The Acts of Convention

House of Bishops

The House of Bishops Committee on Social Justice and United States Policy presented its Report #20 on Resolution A178 (Halt the Intensification and Implementation of Immigration Policies and Practices that are Harmful to Migrant Women, Parents and Children) and moved adoption.

Original Text of Resolution:

(A178)

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 79th General Convention of The Episcopal Church acknowledge the specific vulnerabilities and needs of immigrant women, parents and children in the current immigration crisis, both in the United States and globally; and be it further

Resolved, That this Convention acknowledge that the U.S. government’s intensification of and implementation of punitive immigration policies and practices, such as the detention and separation of children from parents and the practice of housing children in military bases, is inhumane and unjust, and only serves to traumatize the vulnerable, especially women and children; and be it further

Resolved, That The Episcopal Church decry and call for a halt to the implementation and intensification of inhumane and unjust immigration policies and practices such as detaining and separating children from parents; ignoring the reproductive health needs of women and girls in detention centers and converting military bases to immigration detention centers for children, and be it further

Resolved, That this Convention direct the Office of Government Relations and urge all Episcopalians to advocate for our governments to address the specific needs of women and children migrants and others with special vulnerabilities, by:

• Keeping babies and children together with their parents and other responsible family members, and releasing families from immigration detention as a priority policy;
• Providing access to physical and mental health care to all in immigration detention, including to the full range of reproductive health care and sanitary products for women and girls;
• Ensuring the safety of all immigrants from sexual harassment, exploitation, and sex and labor trafficking, including women, children, youth, and elders; people with disabilities; and lesbian, gay, transgender and gender non-conforming persons;
• Deprioritizing immigration enforcement when deportation would mean parental separation from children and loss of needed family income, with exceptions for those with violent felony convictions;
• Preventing the release of immigration information from local law enforcement to ICE, except in cases of violent crime, so that people, including women, are not afraid to call local police to report domestic violence and other criminal activity, for fear of themselves or other family members being deported; and be it further

Resolved, That this Convention urge Episcopalians and Episcopal Church-related agencies and organizations to support ministries in states that provide vulnerable migrants with basic needs, legal support, and advocacy.

Motion carried

Resolution adopted

(Communicated to the House of Deputies in HB Message #266)