Dear 2020 Presidential Candidates - As faith leaders of diverse traditions from across the United States, we have been organizing, responding, and offering pastoral care to the members of our congregations and communities that have been under direct attack by repressive immigration policies and harmful rhetoric. Our shared faith values of recognizing the dignity of all, family, community and compassion inspire this work and compel us to reach out to you. Our country is crying out for bold moral leadership that can move us into a future where all of our siblings feel full belonging in our country. Too often, hatred and xenophobia are at the center of the current public discourse about immigration policy. We expect all candidates in the 2020 presidential cycle to lay out a narrative and policy framework that recognizes the humanity and suffering of our immigrant siblings as a first step toward healing the wounds of hatred and xenophobia. We are writing to urge you to speak out clearly and boldly in your presidential campaign on behalf of immigrants, refugees and asylum-seekers in this time of increasing fear-mongering and growing nationalism in our country. We urge you to take a moral stance as presidential candidate to unravel the immigration enforcement system and protect all immigrant families. Specifically, we are asking all candidates: • Push back on the anti-immigrant rhetoric which demonizes and divides. Remind the American people that we are a nation of immigrants which has always benefited from the talents, contributions and hard work of migrants and refugees. Challenge us to remember that compassion and solidarity have always made America stronger, while fear and division only serve to weaken us as a people. Help us to imagine a stronger, brighter future – together. • Cut funding for immigration enforcement (including additional detention beds, more agents and increased border militarization) within the FY 2020 budget and all future budgets. Reinvest savings into programs that will strengthen family and community life for everyone. • Lay out a plan to use existing executive branch resources and authorities to reduce deportation and immigration enforcement while seeking federal immigration reform that will provide a path to citizenship for the millions of immigrants who are already part of the fabric of our communities and addresses the need for a regional response to the underlying poverty and violence that are driving the exodus of asylum-seekers from Central America. We believe moral leadership on immigration requires the points outlined above as a centerpiece of your campaign, and call on all candidates to deliver a major speech on your immigration platform. We believe that, by leading from a place of love and compassion, you can help begin to heal the wounds of racism and xenophobia which have diminished us all. Thank you for your public service and for considering this appeal. Signed: The Reverend Beatrice Hitchcock, Sanctuary Rabbi Allan Berkowitz, Faith in Action, San Rosanne Belpedio, Sisters of St. Joseph of of the Spirit, Sutton Alaska Jose, California Carondelet, Sherman Oaks, California Robert Beckerle, Mobile, Alabama Joann Heinritz, Sisters of St. Joseph of Rev. John Gregory-Davis, Meriden Carondelet, Berkeley, California Congregational Church, UCC, Soquel, California Dr. Patricia Anne, Outlaw Oak Grove AME Church, Adamsville, Alabama Rev. John Auther, S. J., Our Lady of Guadalupe Reverend Maureen McElligott, Idyllwild Center Parish, San Diego, California for Spiritual Living, Idyllwild, California The Rev. Joyce Hardy, Christ Episcopal Church, Little Rock, Arkansas Rev. Charles Tilley, Conscious Talk Radio, Pastor Rev. Jorge Herrera, Saint Therese of Sacramento, California the Little Flower Catholic Church, Soquel, Rev. Sharri Johnson, One Heart Retreat Center, California Marshall, Arkansas Reverend Brendan Busse, S.J., Dolores Mission Church, Los Angeles, California Elizabeth Senhen, Unitarian Universalist, San Rev. Bethany Russell-Lowe, Unitarian Diego, California Universalist Church of Tucson, Tuscon, Arizona Reverend Pamala Gehrke, Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo, Burlingame, Rev Joseph Spieler, Jesuits West, Society of Rabbi Michael Maggied, Habad Mesa, Mesa, California Jesus, San Francisco, California Arizona Sister Marilyn Wilson, Sister of Charity of the The Rev. Deacon Marilee Muncey, Episcopal Lucy Nigh, School Sisters of Notre Dame, Blessed Virgin Mary, Sunnyvale, California Diocese of San Joaquin, Merced, California Douglas, Arizona Reverend Carole Masters, Center for Spiritual Monsignor David Sork, St. John Fisher Church, Ms. Helen Greer, Trinity Tucson, Tucson, Living, Beaumont, California Rancho Palos Verdes, California Arizona Reverend Sherman Logan, First Unitarian Pastor Joseph Clopton, Faith in Stanislaus, William Remmel, Society of the Divine Savior, Universalist Church, Soquel, California Modesto, California Tucson, Arizona Reverend Jason Ashimoto, Evergreen Baptist Rev. Stephen Glauz-Todrank, United Church Reverend Sean Carroll, Kino Border Initiative, Church of Los Angeles, Rosemead, California of Christ, Los Gatos, California Nogales, Arizona Reverend S Wehunt, Center for Spiritual Living, Gloria Morales-Palos, San Diego, California Reverend Sharon Foley, CSL, Tucson, Arizona La Mesa, California Mr. Karl Koessel, McKinleyville, California Rev Robert Rank, Retired diocesan priest, John Robinson, SDOP, Lemon Grove, California Green Valley, Arizona Lorraine Adams, Huntington Beach CSL, Sister Julianne Vagnozzi, Felician Sisters of Huntington Beach, California Jim Keenan, Tucson, Arizona North America, Pomona, California Sir Larry Branson, Pomona, California Reverend Elizabeth Enright, AIM, Scottsdale, Rabbi Jocee Hudson, Temple Israel of Arizona Nancy von Oeyen, St. Matthew’s Church, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California Malibu, California Sandra Jean, Retired, Hereford, Arizona Kathleen Bryant, RSC, Culver City, California Ms Darlene Zane, FIA Bay Area, San Francisco, Sister Mary Becker, Sister of the Holy Names, Dr. J. Alfred Smith, Jr., Allen Temple Baptist California San Jose, California Church, Sacramento, California Mr. Jesus Nieto-Ruiz, Our Lady of the Rosary, Sister Suzanne Jabro, Sisters of St. Joseph of The Reverend Jennifer Wagner Pavia, Holy Union City, California Carondelet, Palm Desert, California Faith Episcopal Church, Inglewood, California Rabbi Susan Conforti, Auburn Pastoral Rabbi Mychal Copeland , Sha’ar Zahav, San Rev. William O’Neill, Society of Jesus, San Counseling, Auburn, California Francisco, California Francisco, California JL Angell, Rescue, California Millie Phillips, First UU Society of San Ms. Judith Graham, Morro Bay, California Francisco, Oakland, California Linda Jennett, Sisters of St Joseph of Pastor Jethroe Moore, San Jose/Silicon Valley Carondelet, Atascadero, California Tim Barrington, San Jose, California NAACP, San Jose, California Rev. Dr. Robert Romero , Matthew 25 Reverend Jeri Newell-Davis, St. Mark’s United Rev. Dr. Betty Staplefird, Universalist Unitarian Movement of Southern California, Los Angeles, Methodist Church, San Diego, California Church of Santa Paula, Santa Paula, California California Rabbi Len Muroff, Livingston Memorial VNA Reverend Joanna Lawrence-Shenk, First Reverend Suzi Spangenberg, Church for (Hospice), Los Angeles, California Mennonite Church of San Francisco,San the Fellowship of All Peoples, San Francisco, Rev. Jaime Edwards-Acton, St. Stephen’s Francisco, California California Episcopal Church, Los Angeles , California Fr. Emmet Farrell, Diocese of San Diego, San Rabbi Lavey Derby, Peninsula Jewish Elder Merilie Robertson, Knox Presbyterian Diego, California Community Center, Foster City, California Church, Pasadena, California Sister Linda Snow, Sisters of St Joseph of Rabbi Dev Noily Kehilla, Community Sister Margaret Louise Brown, Daughters of Carondelet, Porter Ranch, California Synagogue, Piedmont, California Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, San Francisco, Margaret Baker, South Bay People Power, Father Paul Rossi, Archdiocese of San California Chula Vista, California Francisco, San Mateo, California Rabbi Camille Shira, University of San Mr. William Newell, Democracy for America, Father William Connor, Archdiocese of Los Francisco, San Francisco, California Redwood City, California Angeles, Long Beach, California Mr. Erik Schnabel, Out4Immigration, San Sister Elaine Sanchez, Sisters of the Holy Pastor Cedric Nelms, Chosen Generation Francisco, California Family, Fremont, California Fellowship Church, Carson, California Rabbi Kenneth Chasen, Leo Baeck Temple, The Reverend Joellynn Monahan, The Reverend Jan Gould, St. Luke’s Episcopal, Los Angeles, California theSpiralWay.org, Oakland, California Long Beach, California 2 Rev. Lora East, Brentwood Presbyterian Rabbi Sarah Weissman, Congregation Beth Am Ms. Vernetta Woods, Faith in Action East Bay, Church, Los Angeles, California Los Altos, California Oakland, California Rev. Heidi Worthen Gamble, Pacific Teresa Scottino, Srs of St Joseph of Rabbi Joel Simonds, Jewish Center for Presbytery, Los Angeles, California Carondelet, Los Angeles, California Justice, Los Angeles, California Ms Carolyn Krantz, St. Ignatius, Antioch, Rev. Akiko Miyake-Stoner, United Methodist Rabbi Rita Hertzberg, Retired, Agoura Hills, California Church, Clovis, California California Erik Poicon, People Acting in Community Reverend John Baumann, Faith in Action, Fr. Manh Tran, Newman Center Catholic Together (PACT), San Jose, California Oakland, California Community, San Diego,