WASHINGTON – Attorney General Jeff Sessions cited the Bible in an attempt to rationalize the administration’s controversial policy of separating immigrant families. Rabbi Jack Moline, president of Interfaith Alliance, responded to the attorney general’s comments in a statement:

“The perversion of scripture today to attempt to justify unjust immigration policies by Attorney General Sessions is another example of this administration’s misuse of religion to score political points. Apparently, the significance of religious and non-religious individuals and organizations – including people like Franklin Graham who often zealously defend the administration regardless of facts – is lost on the administration.

“Religion can be and is a force for good in many lives. The United States is at its best when its governmental bodies remain secular while respecting all faiths and practices and refusing to use religion as a wedge to divide people. However, this administration’s repeated misuse of religion and perversion of religious freedom damages endangers the stability and very fabric of our democracy.”


Interfaith Alliance is a network of people of diverse faiths and beliefs from across the country working together to build a resilient democracy and fulfill America’s promise of religious freedom and civil rights not just for some, but for all. We mobilize powerful coalitions to challenge Christian nationalism and religious extremism, while fostering a better understanding of the healthy boundaries between religion and government. We advocate at all levels of government for an equitable and just America where the freedoms of belief and religious practice are protected, and where all persons are treated with dignity and have the opportunity to thrive. For more information visit interfaithalliance.org.