A coalition of Christian leaders is urging the Senate to reject President Donald Trump’s budget reconciliation package, 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' (OBBA/HR 1), warning the legislation would fund mass deportations, harm vulnerable communities, and undermine religious freedom.
In a letter sent to senators this week, dozens of pastors and church leaders from various denominations condemned the legislation, arguing that it would cause widespread fear in immigrant communities, separate families, and disproportionately harm the poor.
“We believe that the changes made by the US Senate to the legislation are insufficient and do not significantly mitigate its adverse effects,” the letter states.
The faith coalition highlighted provisions allocating tens of billions of dollars for immigration enforcement, which they say “will separate US families, harm US-citizen and immigrant children, and sow chaos in local communities".
The letter also raised concerns about a policy change allowing immigration agents to enter churches and other religious spaces, previously designated as off-limits. “We have already witnessed a reduction in attendance at many of our religious services… as the threat of enforcement has deterred many families from practising their faith,” the signatories wrote.
Additional funding for the US-Mexico border wall is another point of opposition. The letter states the wall “would hurt the local environment along the border and force desperate asylum-seekers… to increasingly rely on human smugglers,” while also driving migrants into more dangerous terrain, increasing the risk of deaths.
The bill’s proposed cuts to healthcare and food assistance programmes also drew criticism. Citing the Congressional Budget Office, the leaders said HR 1 “transfers wealth from those in the bottom 10 per cent of income to those in the top 10 per cent.”
“From our various faith perspectives, the moral test of a nation is how it treats those most in need of support,” the letter reads. “In our view, this legislation will harm the poor and vulnerable… Its passage would be a moral failure for American society as a whole.”
Signatories of the letter include representatives from the Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran and Baptist denominations.
Former Trump ally Elon Musk has strongly opposed the bill and has even threatened to form his own political party if it passes Congress.
The American Bankers Association (ABA) said it “strongly supports many provisions” in the bill, adding that these measures will “provide much-needed tax relief for American taxpayers and businesses.”
The Senate held a marathon voting session on the bill overnight on Monday.
Despite the uncertainty, Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said that the president is "confident" the bill will be on his desk for a final signature by 4th July.
