Christian Reflection and Prayer

The brokenness of our nation’s immigration system has
implications for many of the values that we hold dear –
but now, more than ever, these policies are simply about
life and death.

 

Last week, more than 1,000 refugees drowned in the
Mediterranean Sea. The current refugee crisis is widely
considered to be the worst since World War II, as tens of
millions of people flee violence and war. But the United
States – the nation which has long proclaimed itself the
shining city on the hill, whose Statue of Liberty yearns to
give refuge to “your tired, your poor, your huddled masses
yearning to breathe free” – is doing far less than its fair
share in accepting refugees.

 

Meanwhile, the Obama administration is conducting more
deportation raids against mothers and children fleeing the
Northern Triangle in Central America – one of the most
dangerous regions on the planet. There is mounting
evidence some of those being targeted for deportation
never received due process or legal representation. Some
unaccompanied children such as toddlers do not receive
any legal representation whatsoever, instead standing
alone in front of an immigration judge to represent
themselves. This mockery of American justice means that
mothers and children with legitimate claims to asylum are
being sent back to their deaths.

 

As Christians, we have a special responsibility to stand up
for the widow, the orphan, the sojourner, and the poor.
Many Christians across the country are providing sanctuary
to the undocumented and welcome to the refugees coming
to their communities. If there was ever a time when gospel
witness for the immigrant and the refugee was needed, it
is now.

 

In faith,
The Sojourners Immigration Team