Veterans, democracy, and refugee/asylum seeker/immigrant serving organizations are invited to join this open letter (copied below), expressing outrage at the administration's widespread immigration enforcement actions, particularly those targeting children and families, and urging policymakers, community leaders, and all people of conscience to stand firmly against actions that endanger children and undermine America’s moral standing.
An Open Letter on Protecting Children and Upholding America’s Commitments
We, principals representing the undersigned veterans, faith groups, organizations dedicated to welcoming refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants, and newcomers, and organizations committed to preserving democracy and the rule of law, write with urgency and conviction in response to the Trump Administration’s abuse of power by building out a dangerous paramilitary policing force unaccountable to the public. The Trump administration continues to escalate its deployment of the armed forces and militarized federal law enforcement to cities across the country.
We are horrified by recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) paramilitary actions targeting civilians, including American citizens, lawful permanent residents (LPRs), other immigrant community members, and children, regardless of status.
Some notable abuses of the last week include:
As veterans, we have worn the uniform of the United States, sworn an oath to support and defend the Constitution, and worked to protect democracy and civilians. As people of faith, we are called to safeguard those at risk of hardship and welcome the most vulnerable among us. As refugee, asylum seeker, and immigrant-serving organizations, we welcome refugees, asylum seekers, and our immigrant neighbors, extending our hands and working every day to uphold America’s promise as a refuge for those fleeing violence and persecution. As organizations committed to preserving democracy and the rule of law, we are standing up for those whose civil and human rights are being violated. Together, we represent a broad moral and civic tradition rooted in service, compassion, and justice.
Moral Authority
America’s credibility in the world depends not only on the strength of our arms, but on the integrity of our commitments. To target children as a tactic to enforce immigration law , is a betrayal of the values we claim to uphold. Our allies and adversaries alike are watching.
Legal Obligations
The United States has clear responsibilities under domestic and international law to protect those seeking asylum, refuge, or humanitarian protection. Actions that endanger children are especially cruel, running contrary to these legal and ethical obligations - and to the principles enshrined in our Constitution and international agreements.
Child Protections
Every generation is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable. Today, that test is before us. We cannot allow government actions that punish children, or their families, for seeking safety in our country. Protecting them is not only a legal duty, it is a moral imperative and a democratic necessity.
Additional reports show that federal officials are beginning to implement an initiative to financially incentivize unaccompanied immigrant children to agree to abandon their legal rights to seek safety and leave the United States. The move exploits the trust of already vulnerable children escaping violence and persecution, placing them at further risk of trafficking and other forms of abuse.
We call on policymakers, community leaders, and all people of conscience to stand firmly against immigration enforcement actions - and deployment of federal troops - that endanger children and undermine America’s moral standing. Specifically, we call for the following:
National Guard troops should immediately be demobilized, at minimum until called for by state and local leaders.
Federal immigration enforcement offices, including ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), should immediately stop its aggressive tactics that put people in danger.
State and local governments should limit partnerships with federal immigration authorities — and ensure they enact policies that protect their constituents’ personal data and privacy from being shared for immigration purposes.
Policymakers should invest in community-based and legal services for unaccompanied children, decoupled from immigration enforcement efforts that target children and their families, to ensure they have the care, protection, and support they need.
Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. Our state and local governments, schools, healthcare facilities, libraries, and shelters all have important roles to play in rejecting partnerships with federal immigration enforcement that are being used to terrify and attack our neighbors and loved ones.
Our nation is strongest when we live up to our highest ideals. We urge immediate action to ensure that vulnerable children and their families are treated with dignity, compassion, and justice.
