“Immigrants are essential and beloved parts of the fabric of this country and of our congregations,” said Rev. Amy Reumann, ELCA Witness in Society Senior Director. “God grieves the sin of violence. We grieve violence against National Guard staff and pray for their safety and recovery and healing for their families,” she continues in this Interfaith Immigration Coalition press release. “We also grieve violence against the millions of our immigrant neighbors who have suffered unprecedented attacks on their rights, dignity, and family unity. We pray for their safety and well-being. An indefinite pause on asylum applications, a halt to immigration benefits for Afghan nationals, and an entrenchment of a travel ban does not make our nation safer. Instead, it sows fear and uncertainty into the lives of people who have fled their country because of fear of persecution and violence, as well as their communities in the U.S. that have welcomed them. Asylum and immigration processing must resume immediately, without prejudice based on nation of origin.”

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