New Sanctuary Movement Pledge

The New Sanctuary Movement is a national coalition of interfaith religious leaders and participating congregations, called by our faith to respond actively and publicly to the suffering of our immigrant brothers and sisters residing in the United States.

We acknowledge that the large-scale immigration of workers and their families to the United States is a complex historical, global and economic phenomenon that has many causes and does not lend itself to simplistic or purely reactive public policy solutions.

We stand together in our faith that everyone, regardless of national origin, has basic common rights, including but not limited to: 1) livelihood; 2) family unity; and 3) physical and emotional safety. We witness the violation of these rights under current immigration policy, particularly in the separation of children from their parents due to unjust deportations, and in the exploitation of immigrant workers. We are deeply grieved by the violence done to families through immigration raids. We cannot in good conscience ignore such suffering and injustice.

Therefore I/We Covenant To:

1) Take a public, moral stand for immigrants' rights,

2) Reveal, through education and advocacy, the actual suffering of immigrant workers and families under current and proposed legislation, and

3) Protect immigrants against hate, workplace discrimination, and unjust deportation.