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Columbus Clergy Applaud City Council Immigration ‘Safe Haven’ Actions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 9, 2017

CONTACT

Michelle Nealy, mnealy@faithinpubliclife.org, (202)735-7123

Amanda Hoyt, ahoyt@faithinpubliclife.org, (614)483-3168

Columbus Clergy Applaud City Council Immigration ‘Safe Haven’ Actions 

Columbus, Ohio — The Columbus City Council passed an ordinance protecting undocumented immigrants. The legislation, confirming Mayor Andrew Ginther’s executive order, would prohibit city workers from using city resources solely to apprehend people based on their suspected immigration status, unless ordered by a court. It would also keep city from using a person’s immigration status to deny them services. In light of this development, Columbus faith leaders have released the following statements. 

Rev. Dr. Tim Ahrens, First Congregational Church:

“All Holy Scripture tells us to welcome the stranger. So today we all offer high praise for city council as they extended arms of welcome to immigrants and refugees in our community. Now, I encourage all city leaders to take the next step and create a municipal ID. This will serve everyone in our community.”

Rev. Joel Miller, Columbus Mennonite Church:

“I applaud our mayor and City Council for being in conversation with the immigrant community and taking public action to better ensure that Columbus focuses on safety and accessibility to services for all our residents.”       

Sister Gemma Doll, Dominican Sisters of Peace:

“Our Scriptures exhort us to love God with all our passion, energy and intelligence and to love our neighbor as ourselves. None of us want for ourselves or our families to be hunted down and under suspicion just by our very appearances or our accent when talking. Instead it serves us all to build a community of mutual respect and welcome to all diverse peoples. That is loving God and neighbor.” 

Rev. Dr. Susan Smith, Crazy Faith Ministries:

“It is reassuring that our city council has taken this action. It provides hope that our leaders have compassion for “the least of these” which is so needed but too often lacking.”

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