FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 26, 2018
Reform Jewish Movement Condemns Ruling on Discriminatory Travel Ban Case
WASHINGTON – Today, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in Trump v. Hawaii, a case that challenged the legality of the Trump Administration’s third iteration of a travel ban barring entry to the United States for people from six Muslim-majority countries.
In response to the ruling, Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, released the following statement on behalf of the Union for Reform Judaism, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, Women of Reform Judaism, and the wider Reform Movement:
“Today, the Supreme Court shamefully endorsed a discriminatory travel ban, callously rejecting our nation’s founding principle of religious freedom. The ramifications of a ruling of this magnitude include prolonged family separation across oceans and exacerbated suffering of refugees and asylum seekers around the globe. With this decision, the Court is abandoning the United States’ cherished legacy as a nation of immigrants, a place of refuge, and a country that welcomes people of all faiths.
“Historically, Jews have borne the brunt of religiously based discrimination and indifference to the suffering of the world’s most vulnerable people. As Jews, we remember the consequences of being turned away from America’s shores, and we recall those who perished at the hands of bigoted policy. As Americans, we commit to welcoming the stranger and assisting those seeking refuge on our shores. For these reasons, we proudly joined an amicus brief to the Court organized by the Anti-Defamation League urging an end to the ban.
“Now that the Court has ruled, Congress must exercise its power to push back against offensive and dangerous policy and ensure that the future of this nation is one of moral integrity.”
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The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism is the Washington office of the Union for Reform Judaism, whose more than 900 congregations across North America encompass 1.5 million Reform Jews, and the Central Conference of American Rabbis, whose membership includes more than 2,000 Reform rabbis. Visit www.rac.org for more.
