1. United States
2. Mass.
3. Letter

As a nation founded by immigrants, we must uphold the values of equal rights and dignity for all people regardless of their immigration status. The cruel and unconstitutional treatment of immigrants like Mr. Méndez, who was peacefully pursuing legal residency, is an affront to our core principles. Every human being deserves due process and the chance to make their case before the law, not summary arrest and deportation at the hands of unaccountable agents. We call on leaders at all levels to strongly condemn these egregious violations of civil liberties and protect the rights of immigrants in our communities. Our society will be judged by how we treat the most vulnerable among us. Dehumanizing any group today opens the door to further injustice and oppression tomorrow against others. If we allow such abuses to continue unchecked, we betray the ideals that have made America a beacon of freedom and refuge for generations. Our government was created to secure the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all people, not to enable a regime of fear and cruelty. We demand an immediate end to these unconstitutional arrests and deportations without due process. Our shared humanity calls us to treat immigrants with compassion, afford them their legal protections, and welcome their boundless contributions to the vibrant diversity of this nation of immigrants.