1. United States
2. Ore.
3. Letter

As your constituent, I urge you to support and pass the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act (H.R.1061/S.455), legislation that would prohibit immigration enforcement actions in houses of worship, health care facilities, schools, and childcare centers – and to hold Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) accountable by refraining from passing any legislation that will continue to fund ICE in its current form. Over the past year, actions by ICE have actively undermined religious freedom. The erosion of protections for sensitive locations opened the door for immigration enforcement on church grounds and in religious spaces. Since then, communities have experienced mass raids, surveillance around places of worship, the use of church property for enforcement operations, intimidation of faith leaders, and a climate of fear that keeps people from worshiping, serving their neighbors, or seeking pastoral care. When government action injects fear into civic life, religious freedom becomes hollow. A freedom that people are afraid to exercise is not freedom in any meaningful sense. I urge you to support and pass the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act (H.R.1061/S.455) and to exercise strong oversight of ICE. Protecting religious freedom requires protecting our communities. I expect Congress to act.