Unitarian Universalist Policy
Summary of Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Statements on Immigration Reform and SanctuaryUnitarian Universalist Association Supports New Sanctuary Movement: Statement from Unitarian Universalist Association President William G Sinkford
Grounded in the Unitarian Universalist affirmation of the inherent worth and dignity of every person, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations endorses the New Sanctuary Movement, a movement of prophetic hospitality and public witness to bring about real change in the immigration policy of the United States. The UUA (Unitarian Universalist Association) joins other people of faith and conscience in calling for the passage of just and comprehensive immigration reform and an immediate stop to federal raids that separate parents from their children and create a climate of fear and repression.
Read the Unitarian Universalist Association Supports the New Sanctuary Movement for more information.
Comprehensive Immigration Reform Issue Brief
Our Unitarian Universalist faith calls us to recognize that no one is "the stranger," to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and to support the use of justice, equity, and compassion in human relations. Many among us are immigrants and integral members of, and contributors to, our communities and our congregations; many of us witness the deleterious impact of the current unjust immigration system on the families and communities around us.
The Unitarian Universalist Association has supported fair and compassionate immigration practices since its inception: at our first General Assembly in 1961, we passed a resolution on the rights of immigrant workers. A 1963 resolution called for immigration reform, and subsequent UUA statements supported the humane treatment of immigrants. Recent UUA statements, including the 2004 statement on Civil Liberties, affirm our strong commitment to advocate for the right to due process of immigrants, refugees and foreign nationals. In 2006, the General Assembly passed an Action of Immediate Witness to Support Immigrant Justice, calling Unitarian Universalists to join people of many faith traditions in supporting the rights of our brothers and sisters who are recent immigrants to the United States of America. Most recently, at the 2007 General Assembly, delegates passed an Action of Immediate Witness to Support Immigrant Families—Stop the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Raids that calls for an immediate moratorium of all inhumane raids and resulting deportations.
Read Issue Brief: Comprehensive Immigration Reform (PDF) for more information.
New Sanctuary Movement Resource Guide
Our Unitarian Universalist faith calls us to recognize that no one is "the stranger"; and to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equity, and compassion in human relations. At our first General Assembly in 1961 we passed a resolution on the rights of migrant workers and in 1963 a resolution for immigration reform.
In the 1980s, many Unitarian Universalist congregations were actively involved in the Sanctuary movement. The UUA strongly supported this movement: three General Assemblies of the UUA endorsed sanctuary for refugees (1980, 1984, and 1985), and a 1986 Board Resolution established a Unitarian Universalist Sanctuary Fund to support individuals seeking sanctuary and to aid churches providing sanctuary.
- The 1980 General Assembly resolved to "...urge local
societies and individuals to support their government's efforts in assisting
refugees; and...[to]...urge local societies to investigate ways to aid refugees
through programs of sponsorship, language lessons, vocational training, and
other forms of community support as well as programs of education and
consciousness raising on the refugee problem for their members and local
communities." (Refugee Assistance,
1980 General Resolution)
- The 1984 General Assembly "...urge[d] Unitarian Universalists
to support actively those Unitarian Universalist societies and other religious
communities which offer sanctuary to El Salvadoran and other Central American
refugees." (Concerning Central American
Refugees, 1984 Action General Resolution)
- The 1985 General Assembly, recognizing that some Unitarian
Universalist congregations "...as an active participatory form of protest and
witness..." urged UU World to publish a list of UU congregations participating in
the Sanctuary movement, and urged individual congregations, clusters and
districts to "...give careful and compassionate consideration to the issue of
sanctuary..." It also strongly urged
the Social Responsibility Section of the UUA to:
Gather and disseminate information about sanctuary, including the tradition and current activities of Unitarian Universalist societies and other denominations...To study the initiation and conduct of sanctuary in UU societies and develop relevant materials specifically for the guidance of other UU societies and groups; and...to foster discussion of sanctuary through meetings, seminars, and workshops. (Sanctuary, 1985 Business Resolution)
- In 1986, the Board expressed their support for the Sanctuary movement by creating a Unitarian Universalist Sanctuary Fund "for the purpose of supporting sanctuary defendants, sanctuary churches and for the direct support of those in need of sanctuary." (Sanctuary Fund, June 1986 Board Resolution)
A resolution of immediate witness was passed in 1995 for humane treatment of immigrants and in 2006 the General Assembly voted for an Action of Immediate Witness to support immigrant justice. Many among us are immigrants and integral members of and contributors to our communities and our congregations; many of us witness to the impact of the current unjust immigration system on families and communities around us. For these reasons, we Unitarian Universalists join people of many faith traditions in supporting the rights of our brothers and sisters who are recent immigrants to the United States of America.
Most recently, at the 2007 General Assembly, delegates passed an Action of Immediate Witness to Support Immigrant Families—Stop the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Raids that calls for an immediate moratorium of all inhumane raids and resulting deportations.
Now, over twnety-five years later, religious leaders across a broad spectrum of denominations from ten states have come together to begin a New Sanctuary Movement to accompany and protect immigrant families who are facing the violation of their human rights in the form of hatred, workplace discrimination and unjust deportation. The New Sanctuary Movement welcomes religious leaders, congregations and faith-based organizations of all denominations to join in this effort.
Read the New Santuary Movement (PDF) for more information.
For more information contact socialjustice @ uua.org.
Last updated on Friday, April 18, 2008.
