As our diverse faith traditions teach us to welcome our brothers and sisters with love and compassion--regardless of their place of birth--we call on the Administration and Congress of the United States of America to enact humane and equitable immigration reform. Our faith communities in the San Francisco Bay Area are deeply concerned with the treatment of
migrants within our borders and the wellness of the poor across our world. We call for immigration reform because each day in our congregations, service programs, healthcare facilities, and schools we witness the human consequences of a broken and outdated system. We see the exploitation of undocumented workers and the plight of separated families, as well as the escalation of fear in the community due to indiscriminate raids and local police acting as federal immigration agents. Humane immigration reform would help put an end to this suffering, which offends the dignity of all human beings. In the East Bay, we have witnessed violence committed against immigrants because they are not as protected as others, and many are afraid to call the police. The Hebrew Bible tells us: “ The strangers who sojourn with you shall be to you as the natives among you, and you shall love them as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 19:33-34). In the Christian Scriptures, Jesus tells us to welcome the stranger, for “what you do to the least of my brethren, you do unto me” (Matthew 25:40). The Qur’an tells us that we should “do good to..those in need, neighbors who are near, neighbors who are strangers, the companion by your side, the wayfarer that you meet” (4:36). The Hindu Taitiriya Upanishad tells us: “The guest is a representative of God” (1.11.2).
