Faith and Conscience Letters: Contacting Your Local Sheriff. Standing with Our Immigrant Neighbors

In May, the WCC Executive Director and ten other religious leaders in Wisconsin sent a letter to the Wisconsin Sheriffs & Deputy Sheriffs Association regarding their roles in community safety, including the safety of our immigrant neighbors.  The letter was transmitted via USPS and email, and we have neither received a response, nor an acknowledgment of our correspondence. We share the body of our faith and conscience letter here so that you may have a resource for discussing these matters with your local sheriff, whether you relate to them as a community leader, congregant, or friend.

Dear Wisconsin Sheriffs & Deputy Sheriffs,

We write as leaders of churches across Wisconsin and as members of the Wisconsin Council of Churches. Please know that each of you is in our prayers daily, as are all elected officials with the responsibility of making our communities a place of “liberty and justice for all.” We write to request a meeting between your Executive Committee and a representative group of us to discuss the following concerns.

The scriptures which shape our faith and guide our work repeatedly cite God’s call to care for the visitor—immigrant, refugee, stranger, etc. - among us. Indeed, the Old Testament has over 30 directives to do so, in some places calling us to treat them like “the citizen among you” (Leviticus 19:33-34). The New Testament follows suit with the descriptive Matthew passage offering a poignant reminder to “welcome the stranger” (Matthew 25:35). Of course, these are merely representative passages of a theme wound throughout scripture and regularly practiced by Christians for more than two thousand years. Our mandate is clear.

We are deeply concerned about our immigrant neighbors, many of whom live with uncertainty and fear, which has only increased in the past months. While we believe that those who commit serious crimes should be brought to justice regardless of their citizenship or immigration status, the assurance that ICE detainers will only be used for those charged with violent crimes has begun to ring hollow. Cases like that of Camila Muñoz raise concerns about the unjust enforcement of what are considered administrative violations. We are also concerned that deportation orders have been issued for people for crimes no more serious than entering the country on a temporary work visa and then staying for longer as law-abiding and gainfully employed residents, or entering the country without proper documentation seeking safety for their families from murderous gangs or political violence. More disturbing is the revoking of visas of whole groups of people whose status was obtained legally. Some of them are members of our congregations or people we serve. Most distressing is a seeming disregard for the American values of freedom of speech and due process enshrined in our Constitution.

We are also concerned by the knowledge that Immigration and Customs Enforcement may now enter places like churches, schools, and medical facilities, which have historically been respected as “sensitive.” There is a long and deep tradition of churches being places of sanctuary. The government has historically honored that tradition. Contravening that tradition interferes with our ability to practice our faith in peace.

We implore you to make standing with the residents of your communities, regardless of their immigration status, your preeminent guiding principle. We appeal to you to use every means at your disposal to guard these residents, short of violating the laws you are sworn to uphold. We know of the special relationship you and your officers share with the people you serve. We know that you are committed to providing for the safety of all residents of your county. When the day comes that these drastic and dangerous policies become history, the trust created by your actions now will go a long way toward restoring trust among all of us and especially among those you serve.

Thank you for hearing our concerns. We look forward to a conversation with your leadership.

Sincerely,

The Rev. Dr. Kerri Parker (Executive Director, Wisconsin Council of Churches), and ten other Wisconsin religious leaders