January 24, 2023

The General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church joined 164 other faith-based organization as a signatory to a letter denouncing their plans to create a new asylum ban through the federal rule-making process.

The United Methodist Church believes that “at the center of Christian faithfulness to Scripture is the call we have been given to love and welcome the sojourner. We call upon all United Methodist churches to welcome newly arriving migrants in their communities, to love them as we do ourselves, to treat them as one of our native-born, to see in them the presence of the incarnated Jesus, and to show hospitality to the migrants in our midst, believing that through their presence we are receiving the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” (2016 Book of Resolutions, #3281 – Welcoming the Migrant to the U.S.)

In a recent press call, faith leaders announced the delivery of this letter to President Biden, Vice President Harris, Secretary of State Blinken, and Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas.

The letter states that, “we write with grave concern about the forthcoming Notice of Proposed Rule-making (NPRM) that will set in motion an asylum ban in the form of a rule that bars people from asylum if they enter without inspection or do not seek protection in countries of transit. Across faith traditions and practices, the message is clear: We are called by our sacred texts and faith principles to approach one another with love—not fear. Our diverse faith traditions compel us to love our neighbor, accompany the vulnerable, and welcome the sojourner—regardless of place of birth, religion, or ethnicity. Importantly, our faiths also urge us to boldly resist and dismantle systems of oppression.”