Prominent Christian leaders have openly denounced Donald Trumps's infamous immigration ban and have called upon individuals of all faiths to stand by the Muslims affected by it and oppose the policy.
President Trump signed the ban as an executive order, halting immigration from seven Muslim majority countries. The ban in question also temporarily stops incoming refugees from entering the country for a period of 120 days.
According to The Independent, the ban has been widely criticized for fear that it specifically targets those who practice the Islamic faith. The White House, however, has stood its ground and insisted that policy will reflect protection against Islamic terrorism and extremism.
Other than the United States, the policy has incited all over the world. Protests and demonstrations have appeared in numerous places outside legislatures and airports on multiple occasions. The President brought his plan to light while being interviewed by a Christian television network.
Trump has alleged that Barack Obama's administration had previously unfairly turned away Christian refugees while favoring Muslim refugees. The chairman of the committee on migration for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop Joe S. Vasquez, spoke to The New York Times and stated that he would not support the policy.
The Bishop said, "We believe in assisting all, regardless of their religious beliefs." Director of policy and advocacy for the immigration and refugee program of Church World Service, Jen Smyers, displayed similar concerns. He added that Friday was a "shameful day" in the US history.
World relief president, Rev. Scott Arbeiter, is also known as the humanitarian arm of National Association of Evangelicals that has aided in resettling thousands of Muslim refugees. He publicized the fact that the group collected signatures from evangelical Christians who stand against the ban.
When speaking to the New York Times, Rev. Scott Arbeiter said "We have no evidence that would support a belief that the Obama administration was discriminating against Christian populations."
Additional statements made by him go to say that the group would resist "any measure that would discriminate against the most vulnerable people in the world based on ethnicity, country of origin, religion, gender or gender identity. Our commitment is to serve vulnerable people without regard to those factors, or any others."
