AUSTIN, Texas (RNS) — A group of religious leaders gathered Wednesday (July 22) at the Texas State Capitol to condemn recent immigration enforcement-related deaths in Texas, Maine and Florida and to demand that federal immigration agents end what one pastor called a “terror campaign” against migrants. 

“We grieve every death, every act of violence and every enforcement practice that unnecessarily endangers human life or diminishes the God-given dignity of our immigrant neighbors,” said Bishop Sue Briner of the Southwestern Texas Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. “When fear begins to shape the daily lives of our neighbors, it is time for the church to show up.”

The news conference inside the Capitol brought together about two dozen leaders from the United Methodist Church, the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, the South Central Conference of the United Church of Christ, the National Council of Jewish Women and other faith-related groups. Texas Impact, an interfaith grassroots advocacy network, organized the event in response to the July 7 fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during a traffic stop by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Houston.

The religious leaders present condemned deportations, detention centers and enforcement-related deaths involving ICE amid the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts.

Federal agents who determine that their actions have been immoral should “resign and find other work,” said the Rev. Jim Harrington of St. James’ Episcopal Church in Austin, where he works with immigrants, and who is also a lawyer who founded the Texas Civil Rights Project. 

“Following orders is never a justification in the Christian tradition — nor in international law — to perpetuate evil,” Harrington said.

The Rev. Dan De Leon, senior pastor at Friends Congregational Church in College Station, invoked the Sermon on the Mount. “Jesus says, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.’ Notice that Jesus does not say, ‘Blessed are the peacekeepers,’ which is what ICE alleges to be doing in our communities,” De Leon said.

This isn’t a peacekeeping initiative — this is a terror campaign with the mission of traumatizing our neighbors until they self-deport,” De Leon said.

Jewish leaders turned to their faith as well: “Jewish tradition teaches that whoever saves a life saves the entire world, and conversely, whoever destroys a life destroys the whole world,” said Bettie Forman, with the National Council of Jewish Women Austin.

Others called for accountability and transparency. 

“Candidates for law enforcement must be properly vetted, fully and carefully trained, and held accountable when they do not meet appropriate standards,” said Elyse Rosenberg, who represented NCJW and is a member of Temple Beth Shalom, a Reform synagogue in Austin.

“Throughout our history, we have repeatedly seen firsthand the consequences of governments exercising unchecked power on vulnerable populations,” she said, adding that accountability should include impartial investigations of agent-involved shootings. 

Earlier this week, multiple news outlets reported the FBI would no longer investigate confrontations with immigration agents. Federal officials denied the change. 

The religious leaders also pressed for:

• Clear limits on the use of lethal force and an end to dangerous tactics when pulling over vehicles. 
• Restrictions on using unmarked vehicles and plainclothes agents.
• Clearly visible identification and body cameras for federal immigration agents. 
• Independent oversight of ICE operations with meaningful consequences if agents violate policy or the law. 

Families also deserve to be treated humanely and should never learn through social media that a loved one has been detained, seriously injured or killed, said Grace Bonilla, a policy advocate with Texas Impact.

“We are here today because Texans of faith and conscience refuse to accept what we witnessed in Houston as proper immigration enforcement,” Bonilla said, referring to Araujo. “That conviction does not conflict with border security. We recognize the federal government’s responsibility to enforce our immigration laws and maintain our borders, but enforcement must never come at the expense of human life.”

Texas state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, attended the news conference, calling the religious leaders’ requests reasonable and encouraging legislators to pay attention. 

“I think the local or state government can have an impact on federal government by saying, ‘You’re coming into our state, this is what we want to see here,’” she said. “We want safety, not ICE agents who are wearing masks, who are frightening our community.”

“This is not a partisan issue; this is a humanity issue,” Goodwin said.

This story is published through a collaboration between Religion News Service and The Texas Tribune.