Religious Leaders and the Immigration Ban

Religious leaders across all religions have condemned Trump’s immigration ban. There are few issues in which unite religious leaders, but the new executive order is one of them. Trump signed a executive order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days and suspending all refugee admission for 120 days. This ban applies to seven countries; Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan.  According to CNN, “Since the order was released on Friday, a growing chorus of top Christian, Muslims, Jews and leaders of other faiths have denounced it, calling it contrary to their spiritual traditions and the country’s values.”  A letter to Congress and President Trump from the Interfaith Immigration Coalition has more than 2,000 signatures, including from the heads of several Jewish organizations and Protestant denominations. These heads represent millions of Americans.  Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, a top ally of Pope Francis, expressed his distaste at the new ban, “The world is watching as we abandon our commitments to American values.” Also, nearly 18,500 people have signed a statement promoted by a coalition of evangelical groups pledging to welcome refugees and urging elected officials to assist them. The Rev. J. Herbert Nelson, the top official in the Presbyterian Church in the United states, called Trump’s order “a miscarriage of justice” and “I urge the president and his administration to reverse this very harmful decision regarding refugees.” As we learned in class, religious leaders can have a large impact on how the community handles situations. Different religions have different leaders, but majority feel that Trump’s ban does not reflect their values.