to end most asylum protections for migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border. The administration claims this action is necessary in order to stop the flow of migrants, but the change certainly violates the spirit of asylum and is likely illegal under both U.S. law and international conventions. Mormon Women for Ethical Government recognizes that our nation is suffering real consequences as a result of poor public policy surrounding human migration and immigration. However, we feel a moral imperative to sound a watchword following the intensification of defamatory language and uptick in extra-legal policies produced by the President and…
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Official Statement from Mormon Women for Ethical Government on Continuing Government Shutdown
January 24, 2019 This afternoon, the Senate failed to pass a continuing resolution that would have ended the government shutdown and given Congress two weeks to come to a compromise on border security and immigration reform. It is unconscionable for Congress to allow hundreds of thousands of federal workers and their families to continue to suffer because of a purely political crisis. We have been praying for our leaders to have wisdom and humility, and we have persistently contacted their offices to ask that they bring an end to this unnecessary shutdown. We are especially grateful to Senator Lamar Alexander, Senator Susan Collins, Senator Cory Gardner, Senator Johnny Isakson, Senator Lisa Murkowski, and Senator Mitt…
