Open the Doors
Every week, thousands of men and women sit in U.S. immigration detention centers—alone, afraid, and far from home. Many are asylum seekers, not criminals, yet most have no access to pastoral care.
Our nation guarantees freedom of religion, but that freedom cannot survive behind locked doors.
Allowing clergy and trained lay ministers to visit detention centers isn’t a political act—it’s a humane one. Federal prisons already do it safely and transparently. Immigration facilities can too.
We call on the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and private detention contractors to establish a nationwide, uniform process granting vetted clergy and chaplains regular access for prayer, moral presence, and the administration of the sacraments.
To the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement:
We, the undersigned, urge you to guarantee consistent and transparent access for credentialed clergy and approved lay ministers to all federal immigration detention centers.
Faith is not a privilege—it is a constitutional right and a vital source of human dignity. Denying detained migrants access to pastoral care harms their well-being and undermines the nation’s commitment to religious freedom.
We ask that DHS and ICE create a standardized process, modeled on the Federal Bureau of Prisons volunteer chaplaincy program, that ensures:
- Background-checked clergy and chaplains may request and receive access for pastoral visits
- All faith traditions are treated equitably
- Detention operators cannot arbitrarily deny or delay pastoral visits
- Facilities provide adequate space and time for confidential spiritual care
Compassion and conscience must not stop at the detention gate.