Urge your state’s governor to issue an executive order implementing a sensitive locations policy to protect these spaces from immigration enforcement.
Background
In January 2025, as part of its pledge to conduct mass deportation, the Trump administration rescinded a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy that substantially restricts Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents from conducting immigration arrests in or near “sensitive locations” like hospitals, schools, and houses of worship, except in exigent circumstances. This policy, which has been in place in various forms since the 1990s, ensures that immigrants can worship freely and access critical educational and health care services without fear of arrest or deportation.
In the absence of federal protection, state leadership is urgently needed. A gubernatorial executive order implementing a sensitive locations policy would help ensure that schools, medical facilities, houses of worship, courthouses, and essential social service providers remain safe and accessible for all. This urgently needed action would ensure public safety, preserve religious freedom, and rebuild community trust until a long-term legislative solution can be passed.
Note: New Jersey, Maryland, and Rhode Island have passed versions of Sensitive Locations policy. If you are writing from one of these states, please thank your governor for the actions they have taken, and encourage them to continue safeguarding protections for immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.
Jewish Values
No less than 36 times, the Torah instructs us on how to treat the ger, the foreigner among us. God commands, “The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love them as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 19:34). Guided by this repeated injunction to love the stranger, the Reform Jewish Movement has long been committed to fixing our fractured immigration system and ensuring just, compassionate, and equitable immigration policies are enacted.
Additional Information
If you have additional questions about this issue, visit the RAC's immigration page or contact Senior Legislative Assistant Tamara Upfal.
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