Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross
General Leadership Team Statement Condemning Forcible Separation of Refugee Families
June 19, 2018
The Sisters of the Holy Cross are appalled that on the eve of World Refugee Day (celebrated globally on June 20), the United States is detaining and forcibly separating refugee families at our border, rather than welcoming them. We also deplore the recent decision by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to remove domestic violence as grounds for asylum.
The Sisters of the Holy Cross have a long history of educating children and ministering to immigrants. We agree with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who said, “The root problems are war and hatred, not people who flee.” We join with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) in condemning this immoral treatment of refugees, and we call for the creation of immigration policies that respect families, the basic units of a strong and healthy society.
Prophetic voices are needed now more than ever. We invite you to learn more and take action:
Please read this statement from Sister Teresa Maya, CCVI, LCWR president, regarding forcible family separations featured in a June 1 Interfaith Immigration Coalition press release:
“As women of faith, as Catholic sisters, we strongly oppose the Trump administration’s decision to forcibly separate parents from their children in an effort to punish families seeking safety in the United States.
“Mothers and fathers are taking tremendous risks to bring their children to safety. These are families fleeing violence and death in their home countries. They have every right to ask for protection in the United States and the Trump administration is legally and morally obligated to give them a fair chance to seek asylum.
“It is impossible to imagine the fear of a child being ripped from the arms of her mother or the pain of a father watching a stranger take his son. It is cruel and inhumane and it must stop. Our faith demands it and our national values require it. We are better than this.”