“Therefore, love the ger*: for you were gerim in the land of Egypt.”
-Deuteronomy 10:19
Most immigrants to the U.S. come seeking safety, freedom, and a better life, including many of our families. Jewish texts, history, traditions, and values compel us to welcome them with dignity and compassion.
But our country’s policies towards immigrants remain far from our shared vision. The Trump administration’s dangerous policies are blatantly rooted in racism, xenophobia, and white supremacy. Trump’s attacks on immigrants are meant to pit marginalized communities against each other, but we’re not falling for it.
The U.S. must follow both its own laws and international human rights law when it comes to the treatment of asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants. Many of our own families are here today only thanks to U.S. policies that allowed for immigration before 1924 and after the Holocaust. We cannot stand idly by as human beings, many of whom are fleeing violence and persecution, are subjected to inhumane treatment.
Pursuing immigration justice is deeply connected to all of the issues we advance at T’ruah — democracy, mass incarceration, worker justice, and more. We are proud to be a part of powerful coalitions working to stop harmful attacks on immigrants and build a future where our country respects the rights and dignity of everyone on the move.
In the fight for true immigrant justice and relief, we need all hands on deck.
Our work includes:
- Organizing clergy through our BIMA Campaign (Building Immigration Momentum & Action), encouraging rabbis and cantors to recognize how they can use their platform to change the narrative around immigration for the better
- Human rights delegations to the southern border for clergy, with our partners at HIAS
- Coalition work through the Interfaith Immigration Coalition
- Working with the All In For Registry campaign to update our immigration laws to allow millions of longtime undocumented US residents a path to permanent legal status
- Advocating to Congress and the federal government for a more humane immigration system that welcomes asylum seekers and refugees with dignity, provides legitimate pathways to citizenship for more of our neighbors, and reduces reliance on detention and deportation.
*In the Torah, the word “ger” refers to a person who came from elsewhere, but is now a long-term or permanent resident of their new community.
Partners:
Read more about our approach to working in coalition here.
Resources
Come and Learn: A Modern Immigration Midrash
Read at your seder table where your haggadah instructs you to read the midrash on “My Father Was A Wandering Aramean” during Magid.
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