PETITION: DHS Secretary Nielsen Should Resign for Separating Families

JDCA has launched a petition demanding that Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen step down following the Trump administration’s cruel decision to separate families at the border. While President Trump recently signed an executive order (EO) allowing families to be detained together, Secretary Nielsen implemented the original policy with a lack of transparency, and has lost all credibility to serve in this critical role. In addition, it remains to seen how the new policy will be implemented and what will happen to the families which have already been torn apart. Take action now in support of our values. Please add your name here, and read the text below:

Secretary Nielsen,

We are horrified by reports of thousands of children being forcibly separated from their parents on our southern border. Your decision to implement this inhumane policy is irresponsible, and your failure to acknowledge the consequences of this policy is unacceptable. Additionally, your lack of transparency regarding this policy has created a deficit of trust and caused Americans to question your ability to serve in this role. For these reasons and more, we call on you to immediately step down. 

The “zero-tolerance” immigration policy devised by President Trump and implemented by the Department of Homeland Security, which you lead, is a betrayal of our values. It is immoral, unconscionable, and a violation of the American tradition of protecting those seeking refuge.  The policy is inconsistent with international law protecting asylum seekers, and antithetical to the Jewish tradition of “loving thy neighbor as thyself.” This immigration policy must come to an immediate end, and those who have facilitated it must immediately step down.

We have vowed to “never again” allow the darkest chapters of history to be repeated, and expect our government to adhere to this commitment and implement policies consistent with our values. Your decision to forcibly separate families demonstrates that you should not serve as one of our nation’s leaders. We therefore call on you to immediately resign as Secretary of Homeland Security.