For Immediate Release: June 22, 2019
Contact: Bilal Askaryar; media@cwsglobal.org; 202-750-0960
CWS Warns “Family Op” ICE Raids Will Harm and Separate Families
Faith communities are ready to bear witness to the immoral raids and demand Congress hold administration accountable to end family separation
Washington D.C. – In response to reports that the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will begin targeting immigrant families for deportation in major cities across the United States on Sunday, Rev. John L. McCullough, President and CEO of CWS, issued the following statement:
“Christians know Sunday as a sacred day for families to be together and gather in their houses of worship. Yet this Sunday, millions of immigrant families in the United States will have a shadow of fear cast over their lives. Days after President Trump announced on Twitter that his administration would begin targeting families, it seems ICE is planning to make good on that cruel promise in a plan audaciously named “family op.” Children should not have to live in fear that their parents won’t return from work or be there to pick them up from Sunday school.
It is not lost on us that at this time last year millions across the nation were marching against family separation and the horrific images of children ripped from their mothers’ arms. The intent and impact of these raids is the same: to shock and deter through cruelty and inhumanity. CWS staff and our partners are ready to bear witness to the raids and provide support to affected communities through Sanctuary, legal defense, and solidarity with those impacted. We call on national, state, and local leaders to stand against deportation policies that separate families – and demand Congress cut funds for ICE’s detention and deportation force.”
Since 1946, Church World Service has supported refugees, immigrants and other displaced individuals, in addition to providing sustainable relief and development solutions to communities that wrestle with hunger and poverty. Learn more about our work and join our global homebase for refugee solidarity at GreaterAs1.org.
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