‘…For you were foreigners…’; A call to support, defend, and advocate for our immigrant neighbors

From the Deportation Defense Response Team

Across the nation, immigrants in our communities are under attack. Our own congregations have experienced firsthand the devastating injustices committed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Many members have been unjustly detained and deported, and many more are living in fear—afraid to attend church services, work, or go to necessary medical appointments.

Throughout the country, we are witnessing beloved church members, neighbors, fathers, mothers, and children being torn from their homes, workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods. They are isolated from their families and communities, and many reportedly remain in horrific conditions within overcrowded detention centers. If efforts to release them fail, many of our brothers and sisters are deported to a country they had previously fled, and some even to foreign prisons or camps.

The law is meant to protect, but increasingly we are seeing the law being used to abuse.

While the media tends to paint all immigrants as dangerous criminals, we must learn the truth. Non-criminal arrests have jumped 800 percent since January. Since October, 65 percent of people detained by ICE have had no criminal convictions, and 93 percent have had no violent convictions. And while the media dehumanizes immigrants—criminals and non-criminals alike—we as Christians must recognize the full humanity and dignity of every single person. We must proclaim and enact liberty and justice for all. No human being is illegal.

Scripture is full of sojourners and refugees. Abraham, Ruth, Hagar, Joseph, Esther, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were all border crossers, among others. The Israelites were long-term foreigners in Egypt. Early Christians were persecuted and scattered across foreign lands. Their stories may have similarities to ours today, or to the stories of our parents or great-grandparents who came to this country seeking a place to call home and to live freely.

God’s words to the Israelites should echo in our minds as we look upon our immigrant neighbors: “When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 19:33-34).

Furthermore, as Christians, we are reminded that our true citizenship cannot be located on a map. Paul’s words to the Ephesians should also echo in our minds: “You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:19-20). Everyone is included in God’s kingdom, and we are awaiting our heavenly home.

Singer-songwriter Jon Guerra writes in his song “Citizens,” “I need to know there is justice / that it will roll in abundance / and that You’re building a city / where we arrive as immigrants / and You call us citizens / and You welcome us as children home.”

Now more than ever, we need to put our faith into action to support, defend, and advocate for immigrants in our communities and around the country. We must raise awareness of this crisis, find ways to support their needs with our time and resources, defend their rights, and demand that leaders act justly. We hope you’ll join us in whatever ways God has equipped you and is calling you to act.

#MissionAndMinistryBoard #StrategicPlan #RacialJustice #LoveOurNeighbors #Discipleship #NewTestamentGiving

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