On July 19, more than two dozen senators sent a letter to President Trump urging the administration to end the practice of family separation and immediately reunite separated families.
The letter-signers were led by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), James Lankford (R-OK), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Susan Collins (R-ME). It reads: “We write to urge your administration to prioritize the reunification of families and to ensure that, from this point forward, the default position of the United States of America is to keep families together.”
The letter also highlights the deep belief faith communities share to prioritize family unity in our immigration system and the role these communities play in ongoing family reunification efforts.
FCNL’s lead lobbyist on immigration and refugee policy, Hannah Graf Evans said, “We applaud this bipartisan statement of belief, and welcome partnership from these senators in pursuing immigration policies that align with our values.
“As Quakers, we are called to see God in every person regardless of their immigration status. We urge members of Congress to weigh in at all possible opportunities to reverse course, including assessing how federal spending is worsening family separation at the border and in our communities every day.
“Families should be kept together in communities, not in detention. Our elected officials should direct the administration to better utilize alternatives to detention for families and vulnerable populations, and reduce funding for detention beds accordingly.”
See the full text of the letter and signers here and below.
Dear Mr. President:
We write to urge your administration to prioritize the reunification of families and to ensure that, from this point forward, the default position of the United States of America is to keep families together.
While we represent constituents from all faiths and political backgrounds, we have all heard one consistent message—the United States government should not separate children from their families except in extreme circumstances. As we work to find a permanent solution, we urge the administration to use all available resources currently at its disposal to reunite families as soon as possible.
Throughout our history, faith-based organizations have partnered with the federal government to help achieve its humanitarian goals. Faith-based organizations, including groups like Sojourners, Catholic Charities USA, World Vision, the National Association of Evangelicals, the Christian Community Development Association, Church World Service, and World Relief are willing and able to support reunification efforts and provide critical services for children and families in need. We encourage you to partner with the faith community to assist with family reunification and keeping families together in the future.
We remain committed to working together to fix our broken immigration system. Enforcement of our immigration laws should be a high priority, but we must also adhere to our core moral values as Americans.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Signed,
Michael Bennet (D-CO)
James Lankford (R-OK)
Chris Coons (D-DE)
Susan Collins (R-ME)
Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Angus King (I-ME)
James Inhofe (R-OK)
Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
Jerry Moran (R-KS)
Joe Donnelly (D-IN)
Cory Gardner (R-CO)
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Steve Daines (R-MT)
Tom Carper (D-DE)
Thom Tillis (R-NC)
Gary Peters (D-MI)
Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
Maggie Hassan (D-NH)
Tina Smith (D-MN)
Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Ben Cardin (D-MD)
Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND)
Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
FCNL encourages constituents to thank their senators if they signed this letter and share the legislative ask below with their offices.
