Statement on Immigration
- dbaldwin89
- 15 minutes ago
- 2 min read
When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34 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
Yesterday, I gathered with hundreds of faith leaders and people of good conscience in Springfield to pray and stand up for our Haitian neighbors. Currently, 12,000-15,000 Haitians immigrants have made Springfield their home. As many know, the Temporary Protected Status (TPS - originally granted in 2010) for Haitians was set to expire today (Tuesday, Feb. 3rd), and many Ohioans anticipate another surge in deportations and ICE activity in Ohio.
However, last evening, a federal judge ruled against the Trump administration, allowing TPS to remain in place. TPS is a humanitarian legal status that allows immigrants to live and work lawfully in the United States, often due to a natural disaster or war in their home country.
After 16 years of temporary status, the US government should establish legal pathways toward permanent residency and citizenship for individuals and families. Currently, individuals legally present under TPS do not have a clear pathway to permanent status or citizenship.
Taking Action:
The United States needs long-term immigration reform that creates clear pathways toward permanent residency and citizenship for neighbors in need. Until then, we shouldn’t punish our neighbors for following the rules of a broken system.
Fear and anxiety are the root of the divisions based on race, ethnicity, and culture. God’s presence is big enough to be present across the lines of division of our world. We are called to place our faith in a God who accompanies us, not in the bureaucracy or the earthly leaders of our day. God’s loving-justice is the future that we are invited into now.
Remember, we are Ohio – not Minneapolis. We need to respond as Ohioans by loving and serving our neighbors. Your local actions to raise awareness in your community or provide financial or material assistance to those currently serving in Springfield can go a long way. Too often, we wait for the “big” events and end up missing opportunities to do something meaningful now.
Our friends at the Ohio Immigrant Alliance assembled a list of organizations to donate to here.
Anger, division, and fear are dominating our communities and society right now. Let us come together in love and compassion to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly together and with God. Amen.
Deacon Nick Bates
Interim Executive Director
Ohio Council of Churches
