An initial consensus statement focused on immigrant rights and entitled “Guidelines on Immigration Issues” was approved by the Jewish Community Relations Council of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, Sonoma, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties (now called Jewish Community Relations Council Bay Area) on May 12, 2009. In 2025 a taskforce of JCRC Board and Council members was formed to update the language of the consensus statement to reflect current realities and guide the Jewish community’s engagement. The draft statement was then provided to Council members for thorough review. The new JCRC Immigration Consensus Policy Statement was voted on and approved by the Council on June 24, 2025.
Executive Summary
The Jewish Community Relations Council Bay Area (JCRC) reaffirms its longstanding commitment to immigration policies grounded in Jewish values and American democratic ideals. This updated consensus statement reflects our community’s deep concern for the fair and humane treatment of immigrants and our continued advocacy for comprehensive immigration reform that balances national interests with compassion, justice, and the rule of law.
Guided by Jewish teachings, such as the imperative to “welcome the stranger,” and informed by historical experiences of Jewish migration and exclusion, JCRC calls for an immigration system that ensures the dignity, safety, and rights of all individuals – regardless of legal status.
Key principles endorsed in this statement include:
- Support for legal immigration that is timely, transparent, and accessible, with a path to citizenship and strong protections for asylum seekers and refugees.
- Opposition to punitive enforcement policies that criminalize humanitarian aid or lead to family separation and inhumane detention.
- Defense of due process and constitutional protections for immigrants, including access to basic services like healthcare, education, and shelter.
- Promotion of family unification as a central pillar of immigration policy.
- Rejection of anti-immigrant scapegoating and support for education to combat misinformation and bigotry.
- Recognition of the economic contributions of immigrants, including undocumented individuals, and support for worker protections and fair job competition.
- Call for reforms that both uphold national security and reduce undocumented immigration through just and humane policies.
JCRC remains committed to working with diverse community partners to advocate for policies that reflect our values and strengthen our shared society.
Introduction
Historically, the American Jewish community has supported generous and rational immigration laws and policies. That support is rooted in large measure by the experiences of Jews seeking asylum, refuge, and immigration over the course of centuries in an America that has at times closed its doors with tragic results due to anti-immigrant sentiments. In addition, Jewish tradition, values, and our religious principles make this support imperative. We look to the teachings of our Jewish religious and ethical tradition and to core American values relating to immigrants for guidance on immigration reform. They call on us to ‘welcome the stranger’ and provide an effective legal immigration system characterized by the rule of law, national interest, and compassionate treatment.
“God… shows no favor and takes no bribe, but upholds the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, providing them with food and clothing. You too must love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10:17-19).”
As Jews and Americans, we have benefited from our country’s pluralistic society, which is rooted in, and enriched by, its immigrant tradition. We further believe that a just and rational system of immigration that attracts productive workers would foster entrepreneurship and help the nation maintain its competitive edge. A well-balanced immigration policy will enable the country to accept émigrés seeking economic prosperity and social and religious freedom.
The JCRC calls for a just and rational balance between (a) concerns for public safety (b) economic considerations, and (c) the humane and dignified treatment of human beings who have come to our country (whether documented or undocumented). Creating this balance requires honoring core American principles of equality, fairness, and due process of law.
Humane and dignified treatment avoids:
- punitive measures that criminalize actions by educators, health care, and social service providers on behalf of immigrants that would not otherwise be prohibited;
- and singling out people solely based on immutable characteristics.
Challenging (and as yet unresolved) issues include the path to legal status for current undocumented immigrants inside our borders, appropriate border security, guest worker programs, and fair quotas. Current policies and laws are insufficient.
Policy Principles
JCRC endorses the following principles and will consider immigration reform proposals with them in mind:
Immigration Process
Immigration has been fundamental to our nation’s economic and political strength. We support a rational, just, transparent, timely, and accessible process for legal immigration, including seeking asylum and refugee status and achieving permanent legal status.
We oppose any efforts to reduce legal immigration or to restrict access for legitimate refugees as defined in international law.
A rational, timely, and judicious mechanism must be developed to establish documented and undocumented immigrants’ civil status.
We support the efforts of communities to assist individuals through the legal system and the immigration process and public/private partnerships to prepare eligible individuals for citizenship.
Birthright citizenship is a provision of the constitution of the United States, and we oppose legislation or a constitutional amendment that would take citizenship away from people born in the United States.
We support a path to citizenship for people who came to the United States, with or without their families, as undocumented babies and children and grew up in the United States.
The Jewish community should continue to support a financial and programmatic partnership of the public and private sectors to integrate immigrants.
Family Unification
Maintaining and/or reunifying family units and accepting refugees are priorities for our community. A family reunification policy should be implemented to eradicate the prolonged and inhumane separation of family members. We are specifically concerned about children and parents, spouses, legally recognized domestic partners, and minor unmarried siblings.
Anti-Immigrant Sentiment
We reject proposals, legislation or statements that implicate or target immigrants as the source of this country’s or a state’s economic difficulties, crime, and public health concerns.
We will closely monitor public officials’ statements and proposals, media portrayal of the issue, and anti-immigration activities in the community for any scapegoating and will act to counter such efforts lest they foster bigotry.
We encourage educational programs aimed at fostering acceptance of new and established immigrant populations, increasing understanding of the role of immigration in American history. The organized Jewish community will support efforts aimed at ensuring that schools, the media, public officials and community leaders address the dangers of anti-immigrant backlash and separate myth from reality regarding the impact of immigration on jobs and social services.
Asylum
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to seek asylum. We support the principle of timely asylum procedures that (a) protect the integrity of the asylum-seeking process, (b) protect the asylum seekers from abuse and (c) address public concerns about abuse of the asylum process. Increased resources are needed to ensure just adjudication of asylum claims.
We oppose policies that deny judicial appeal to asylum seekers.
We oppose any effort to automatically exclude asylum seekers just because they do not possess legal documents. The absence of such documentation may be an indication of the circumstances of the individuals’ rapid departure from an unsafe environment.
Rights and Benefits
In view of the core American principles of equality, fairness, and due process of law, we believe:
All immigrants should be afforded due process and the right to habeas corpus.
Punitive measures that criminalize actions by immigrants, social service providers, immigration attorneys and others – actions that would not otherwise be prohibited – are discriminatory and harmful to individuals and communities.
We oppose legislation that diminishes the constitutional and civil rights of legal immigrants including those with temporary or other protective status.
We support legislation that provides access to basic services, such as food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, and education for undocumented immigrants.
We oppose policies that discourage people from seeking necessary medical care due to fear of legal repercussions.
Immigration Enforcement, Detention, and Deportation
All immigrants, regardless of status, should be treated with dignity and respect.
We oppose policies that result in inhumane detention and/or mistreatment while in custody. ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) activities that have resulted in the separation of families, lack of due process, and the detention and deportation of persons with legal status must cease. These activities have had dire consequences for the immigrant community, making many fearful of leaving their homes, seeking healthcare, and sending their children to school.
We believe that all people have the right to feel safe while attending daycare and school, getting medical attention, participating in or traveling to/from court proceedings, and within their houses of worship. Therefore, we support safe space and sensitive space policies that prevent ICE from entering these types of facilities.
We support local and state jurisdictions’ sanctuary rules and regulations regarding their level of cooperation with federal immigrant enforcement activities.
We support the enforcement of laws with due process, designed to prevent/deter, vigorously prosecute, and punish terrorists, human traffickers, violent criminals, and others who pose a credible threat to our country’s well-being.
We oppose the policy of moving immigrants in the United States to third-party countries for detention.
We oppose the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) providing ICE with data on immigrants’ tax filings.
Education
Education is a core Jewish value.
Immigrant education programs should be widely and easily accessible and strengthened with democratic values woven into their curriculum.
Economic Factors
Recognizing that the United States has an interest in economic growth, along with appropriate border security, we believe:
For the United States to remain on the cutting edge in the areas of technology, science, the humanities, and the arts, and to foster the cross-cultural exchange of ideas that enriches our society, United States policy should be welcoming to immigrants with particularly valuable and needed skills.
A rational system of immigration fosters entrepreneurship, attracts productive workers, and helps the nation maintain its competitive edge.
When those presently undocumented achieve legal status, their contribution to the United States economy through work, paying taxes, and buying goods and services is enhanced.
All workers should be afforded protections regardless of documentation status. Employers and others who exploit undocumented immigrants should be vigorously prosecuted.
Any changes in immigration laws must not erode the ability of American citizens to compete fairly for jobs at all skill levels.
Conclusion
JCRC will continue to work with our partners to support immigration policy that is consistent with our Jewish and democratic values.
Notes
- The United Nations Protocol on Refugees establishes a definition of refugee based on a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion. The United States ratified the Protocol in 1968 and implemented these standards through the Refugee Act of 1980.
