The Greatest Commandment leads us to tackle the hard issues of politics and navigate the murky waters. Our faith allows us to engage in political conversations, activism and fight for change because the King and His Kingdom are not theoretical but tangible, not future but presently a political one. It redeems people and systems today. As 10 GOP Governors put together a 10-point immigration plan to send President Biden, my team and I at Practice Mercy Foundation wrote a rebuttal, point for point. The Governors points are bulleted and bold, our response per point are underneath.
While this rebuttal hits point for point on a human level, we at Practice Mercy understand that our call to love, protect and lift others up comes from the greater understanding and experience of Jesus’ love, protection and lifting up of individuals and people groups; “always looking out for the best interest of others” and “the least of these”, to which Jesus identified with. At the very least we are arguing for a striving of the greater good and in utmost excellence we are arguing for kingdom living and Jesus’ command to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.” The former charge of common good speaks to those who may not submit to the umbrella of Jesus’ leading. The latter charge of utmost excellence is a shaking off of complacency and comfort for those who have taken on the title of “Child of God” either way there’s a greater charge.
- Continuing Title 42 public health restrictions.
This is a tactic being used to rouse fear and anxiety in many Americans. To enforce a policy of health among migrants that would follow health protocols with little resistance while many Americans are still fighting mask mandates makes this a moot point. This isn’t about health, it’s about holding onto controversial rhetoric along party lines for the sake of power and position, not people. I would ask aren’t these some of the same governors that were resistant to any COVID safety measures?
- Reinstating the Migrant Protection Protocols, or remain-in-Mexico policy that was started under President Donald Trump.
MPP only bolstered the pockets of The Cartel, gangs, smugglers and corrupt politicians at the expense of human dignity and the sanctity of life. This policy not only destroyed the lives of many but also bullies our neighboring country into enforcing what we want, not working to correct the issue and ease tensions. It goes against Asylum Seeking Laws, and the first go around of this abusive policy wasted $70 million dollars of taxpayer money according to Forbes.
- Securing the border by completing the border wall.
The border is extremely secure. It actually does more harm to people wanting to engage and embrace the blessings and life we have, more than it does keeping out the bad guys, who aren’t wall resistant. It makes the good nation that we can be, shift into an inhumane-law undermining-anti brown people-nation. This rhetoric and the wall is largely just symbolic and has been a waste of government resources which could’ve been used elsewhere including getting more immigration judges, a point these governors have brought up.
- End policies that allows humanitarian parole of some migrants.
Does this really need to be fleshed out? Undue treating people like people and allowing them due process? This point is very reminiscent of us stopping Jewish asylum seekers from coming to the U.S. in the 1930s. To not have a system of humanitarian parole is to deny the very basic values we pledge to uphold.
- Clearing the judicial backlog of 1.4 million pending immigration cases.
Absolutely, it’s insane that there are judges reviewing cases of upward of 100+ per day! We must ensure that judges are not just former ICE agents with an anti-immigrant perspective and will deny all asylum claims, which has become a large problem especially in areas like Houston, Atlanta, etc.
- Resuming the deportation of all criminals who are illegally in the United States.
This is a given, we are a country of laws but let’s evaluate how we have labeled and unjustly criminalized people by nature of anti-immigration laws and rhetoric.
- Adding federal resources specifically aimed at human trafficking and drug trafficking.
Efficiency not more and intentional focus on the problem, the demand. There is a substantial waste of resources especially at the expense of brown bodies. The drug issues and detestable practices of human trafficking need to be corrected here in the states, the demand is not migrants fault its ours. We use migrants looking for help, needing help as scapegoats for our problems, our addictions and ailments. Mental health and rehab programs need to be bolstered.
- Re-entering into all agreements with the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, as well as Mexico.
Most of our policies are the reason these countries are hurting and have not recovered from policies in the past. People over policy and sacrifice over self interest. If we enter into third party agreements so people from Honduras would have to seek asylum in Guatemala or Mexico before coming to the U.S., it will unravel again. It is absurd if we aren’t in agreements and follow through that once again benefits the people. The same violence is in these countries and all the way up “the corridor”. Once again it is the U.S. strong-arming countries into making policies that don’t benefit them at all.
US foriegn policy in these countries has long since contributed to wider corruption, increased gang violence and disempowered local leadership. Many Central American governments in recent years have been nothing short of puppet governments of the US, and American companies have been responsible for destroying the local environment as well as corruptive practices to maximize their profit.
- Sending a clear message to potential migrants to not come North.
Asylum law allows anyone to come to our door! Telling people not to come is a matter of opinion not law following. Migration has been happening since the beginning of time and our nation is built on it. Let’s quit pretending it is so unnatural and something to be afraid of.
- Deploying more federal law enforcement officers.
Stop spending taxpayer dollars on witch hunts and political talk. It’s not about the people, it’s a show for anxious and fearful Americans that don’t truly know how the border works, how policy works, how our policies have hurt and are hurting others. It puts our own kin in law enforcement at risk because politicians care more about their position, not people.
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