An Open Letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem
As women of faith, we are raising our voices for an immigration system that protects both security and human dignity. We honor Secretary Noem’s responsibility to protect our nation, and we are concerned that the DHS’ current strategies are not accomplishing that goal. When we do not ensure that every individual receives due process and is treated with dignity, our values are betrayed and our democracy is diminished.
We are calling on DHS to take immediate steps:
Ensure transparency and accountability by authorizing independent inspections of every facility where immigrants are detained.
Create a public dashboard of facility-level data with critical information on detained individuals updated monthly.
Protect vulnerable populations by prioritizing alternatives to detention.
We believe it is possible to lead with both strength and compassion—and that both justice and mercy must define our immigration system.
Read and sign the open letter below.
An Open Letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem
As women of faith and members of the We Choose Welcome community, we are coming together united in the belief that our nation’s immigration policies can and must uphold both national security and human dignity.
We recognize and thank you for your leadership in safeguarding our nation and the difficult responsibilities entrusted to you. Please know that we are praying for you and for our country in these challenging times: that wisdom, compassion, and justice will guide your work.
Like you, we want the United States to have a secure and orderly immigration system. However, we also care deeply about our neighbors and community members who are undocumented, but otherwise law-abiding. We are deeply grieved and alarmed when DHS enforcement actions affect these neighbors in ways that betray both our nation’s values and our shared humanity.
We are particularly concerned when we see masked law enforcement in our cities’ streets. Our neighbors have been detained in raids that do not take into account the individual's families or contributions to our communities. They spend weeks in overcrowded detention facilities without, as we understand it, consistent access to attorneys, restrooms, or medications. We do not believe these policies are making our country more safe. In fact, we fear they will erode the moral fabric of our immigration system and deny the image of God in our immigrant neighbors.
Because every person must receive due process and be treated with dignity, we urge you to take the following actions to improve our current situation:
Authorize independent, unannounced inspections of all detention facilities by accredited governmental, faith, human rights and/or medical organizations, with full freedom to publish findings.
Publish a public, facility-level transparency dashboard for all centers that is updated monthly, including population counts by age and family status, medical incidents and clinic visits, instances of family separation with justification, and data on complaints.
Prioritize alternatives to detention for vulnerable populations, including children, pregnant women, and those with serious health needs.
As women of faith, we are called to speak the truth in love. Today, that truth is this: We must treat our neighbors with respect. We believe compassion and justice must both be part of our immigration system. Secretary Noem, we believe you have the opportunity to lead with both strength and compassion, ensuring that our immigration system reflects the values of our great nation. We stand ready to work toward solutions that protect the safety of our borders and the sanctity of human life.
We Choose Welcome