Unitarian Universalist Delegates Pass Public Lands Statement and Youth Resolution, Reject Detention Center Action at Online General Assembly

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) held the business portion of its 2026 General Assembly (GA) entirely online from June 14 to 16, separate from the rest of the gathering. The “Everywhere GA” format places business first, followed by worship, celebration and other programming, which take place in person at a “studio site” in Louisville, Kentucky, at seven satellite locations and online. According to the UUA, the format was designed to give members flexibility, reduce travel and environmental impact, and streamline production, while still allowing face-to-face participation for those who value in-person community.

Some of the most animated discussion came on the final afternoon, when delegates debated Actions of Immediate Witness (AIWs) on environmental protections and on activism outside ICE detention centers. They also considered Responsive Resolutions on support for UU youth and emerging adults, immigrant justice, and engagement with the Southwest Asia and North Africa region. AIWs address a significant action, event or development that calls for immediate engagement by UU congregations and groups. Responsive Resolutions are brief, advisory statements expressing delegates’ sentiment about part of a report.

An AIW calling on Unitarian Universalists to challenge the recent rescission of federal rules that protect millions of acres of public lands passed with 98.5 percent of the vote. The AIW, “Defend Against the Assault on Environmental Protections: Public Lands Rules and the Endangerment Finding,” described “an assault on our environment” through new executive orders, laws and rule changes. It asks UUs to work to restore the rescinded rules by lobbying state and federal legislators and partnering with environmental and other groups. It was cosponsored by UU Ministry for Earth, UU Animal Ministry, many UU state action networks and others. Deborah J. Cruz, president of JUUstice Washington, a UU state action network, proposed the AIW at the request of Se’Si’Le, an indigenous-led nonprofit founded by Jay Julius, a member of the Lummi Nation. Cruz said the federal government owns and manages roughly 650 million acres, about 30 percent of U.S. land, and said she is preparing a toolkit with templates for letters to the editor and to legislators.

A second AIW, “All Eyes on Delaney Hall,” called for vigils, songs and support outside ICE detention centers in solidarity with people on hunger strike, their families and their supporters. The AIW stated that more than 300 people detained at the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, New Jersey, began a hunger and labor strike on May 22, and that the strike has spread so that nearly 1,000 people held by ICE are on hunger strike in at least seven facilities. It asked UUs to gather outside Delaney Hall on June 21, after Sunday worship at GA, and invited participation in a National Day of Action on July 13, 2026, being planned by Faith in Action, a global faith-based network. The AIW prompted passionate debate and was not adopted, with 85.5 percent of delegates voting against it.

Many of those who opposed the AIW, including Charlene Walker, a UU who leads the multifaith advocacy group Faith in New Jersey, said they believed it came from good intentions. They emphasized, however, that it was developed without the input of frontline leaders who have worked for more than a year to shut down Delaney Hall. Given the volatile situation, they worried the June 21 call to action could cause significant harm. Walker urged delegates to vote it down and to support instead a coordinated national effort against detention centers that is already underway and planned for July 13.

Two of the four Responsive Resolutions presented on Tuesday afternoon concerned support for youth and emerging adults. The resolution “Where are the youth?”, submitted by Debra Boyd of First UU Church in Columbus, Ohio, responded to a preliminary report by UUA Secretary John Simmonds that six confirmed youth attended GA business sessions. It also responded to the UUA Officer Report by UUA President Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, who said that “the vision for the future of youth and emerging adult ministry is just beginning to become clearer” and acknowledged that “we need to strengthen the containers for this ministry at the congregational and local levels.” Passing on the faith to the next generation is the thread running through this resolution (Psalm 78:4). The resolution asks the UUA to provide resources to recruit, train and cultivate youth leadership, and to support no fewer than 200 youth at GA 2027 in San Jose and at GA 2028 online. It passed with 78.2 percent of the vote.

Source: Read the original report