NEW YORK – This week, U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan issued a decision ending Title 42, the dangerous policy that has been effectively shutting down the southern border of the U.S. to asylum seekers. T’ruah, a rabbinic human rights organization that represents over 2,300 rabbis and cantors and their communities in North America, welcomed the news and called on the government to reduce the number of people detained by ICE now that Title 42 will be lifted. T’ruah has issued continuous calls to end the harmful and immoral policy.
Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of T’ruah, issued a statement following the ruling:
“Under the guise of protecting public health, Title 42 has put all people seeking asylum at our southern border at risk, including Ukrainians, Afghans, Venezuelans, Cubans, and others. This xenophobic policy has fueled chaos in our southern border region. From the very first day of Title 42’s implementation in 2020, public health experts have said it was not a useful tool to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Now that testing, treatments, and vaccines are widely available, it is even more clear that it is time for this policy to end.
“T’ruah asks that the U.S. government reduce — not increase — the number of people detained by ICE now that Title 42 is lifted. We also call on Congress, including incoming members and leadership, to recognize the fundamental human rights of asylum-seekers and oppose any legislation that bars access to asylum, including not legislating a renewed version of Title 42.
“Title 42 was the most restrictive asylum policy since Congress passed the Refugee Act in 1980. It did nothing to ‘manage the border’ as the Trump administration claimed, but rather stoked chaos and forced innocent asylum seekers to take desperate actions that even led to death in some cases.
“As Jews, we know that immigration policy can be a matter of life or death. Many of our own families fled danger to find refuge in the United States, and many of our family members died after this country’s borders were closed to them.
“Seeking asylum is a protected fundamental human right. Asylum seekers must be welcomed via a dignified, just, transparent, and timely system to gain legal entry into the United States. Our Jewish values demand nothing less.
“Although the change will not go into place for several weeks, we are relieved that asylum seekers will be granted their right to due process while seeking safety in our country. We hope for cooperation from all parties on a smooth transition after the ruling is officially instituted.”
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights mobilizes a network of more than 2,300 rabbis and cantors from all streams of Judaism that, together with the Jewish community, act on the Jewish imperative to respect and advance the human rights of all people. Grounded in Torah and our Jewish historical experience and guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we call upon Jews to assert Jewish values by raising our voices and taking concrete steps to protect and expand human rights in North America, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories.
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-Deuteronomy 10:19
Most immigrants to the U.S. come seeking safety, freedom, and a better life, just as many of our families did. 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. While the Trump Administration’s dangerous policies were blatantly rooted in racism, xenophobia, and white supremacy, President Biden has not made the improvements our communities have demanded.
The United States must follow international human rights law when it comes to asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants. Our government must also recognize and redress the systemic racism that permeates our immigration system, discriminating against immigrants of color.
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.
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T’ruah’s sanctuary network, Mikdash, is made up of over 70 member communities. We work as part of an interfaith network to mobilize synagogues and other Jewish communities to protect those facing deportation or other immigration challenges. By becoming part of the Mikdash network, communities pledge to take concrete actions, which may include legal support, housing, financial help, and other assistance for our friends and neighbors.
The New Sanctuary Movement — a coalition of hundreds of immigrant and faith-based organizations — works to protect and defend immigrants in the United States, especially those at risk for arrest and deportation. At T'ruah, we believe we have a moral obligation to join in their struggle, honoring the biblical injunction to "welcome the stranger" as well as the memory of Jewish refugees around the world.
With our help, Jewish communities across the United States are joining with others to take action to support and protect the vulnerable.
If your congregation is interested in learning more about becoming a sanctuary community, please contact us at office@truah.org.
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-Deuteronomy 10:19
Most immigrants to the U.S. come seeking safety, freedom, and a better life, just as many of our families did. 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. While the Trump Administration’s dangerous policies were blatantly rooted in racism, xenophobia, and white supremacy, President Biden has not made the improvements our communities have demanded.
The United States must follow international human rights law when it comes to asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants. Our government must also recognize and redress the systemic racism that permeates our immigration system, discriminating against immigrants of color.
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.
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T’ruah’s sanctuary network, Mikdash, is made up of over 70 member communities. We work as part of an interfaith network to mobilize synagogues and other Jewish communities to protect those facing deportation or other immigration challenges. By becoming part of the Mikdash network, communities pledge to take concrete actions, which may include legal support, housing, financial help, and other assistance for our friends and neighbors.
The New Sanctuary Movement — a coalition of hundreds of immigrant and faith-based organizations — works to protect and defend immigrants in the United States, especially those at risk for arrest and deportation. At T'ruah, we believe we have a moral obligation to join in their struggle, honoring the biblical injunction to "welcome the stranger" as well as the memory of Jewish refugees around the world.
With our help, Jewish communities across the United States are joining with others to take action to support and protect the vulnerable.
If your congregation is interested in learning more about becoming a sanctuary community, please contact us at office@truah.org.
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-Deuteronomy 10:19
Most immigrants to the U.S. come seeking safety, freedom, and a better life, just as many of our families did. 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. While the Trump Administration’s dangerous policies were blatantly rooted in racism, xenophobia, and white supremacy, President Biden has not made the improvements our communities have demanded.
The United States must follow international human rights law when it comes to asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants. Our government must also recognize and redress the systemic racism that permeates our immigration system, discriminating against immigrants of color.
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.
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T’ruah’s sanctuary network, Mikdash, is made up of over 70 member communities. We work as part of an interfaith network to mobilize synagogues and other Jewish communities to protect those facing deportation or other immigration challenges. By becoming part of the Mikdash network, communities pledge to take concrete actions, which may include legal support, housing, financial help, and other assistance for our friends and neighbors.
The New Sanctuary Movement — a coalition of hundreds of immigrant and faith-based organizations — works to protect and defend immigrants in the United States, especially those at risk for arrest and deportation. At T'ruah, we believe we have a moral obligation to join in their struggle, honoring the biblical injunction to "welcome the stranger" as well as the memory of Jewish refugees around the world.
With our help, Jewish communities across the United States are joining with others to take action to support and protect the vulnerable.
If your congregation is interested in learning more about becoming a sanctuary community, please contact us at office@truah.org.
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