26 Jewish Groups Urge Administration to End Family Separation Policy

We strongly condemn the Administration’s policy of separating children from their migrant families at the US’s southern border. To amplify the voice of the Jewish community and speak out against this policy, JCPA, ADL, the RAC, and HIAS sent a letter signed by 26 national Jewish organizations urging the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to immediately end this inhumane practice.

“Separating families is a cruel punishment for children and families, many of whom are fleeing violence and persecution, and in search of safety,” said Cheryl Fishbein, Chair of JCPA. “It is unthinkable that we would intentionally traumatize and endanger these people, who have already had to make impossible choices to protect their families. We are proud to be partnering with other Jewish groups to stop this cruelty.”

This policy also exacerbates existing challenges in our immigration system, adding to the backlog of deportation cases and legal challenges, endangering children, and instilling terror in people seeking refuge. Reports indicate that over 1,000 children have already been separated from their parents since the policy was implemented. Mounting evidence suggests that many children have been threatened, treated poorly, and held in dangerous conditions. Children are particularly likely to suffer emotionally and psychologically from separation from their parents.

The full text of the letter is available here. The letter was signed by the following 26 organizations:

• American Conference of Cantors
• American Jewish Committee (AJC)
• American Jewish World Service
• Anti-Defamation League
• B’nai B’rith International
• Bend the Arc Jewish Action
• Central Conference of American Rabbis
• Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc.
• HIAS
• Jewish Council for Public Affairs
• Jewish Labor Committee
• Jewish Women International
• Men of Reform Judaism
• National Association of Jewish Legislators
• National Council of Jewish Women
• Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies
• NFTY – The Reform Jewish Youth Movement
• Rabbinical Assembly
• Reconstructing Judaism
• Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
• The Workmen’s Circle
• T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
• Union for Reform Judaism
• United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
• Uri L’Tzedek, The Orthodox Social Justice Movement
• Women of Reform Judaism