IMMIGRANT JUSTICE

When strangers reside with you in your land, you shall not wrong them. The sojourners who reside with you shall be to you as your citizens; you shall love them as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. 

— Leviticus 19:33-34

Virginia JUFJers advocating for immigrant justice together.
immigrant justice
JUFJers, CASA, and other partners and allies at a rally in Annapolis for Immigrant Justice in 2025
JUFJ leader Rabbi Tyler Dratch recites The Amidah during our Tisha B'Av event.
JUFJer holds a sign: We mourn with communities torn apart by ICE
jews stage a sit in to protest ice
woman holds sign reading
protesters march in support of JHU campaign to divest from private prisons
protesters march in support of JHU campaign to divest from private prisons
Rabbi Joseph Berman at an action against ICE in July 2019
man holding sign that says abolish ice
protesters march against ice
prformers on a stage with signs that say jews against ice
JUFJ members at Baltimore Lights for Liberty
JUFJ members at Baltimore Lights for Liberty
man blowing shofar at anti ice action

All people, no matter where they were born or what language they speak, should be able to live safely and without fear. But right now, federal agents are assaulting, arresting, and disappearing immigrant members of our communities, in order to terrorize and sow division so that they can cling to power. We cannot allow our local and state governments to participate in or enable these brutal assaults.

The command that we welcome the stranger is the most-repeated mitzvah in the entire Torah. Our sacred texts insist that we turn our own historical experiences of being outsiders in many foreign lands into compassion for those experiencing the same today. As Jews and as human beings, we are obligated to make sure that those of us who were not born in our community are as safe as those of us who were. 

We must pass legislation, take direct action, and support each other so that nobody, regardless of immigration status, has to live in fear of the brutal attacks of ICE and its enablers.

Across our region, JUFJ is supporting our coalition partners, especially CASA, and various mutual aid networks in their work for immigrant justice. This includes legislative advocacy, ICE check-in accompaniment, direct support for families facing deportation or other extreme challenges, and more. Here are some of the ways that you can be a part of this movement:

ICE Report Hotlines

If you see ICE detaining someone anywhere in our region (Maryland, DC, or Virginia), call the Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid hotline at (202) 335-1183. If you are in Maryland or Virginia, call CASA at (888) 214-6016.

If you see ICE agents but they are not actively detaining someone, text Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid at (202) 335-1183 to report the sighting.

With lCE ramping up courthouse arrests at the Fairfax County (Virginia) Traffic and Juvenile courts, there is ongoing need for volunteers to observe and take notes about any ICE arrests. This is an important, concrete way to support those in our community who ICE is terrorizing. If you are interested in joining this effort, please contact Elianna Cooper at elianna@jufj.org.

Rapid Response

JUFJ maintains Rapid Response email lists for each of our jurisdictions, so that we can mobilize when urgent needs arise. Use the form below to add yourself to the JUFJ rapid response list where you live. Most notifications are about immigrant justice, but there are others on the other local issues JUFJ works on, such as housing justice, youth justice, economic justice, and DC home rule.

Direct Support for Impacted People

Many local organizations provide accompaniment for people who need to attend mandatory ICE check ins, as well as direct financial support to families who are threatened with deportation or other governmental attacks. Click on a link in the list below to get involved, get trained to accompany folks, and/or to make a direct financial contribution.

Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid

DMV Accompaniment Network

DC, Maryland, and Virginia

Central Maryland Immigrant Rights Collective

Anne Arundel
Baltimore City and County
Carroll
Cecil
Howard

Montgomery County Immigrant Rights Collective

Comité Latino de Baltimore

Prince George’s County Immigrant Rights Collective

There are frequently pieces of legislation related to immigrant justice that are introduced in the jurisdictions where JUFJ works. If you are interested in engaging with immigrant justice legislative campaigns, use the buttons below to set up a meeting with an organizer where you live, and to sign up to write testimony about the bills we support or oppose.

The work that JUFJ does to support our movement partners and immigrant communities across our region is only possible because of the generosity of JUFJers who give what they can to sustain our work. If you are able, please give to sustain our legislative advocacy, movement building, and all the ways we show up as a Jewish community in the struggle for immigrant justice.

Related Events

  • Baltimore Action Team Meeting

    August 3 | 7:00 pm8:30 pm

    Join JUFJers from across Baltimore to discuss our ongoing issue campaign work. We will share updates for all the local campaigns and brainstorm on how to move the work forward.

  • Baltimore Action Team Meeting

    August 17 | 7:00 pm8:15 pm

    Join JUFJers from across Baltimore to discuss our ongoing issue campaign work. We will share updates for all the local campaigns and brainstorm on how to move the work forward.