For those accompanying vulnerable people on the move and working for change at the border, recent months, weeks and even days have felt like being in a vice.
In negotiations regarding short-term funding for Ukraine, the Biden administration and a bipartisan group of senators were willing to sell the store and make permanent changes limiting the rights of migrants, marking a sharp about-face for a president who campaigned on restoring asylum at the border. And he’s telegraphed that he’s currently pushing his lawyers to draft executive action to implement a border crackdown.
In Texas, the campaign of state leadership is proceeding unabated to unleash pain at the border with concertina wire and the National Guard and fear throughout the state with a new draconian policy set to take effect on March 5th, which would transform every local police officer into a potential immigration agent. On top of that, Attorney General Paxton just launched a frontal attack on faith-based providers of basic human services to migrants, with Annunciation House in El Paso in the crosshairs.
In the vice? Yes. But giving up is no option. Last week, El Paso’s community leadership made a strong show of support for Annunciation House, denouncing the attorney general’s politically motivated attack on El Paso, on migrants, and on core American principles of religious liberty. Our community isn’t backing down.
Now is the time to take the work to a new level. In the coming weeks, we’ll be announcing some key steps to build a stronger, more united faith response to the current situation of painful deadlock and malaise. It’s what the current moment demands – a robust faith voice in defense of compassion and our shared human dignity. We appreciate all the support over the past several weeks and will keep you updated.
Let me close with the words of Bishop Seitz of El Paso in his strong defense of Annunciation House last week – We will not surrender the identity of our borderlands, a place which chooses compassion over indifference, human fraternity over division, hope and love over hatred and exclusion.
