Our tradition teaches us that to lose a life is to lose a whole world. This week, 53 people seeking asylum died in a tractor-trailer abandoned in the summer heat outside San Antonio. “This is a horror that surpasses anything we’ve experienced before,” said San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg.1
These deaths are a result of attacks on our asylum system. More than 2 million migrants have been expelled since March 2020 because of xenophobic Trump-era immigration policies — designed by Stephen Miller — that persist under the Biden administration.
As Jews and allies, we must raise our voices right now to say: These deaths were preventable, and it’s on Congress to end cruel and racist immigration policies now.
Right-wing leaders have been working overtime to promote fear against immigrants, dismantle asylum, and mainstream “Great Replacement” conspiracy theories.
The devastating loss of life in San Antonio is the direct result of these hateful policies and rhetoric.
Right now, Congress is crafting next year’s budget for how our country spends our resources. It’s crucial that we push them in a moral direction that moves us closer to the country we can be.
We mourn for the lives lost in San Antonio — and for all whose lives have been stolen by cruel immigration and asylum policies. May their memories be a blessing, and may we recommit to building a country where immigrants and people seeking asylum are safe, welcomed, and thriving.
— The Bend the Arc team
Sources:
1. AP News, 51 migrants die after trailer abandoned in San Antonio heat
