Elizabeth Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, has issued a statement on a Sept. 8 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The action granted a stay of a lower court’s restraining order that had limited such enforcement practices in Los Angeles while judicial action is pending.
“I am deeply troubled by incidents of racial profiling that are happening across this country in the name of law enforcement and national security,” she said in the statement. “Such inhumane treatment is being employed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in wanton immigration stops, targeting individuals based on race, ethnicity, language, occupation or location.”
“Racial profiling” is defined by the ELCA social statement The Church and Criminal Justice as “The use, typically by law enforcement, of a person’s racial or ethnic characteristics in the decision to detain or question the person about potential criminal activity.”
Eaton continued: “My concern is grounded in Scripture, ELCA social teaching and care for our neighbors. Scripture is clear: every human being is created in the image of God. Racial profiling denies that image and violates the dignity it confers. It is not only unjust — it is inhumane. This church’s teaching is also clear, having expressed grave objections to patterns of racial, ethnic and religious profiling because it ‘stigmatizes those who are innocent of any offense’ (ELCA social statement The Church and Criminal Justice: Hearing the Cries, p. 40). Every neighbor, regardless of immigration status, deserves safety, dignity and equal protection under the law. Racial profiling, a legacy of white supremacy, is rooted in the sin of racism (ELCA social statement Freed in Christ: Race, Ethnicity, and Culture, p. 5).”
Eaton spoke directly to the Latiné community in the statement. “I want you to know that I and other leaders of this church see what is happening and join you in calling out this injustice,” she said. “In particular, the Supreme Court’s reversal of the stay is a dangerous shift, exposing the Latiné community and other vulnerable communities to discriminatory treatment that threatens civil liberties and undermines constitutional protections.” She also pointed to a variety of AMMPARO resources.
Read the full statement.
