United Methodists along with faith and advocacy partners from across the country are gathering in Washington D.C. today for “Faithful Resistance: A Public Witness for Immigrant Justice.” The livestream of the event, including the opening worship, can be found below along with the bulletin for the service.
Download the worship bulletin for this event here.
A Faithful Call for Immigration Justice, Accountability, and Human Dignity
As people of faith shaped by the Wesleyan tradition and joined by an ecumenical commitment to justice, we affirm that every person bears the image of God and is worthy of dignity, safety, and care. Scripture makes clear that how a society treats the stranger, the poor, and the vulnerable is not peripheral to faith—it is a central measure of faithfulness itself (Matthew 25:35; Leviticus 19:34).
We demand that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) be removed from our neighborhoods, workplaces, and daily community life. Federal immigration enforcement has no place operating as a constant presence among families, children, and workers. ICE’s routine interior enforcement destabilizes communities, separates families, chills access to essential services, and sows fear where trust and belonging are required. As people of faith, we reject a system that governs through terror rather than justice. We call on Congress to exercise sustained and serious oversight to end abusive practices, racial profiling, and the unchecked
expansion of ICE’s authority.
We call for the protection of sensitive locations—houses of worship, schools, hospitals, shelters, and courthouses—so that fear does not keep God’s people from seeking healing, education, safety, or the practice of faith. No one should have to choose between worship and survival, or between medical care and deportation. We urge the establishment of a clear, enforceable standard on the use of force by Border Patrol. Our faith traditions proclaim the sanctity of human life and the moral responsibility of those entrusted with power. Lethal force without accountability is a moral failure and a violation of the public trust.
We insist on real oversight and accountability across the Department of Homeland Security. Oversight is not obstruction—it is stewardship. Congress must fully authorize and fund the essential work of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman, the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, and the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Elected officials must retain unimpeded access to detention facilities, because transparency is a prerequisite for
justice.
Finally, we reject the continued excessive and unchecked funding of DHS and ICE. Budgets are moral documents. Public dollars must not bankroll cruelty, secrecy, or impunity. Any funding must be conditioned on compliance with human rights, due process, and enforceable oversight mechanisms.
Rooted in the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church and echoed across ecumenical traditions, we affirm that justice is not optional, compassion is not naïve, and accountability is not antagonistic. We call on Congress to act with courage and conscience—to remove ICE from our communities, protect human life, and pursue policies that reflect God’s vision of dignity, hospitality, and the common good.
Download “A Faithful Call for Immigration Justice, Accountability, and Human Dignity” here.
Faith in Action
The United Methodist Church has a long tradition of putting its faith in action at all levels of life The General Board of Church and Society is the social advocacy agency of the church dedicated to the work of living faith, seeking justice, and pursuing peace. To learn more about General Board, the work it is doing, and how we can live into the implications of our faith, go to www.umcjustice.org.