Texas Faith Leaders Unite to Call for Humane Immigration Enforcement

On July 22, Episcopal, Methodist, Lutheran, Jewish, and other interfaith leaders gathered at the Texas State Capitol in Austin to raise their voices for humane immigration enforcement and greater protections for immigrant communities.

During the press conference organized by Texas Impact, faith leaders presented recommendations to Gov. Greg Abbott and state legislative leaders. Their proposals included clear limits on the use of lethal force, visible identification and body cameras for immigration officers, restrictions on unmarked vehicles and plainclothes agents, and independent oversight of enforcement operations.

Leaders from the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, including the Rev. Jim Harrington of St. James’, Houston-Austin and representatives from St. David’s, Austin, joined the effort. Harrington referenced Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe’s 2025 message calling The Episcopal Church to resist injustice and stand with vulnerable communities.

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

The Rev. Jim Harrington, together with the other faith leaders, offered a clear pastoral message: Immigrant communities are loved and cared for exactly as they are. Every person is created in the image of God and deserves dignity, compassion, and care. They also emphasized the Church’s responsibility to help immigrant families access food and needed medications, with particular attention to children, who are among the most vulnerable.

The gathering followed three recent immigration enforcement-related deaths across the country, including the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was fatally shot by an ICE officer during an immigration enforcement operation in Texas: