PRESS RELEASE: Faith Leaders and Advocates Rally Outside Supreme Court During Landmark Asylum Arguments, Calling on Justices to Uphold Asylum Rights

Faith Leaders and Advocates Gather for "No Turning Back" Vigil as Oral Arguments Begin in Noem v. Al Otro Lado

As oral arguments began in the Supreme Court for Noem v. Al Otro Lado, faith leaders, immigrant advocates, and others gathered on the steps of the Supreme Court Tuesday morning for a faith vigil, “No Turning Back.” The event was organized by the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice and a coalition of faith-based organizations which filed an amicus brief on the case last month. 

Centered on prayer, song, and the religious and moral imperative of “welcoming the stranger,” the vigil called on the justices of the court to affirm the long-established legal process of allowing asylum seekers to present their claims at a U.S. port of entry. 

Alongside Kairos, the vigil featured other leading organizations across faith traditions, including the Episcopal Church, the United Church of Christ, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, HIAS, and others, all of whom gathered to bear public witness in support of and in defense of asylees. 

Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, Executive Director of Kairos and a Presbyterian minister who helped organize the vigil proclaimed: “There are billions of people worldwide who stand on the side of justice, who say do no wrong to the immigrant and do not shed innocent blood. Right now across this country people are crying out to be free.” 

"We cannot be a people that says never again if we enforce policies that make death inevitable,” said Nicole Elizabeth Ramos of Al Otro Lado, an immigrant rights group which helped bring the initial class action lawsuit. “We cannot be a country that espouses family values and to protect children when we let them die on our doorstep.” 

“Welcoming and protecting the stranger is not a minor tenet of our faith but is a foundational moral obligation in each of our traditions,” said Rev. Michael Neuroth, Director of the United Church of Christ’s Washington D.C. office. Elaborating further, Rev. Neuroth stated, “Dismantling the refugee program is morally wrong, strategically short-sighted, and increases insecurity here in our nation. We must be a nation of compassion, a place of refuge to those in need.” 

Speaking further about why faith leaders and organizers across faith practices came together in defense of asylum rights, Naomi Steinberg, vice president for policy and advocacy at the nonprofit group HIAS, said, “We did the amicus brief because we need to say enough is enough. We need to say that the Supreme Court does not get to just ignore our immigration laws... What is at risk is the rule of law. What is at risk is the right to seek protection.” 

Today’s vigil is a part of No Turning Back, a national campaign led by a coalition of legal and advocacy organizations to protect the right to seek asylum. The campaign coincides with today’s oral arguments and aims to mobilize support for people seeking safety, while raising awareness of asylum as a critical lifeline for persecuted people across the world.