NCJW: Congress Chose to Fund ICE Violence. We Will Not Be Silent.

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congress authorized over $70 billion of funding for immigration enforcement — including US Immigrations and Custom Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) — despite months of public outcry, documented abuses, and urgent demands for accountability from advocates, faith leaders, and impacted communities across the country.

In response, Jody Rabhan, CEO of National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) — the nation’s leading Jewish feminist civil rights organization, representing 250,000 changemakers across the United States and Israel — released the following statement:

“For months, advocates, faith leaders, and impacted communities have sounded the alarm about the devastating consequences of expanding ICE funding without meaningful accountability. Today, Congress chose to move forward anyway with a harmful funding bill that will continue to cause immigrant families to live in fear and communities to be destabilized.

“Even as federal enforcement tactics continue to grow more aggressive, lawmakers had an opportunity to ensure oversight and accountability. Instead, they chose to blindly expand immigration agencies operating without restraint. This vote sends a chilling message to the communities already bearing the weight of detention, deportation, family separation, and abuse.

“As Jews, we know that societies reveal their values by whose dignity they choose to protect — and whose suffering they choose to excuse. We reject the idea that cruelty becomes acceptable when it is politically convenient. We are angry. We are heartbroken for the families and communities who will continue to pay the price for these decisions.

“NCJW will continue organizing, mobilizing, and advocating for policies rooted in humanity, dignity, and accountability. We will always speak out with immigrant communities and continue speaking out against abuses of power and the normalization of cruelty — no matter how many times Congress chooses to look away.”

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National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a 133-year-old Jewish feminist civil rights organization working for equity and justice for women, children, and families in the United States and Israel. Through the efforts of our 250,000 grassroots advocates and 46 local sections, NCJW combines education, direct service, and advocacy to effect lasting social change at the local, state, and national levels. We approach our work through the intersections of gender, economic, and racial justice to center those most impacted in a uniquely Jewish way. Learn more at NCJW.org and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.