Bishop Eaton Issues Statement on Travel Ban

“When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the native-born among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”

—Leviticus 19:33-34

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Dear church,

Yesterday the Trump administration announced a travel ban to the United States from 12 countries, several of which are majority-Muslim countries. The ban is scheduled to take effect on Monday, June 9, and will suspend issuing of immigrant visas that can lead to permanent residency for those from Afghanistan, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. This proclamation will also impose visa restrictions on another seven countries, including Cuba and Venezuela in the Americas.

As Lutherans, we should be concerned by these actions. Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, God has set us free from ourselves to serve our neighbor. This expanded policy separates families from loved ones already here. Further, it prevents people — especially those escaping perilous or life-threatening situations in several of these nations — from coming to safety in the U.S. It does not enhance our safety or reflect our vocation as Christians.

Our church has a strong history of hospitality for refugees and immigrants. After World War II, when 1 out of every 6 Lutherans in the world was a refugee or displaced person, Lutherans resettled some 57,000 refugees in the United States (ELCA social message “Immigration”). Today, with more than 60 million displaced people in the world, we continue God’s work of welcoming refugees through advocacy and our vital partnership with Global Refuge. Through AMMPARO, the ELCA welcomes and accompanies asylum-seekers and refugees already in our country from many of these same countries.

The ELCA also has companion Lutheran churches in many of the countries affected by the ban, churches that, like us, are members of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). (In several instances, our church has developed strong partnerships with these churches over many decades.) Accompaniment of these ELCA partners requires our solidarity with and advocacy for them.

Because many of these nations are majority-Muslim and predominately Black and Brown communities, the expanded policy will have the impact of racial and religious discrimination. Over the past several years, the targeting of Muslims has had a direct and negative impact on our interfaith partners, who are harmed by not only the policy but also the rhetoric surrounding it. Together with other Christians and Jews, we are standing with Muslims through the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign, embodying our commitment to opposing “all forms of religious bigotry, violence, discrimination, and persecution and [to standing] in solidarity with those who experience them, whether they are Christian or of another religion or worldview” (“A Declaration of Inter-Religious Commitment: A Policy Statement of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America”).

The travel ban offends our values of mutual respect for all God’s children, each created in God’s image. Furthermore, this ban contradicts our church’s and our nation’s commitments to be a place of welcome and safety for others.

The ELCA social statement For Peace in God’s World reminds us that “the church is a disturbing presence when it refuses to be silent and instead speaks the truth.” On this policy, we, as Lutherans, cannot be silent. The history of our church, the life-giving relationships we share with other Lutherans worldwide, and our commitments to and with interreligious partners are the basis not only for our concern but also for our continued accompaniment, advocacy and action.

In peace,

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton

Presiding Bishop

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America