At least 60,000 immigrants are currently being held in detention centers across the United States. There have been at least 6,200 children in detention since President Trump was inaugurated. Conditions in detention are dire: fluorescent lights shine around the clock, there is rotten, spoiled food for meals, dirty drinking water, a lack of access to necessary medical care, and multiple reports of physical and sexual violence against detainees.

The Bible is clear about our call to feed, clothe, house, and welcome the immigrant (Matthew 25:35-40). The current climate of detaining immigrants directly contradicts scripture and Jesus’ teachings. Detaining humans because they were brave enough to leave their homes behind in search of safety and a better life is immoral and a stain on our country’s conscience. Jesus, a refugee and migrant, might well find himself behind these same walls if he walked the Earth today.

32 people died in detention last year, and numbers are projected to be the same or even higher this year. Congress recently passed a bill giving ICE and CBP an additional $70 billion, on top of the $170 billion they were already given last summer, with plans for more detention centers and 120,000 individuals imprisoned there.

We are calling on Congress to pass the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act (H.R. 6397 / S. 3702). This legislation would:

• End the detention of families and children
• Raise the bar for detaining people from vulnerable populations
• Phase out private detention centers and jails
• Require DHS to meet the American Bar Association's civil immigration detention standards
• Mandate unannounced inspections by the DHS Inspector General, with penalties for violations
• Allow members of Congress to conduct unannounced visits to detention facilities
   

Contact your elected officials today. Tell them clearly: detained immigrants deserve dignity.