For Immediate Release: September 23, 2020
Contact: Heather Cabral | heather@westendstrategy.com | 202-550-6880
Erin Williams | ewilliams@faithinaction.org | 202-748-0699
WASHINGTON – Yesterday, leaders with Faith in Action, the nation’s largest faith-based grassroots network, issued a letter to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs calling for acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf to be held accountable after Binsar Siahaan, an Indonesian immigrant, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Services (ICE) on church property in Maryland earlier this month. Wolf’s official nomination hearing will begin today, when he appears before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee.
Richard Morales, Director of LA RED, Faith in Action’s program dedicated to immigrant rights, has released the following statement.
“This unprecedented violation of the sanctity of church grounds took place under Wolf’s leadership, and he must be held accountable for this, and many other transgressions, during his official nomination hearing. ICE under Acting Secretary Wolf has increased its reckless persecution of immigrants, confident that they will not be held accountable.
We firmly believe the grounds of all faith communities should be sacred and that ICE must honor its own agreements not to enter them. ICE’s actions have put scores of asylum seekers who have taken refuge in faith communities in extreme jeopardy. Binsar’s experience and those of so many others must remain at the forefront of the deliberations, and Wolf needs to be directly questioned on this blatant violation of policy.”
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Faith in Action, formerly known as PICO National Network, is the largest grassroots, faith-based organizing network in the United States. The nonpartisan organization works with 1,000 religious congregations in more than 200 cities and towns through its 46 local and state federations. For more information, visit www.faithinaction.org.
Faith in Action is a 501c(3). Faith in Action and its affiliates are non-partisan and are not aligned explicitly or implicitly with any candidate or party. We do not endorse or support candidates for office.
