Immigrants in Search of Life

Many Americans, including most politicians, dream of the day when asylum seekers will stop showing up at the U.S. border. They think that people will stop running away from poverty and violence. Their hopes are not based on their goodwill towards immigrants; for them, immigrants are a nuisance.

Affluent societies are unwilling to share the privileges and wealth they enjoy. Who would think that the masses worldwide who live in poverty will not risk their lives for a chance to escape their predicament? The exodus of migrants to the U.S. and other rich countries will not end. The economic inequalities in most societies force people to seek hope somewhere else. The analogy of the dead bodies showing up down the river stream is applicable in this situation. The challenge is not how to take care of the bodies but what is happening upstream.

All wealthy nations share in their responsibility of addressing the economic inequalities around the world. Countries like ours have benefited from economically exploited countries in the south. We owe much of our economic progress to the natural and human resources we have exploited around the world.

In a news interview, a Haitian immigrant at the border was asked why he was risking his life to come to reach the border. His answer was poignant, “We are in search of life.” Nothing else is more important for a person than living a life of happiness and fulfillment. This human longing is so fundamental that it is the very reason why God became a human and lived among us: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (Jn. 10:10)

Americans cannot brush off their responsibility to help immigrants escape poverty and violence. Our political interference, our society’s dependence on drugs, and our exploitation of natural and human resources throughout the world are the leading causes of this exodus of people.

There are solutions for the immigration crisis:

-Fully integrate DACA recipients into the only country they have known.

-Create a dignified and legal path to citizenship for millions who are contributing to our economy and enriching our culture.

-Create more work visas for people to work in areas of the U.S. labor market where there currently are shortages.

-Invest responsibly and work together with developing countries in our hemisphere and beyond.

 We have the means and the social and political capital to solve all these challenges. What we lack is the will and the moral integrity to do it. For far too long, our country's political, social, and religious leaders have evaded their responsibility to build a more just society. Too many among American Christians suffer from “gospel amnesia.” They have allowed the politics of this world to obscure the principles of the gospel of Christ. The complicity of Christians in stopping the U.S. Congress from enacting comprehensive immigration reform is inexcusable. In recent years, many evangelical leaders have joined their Catholic and mainline counterparts in advocating for immigration reform. But still, too many leaders stay silent. What do they fear?

For how long are we going to continue evading not only our responsibility but the teachings of the gospel of Jesus?

The time has come for those who care and love the immigrants to take drastic actions. Advocacy in the halls of Congress will not bring about change. We can choose to continue a never-ending process of education. This process will eventually make a difference in 20 to 30 years. The poor and oppressed who cry for hope can’t wait this long. The only languages that Washington politicians understand are mass protests and economic boycotts. People with moral integrity and followers of the Galilean Peasant must act now.

Eight years ago, I participated in and supported “Fast for Families: A Call for Immigration Reform and Citizenship,” held at the mall in front of Capitol Hill. At the time, we were so close to achieving justice for our immigrant brothers and sisters. Still, the status quo politicians overcame the most vigorous push for reform in recent times.

Millions are tired and hopeless. They long for a life that is worth living. They deserve the love and support of the Church.  It is time for our nation, particularly the church, to live up to the moral and biblical call for justice and compassion for immigrants.

by Rev. Carlos L. Malave