| Evangelical leaders urge Trump to release
migrant detainees at risk from coronavirus Nine leaders of evangelical Christian organizations called on the Trump administration to release migrants from detentions facilities “who do not pose a threat to public safety” amid the coronavirus pandemic. In a Monday letter to acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, leaders who are part of the Evangelical Immigration Table called for immigration officials to partner with religious groups and community organizations to find released detainees “safe accommodations in which to ‘shelter in place’ for as long as such practices are advised.” Evangelical Immigration Table is an organization that "exists to encourage distinctly biblical thinking about issues of immigration." “Our concern is rooted in our Christian belief that each human life is made in the image of God and thus precious, and, like you, we want to do everything possible to minimize the loss of life as a result of this pandemic,” the evangelical leaders wrote. “In the interest of public health – for these detainees, for the staff of these facilities and for the general public – we encourage you to utilize alternatives to detention for individuals who do not pose a threat to public safety. Detainees who are elderly or who may otherwise be uniquely vulnerable to the worst effects of COVID-19 are of particular concern,” the letter continued. The leaders also said they would “encourage the many churches and ministries within our networks to provide any assistance they can” to provide safe accommodation for migrants. “With the threat of the coronavirus transmitting among both detainees and the staff of immigration detention facilities – and then potentially spreading further within the general public – it is unconscionable to detain so many individuals, especially when there are proven alternatives available,” Hyepin Im, president and CEO of Faith and Community Empowerment, said in a Monday statement alongside the letter. “Our Christian commitment to affirming the dignity of each human life requires us to speak up on behalf of these individuals, whose lives could be at risk in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Im added. Last month, immigration groups launched a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its refusal to close immigration courts amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Immigration advocates have also called on Attorney General William Barr to halt immigration prosecutions and stop bringing unauthorized entry charges against migrants at the border. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported 32 confirmed cases of the coronavirus among its detainees as of last week, The Associated Press reported. | 