As faith leaders representing diverse religious traditions, we the undersigned speak with one voice in response to the immigration enforcement actions that took place on Speedwell Avenue in Morristown on Sunday, January 11, 2026.
Across our varied faiths, we share a fundamental conviction: every human being is created in the image of God and possesses inherent dignity that cannot be diminished by legal status, country of origin, or any other circumstance. Our faith traditions call us to welcome the stranger, to defend the vulnerable, to speak truth to power, and to stand with those who are marginalized. When masked agents in unmarked vehicles detain people from laundromats, businesses, and public spaces without transparency or accountability; when families are left in anguish not knowing where their loved ones have been taken; when entire communities live in fear – this violates the dignity we are called to uphold.
Immigration agents engaging in indiscriminate sweeps are creating a climate of terror among our neighbors, regardless of immigration or citizenship status. People washing their clothes on a Sunday morning, including a high school student, were taken into custody. This is not justice. This is not who we are as a community.
We call upon immigration enforcement authorities to:
- Cease immoral, unconstitutional, and indiscriminate enforcement actions that target individuals based on race, ethnicity, or national origin
- Provide transparency and due process to those detained and their families
- Respect the dignity and humanity of all persons, regardless of immigration status
- Allow access to pastoral and spiritual care for those who are detained.
We call upon our faith communities and all people of conscience to:
- Stand in solidarity with our immigrant neighbors
- Speak out against fear-mongering and dehumanizing rhetoric
- Offer practical support to those affected by these enforcement actions
- Remember that our strength as a community comes from our diversity and our shared commitment to human dignity.
As people of faith, we cannot be silent when the sacred dignity of any person is violated. We will continue to work for justice, compassion, and the protection of all members of our community.
Together, we stand with our immigrant neighbors in Morris County and beyond.
In hope and faithful witness,
Rev. Hannah Faye Allred
Rev. Dr. Edwin David Aponte
Paul Becker
Rev. Dr. Tanya Linn Bennett
Jeffrey Bird
Bernadette Blong, Lay Pastoral Leader
Rev. Deacon Ken Boccino
Rev. Emilie Boggis
Rev. Don Brown
Rev. Thomas A. Brown
Rev. Sarah J. Cairatti
Rev. John D. Callanan
Rev. Jerry Carter
Rev. Timothy Clarkson
Rev. Dr. Lisa Clayton
Rev. Kisha Cohen
Rev. Luana Cook Scott
Rev. Elizabeth Cotten
Cantor Galit Dadoun-Cohen
Rev. Timothy Daniels
Rev. A. Craig Dunn
Rev. Sarah Green
Rev. Lorna Erixson
Rabbi Murray Ezring
Rev. Julie Haspel
Rev. Ryon Herin
Rev. Carol Howard
Rev. Susan Ironside
Rev. Manuel Islas
Rev. Elizabeth Ivell
Dr. Melanie Johnson-DeBaufre
Catherine Keller
Rev. Thomas Kildea
Dr. Dong Sung Kim
Rev. Ellen Kohn-Perry
Rev. Dawn Maffetone
Rev. Lance A. Mann
Rev. Jeff Markay
Rabbi Ellie Miller
Rev. Gladys G. Moore
Rev. Michael Muller
Deacon Mark Nixon, Ph.D.
Cantor Shana Onigman
Rev. Sasha Ostrom
Rev. Robert A. Picken
Deacon Trink Prinz
Rev. Gilma Ramos
Rev. Dr. Robert Rogers
Rabbi Michael Satz
Rev. Chris Scrivens
Pastor Philip Scherzer
Rabbi Inna Serebro-Litvak
Rev. Nicolette L. Siragusa
Rev. Dr. Althea Spencer Miller
Rev. Carie Stanley
Rev. Dr. J. Terry Todd
Amanda Tufts
Rev. Caroline Unzaga
Rev. Kim Padfield Urbanik
Rev. Heather Valosin
Rev. Dr. Eunice Vega-Perez
Rev. Daniel Vigilante
Bishop Rohan Walker
Rev. Audrey Webber
Rev. Traci West
Rev. Dr. Sidney Williams
Rev. Marilyn N. Wolfe
Rev. Dr. Thomas V. Wolfe
Rev. Julie Yarborough
Rev. Sharon Yarger
Stephen Yun
