| A UUA Executive Message |
| Unitarian Universalist Association |
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Dear friends,
We are proud to share with you that the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) has joined with a multifaith coalition and the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection to bring a lawsuit challenging Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) “sensitive locations policy.” The case, Mennonite Church USA et al. v. United States Department of Homeland Security et al., was filed in federal district court in Washington, DC. Churches, as well as schools and hospitals, had previously been protected from ICE enforcement actions, but a Department of Homeland Security memo rescinded that protection on January 20th.
We join this multifaith coalition, representing millions of Americans across dozens of denominations, to challenge the ending of ICE’s sensitive locations policy and oppose any interpretation of law which would allow immigration raids in houses of worship and religious ceremonies. We believe, and the lawsuit asserts, that subjecting places of worship to ICE enforcement actions without a judicial warrant substantially burdens our religious exercise in violation of the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
As our Executive Vice President Carey McDonald affirms, “As Unitarian Universalists (UUs), fighting for justice and liberation for all people is at the heart of our faith tradition, which recognizes the spark of the divine inherent in every person; our sacred spaces must continue to offer sanctuary to those who face oppression, violence, or alienation, including immigrant communities.”
We know that many of our congregations include members who are immigrants, both documented and undocumented, and many of you carry out important ministries that serve immigrant communities in church spaces. The UUA is committed to supporting and protecting your ability to continue this vital and life-saving work. Learn more about the lawsuit in this story from UU World. |
| UU World Story |
| Read more about the coalition and the plaintiffs from Georgetown’s Center for Faith and Justice. |
| Lawsuit Press Release (PDF 7 pages) |
| To find out more about our legal strategy and partners, join us online on Friday, February 21 for “Defending Faithful Sanctuary and Hospitality” at 2pm ET/1pm CT/11am PT. This event will include time for Q&A about congregations and immigration enforcement. Please register at the link below to attend. |
| Defending Sanctuary Webinar |
| Below, we’re including several other new and updated resources. Know that you are never alone in this work; your UUA is here to support and journey alongside you as we continue to build communities where all people are valued and can thrive.
Yours, in faith,
UUA Executive Leadership Team Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, UUA President
Rev. Ashley Horan, UUA Vice President for Programs and Ministries
Carey McDonald, UUA Executive Vice President |
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| While this lawsuit is underway, it remains important for congregations and communities to be aware of their rights regarding the use of their meeting spaces. Your UUA has developed some practical guidance to support congregational planning; this resource page answers questions, provides a sign template you can use on your building, and shares ways to prepare for ICE interactions. |
| Sanctuary Resources |
| We continue to develop ways for Unitarian Universalists to stay connected during these times. Subscribe to join the Side With Love Action Center and you’ll receive weekly updates, issue analysis, and actions to take on issues related to immigration, LGBTQ justice, climate, and democracy. Updates will begin at the end of February. |
| Side With Love Action Center |
| Each week since January 20, the UUA’s Side With Love team have offered rich collections of multigenerational resources for UUs to engage with justice topics related to immigration, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, racial justice, climate justice, and more. This week’s theme, there are Black people in the future, asks us to consider what’s possible when we inhabit this prophecy of Black resilience and liberation in our lives today. |
| Week 4 of 30 Days of Love |
| As we move forward together as a faith community, the UUA continues to provide new resources through our online Community Resilience Hub. If you haven’t already, bookmark this page and return to it regularly for information related to congregational security, community outreach and support, and resources to carry out our ministries. |
| Community Resilience Hub |
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| Unitarian Universalist Association, 24 Farnsworth St., Boston MA 02210, United States. |
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