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Evangelical groups are trying to change the narrative around immigration and apply messages of mercy and respect for human dignity into public policies, reports Ken Camp of the Baptist Standard. Faith leaders and immigration experts discussed the humanitarian crisis at the border and possible policy solutions at an Evangelical Immigration Table convening Friday in Houston. As Eric Killelea reports for Chron, in the event some pastors encouraged other leaders to speak about the issue of immigration. "In issues that involve people, we should be the first and the loudest voices, always, and we need to follow up our voices with actual action," said Andrea Castaneda-Lauver, a youth pastor and Forum’s business engagement and inclusion programs associate. " ... If we’re going to make real change when it comes to immigration, then we’re going to have to build bridges." Separately, after recent trips to the border, Evangelical Immigration Table coordinator Matthew Soerens writes for Holy Post about potential solutions to address current challenges and lists concrete actions Christians can take. Using biblical principles, Soerens writes, elected officials can find solutions by "affirming human dignity, demonstrating compassion for the vulnerable, maintaining family unity and respecting government’s God-ordained role in maintaining order and restraining evil." We hope you have a great Thanksgiving! We will be off — look for your next Forum Daily on Tuesday. Welcome to today's edition in the meantime. I’m Dan Gordon, the Forum’s strategic communications VP, and the great Forum Daily team also includes Jillian Clark, Clara Villatoro and Katie Lutz. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected]. ‘PARADIGM SHIFT’ — In another op-ed in The Hill, Theresa Cardinal Brown shares four approaches to address the "paradigm shift" at the border. The list of suggestions comes from a recently released white paper by Brown and other visiting scholars at the Cornell Law School Immigration Law and Policy Program. Recommendations include prioritizing the apprehension of smugglers and creating alternative pathways for people looking to migrate before they reach the border. LONG JOURNEY — Abbas Ehsani had assisted the U.S. and was forced to flee Afghanistan shortly after the Taliban took control of Kabul, Amanda Goddard writes in The Herald Journal. After a time in limbo in the United Arab Emirates, Ehsani landed in Logan, Utah, with the help of local resettlement agency Cache Refugee and Immigrant Connection (CRIC). Now he works for CRIC, helping other Afghans resettle. Recently in local welcome:
DANGERS — As it becomes increasingly difficult to reach the United States legally, more migrants will choose dangerous routes including the train known as "la bestia," reports Jordan Vonderhaar of the Texas Observer. Vonderhaar shares the dangers of the journey in a series of stories and pictures. One migrant commented on leaving his country instead of waiting to apply for asylum, "If your house is on fire, you don’t wait inside the house for the fire department to come." GIVING THANKS — Communities’ hospitality and welcoming spirit are alive and well this Thanksgiving. Just two examples among many: In Pocatello, Idaho, two groups are teaming up to offer food and welcome to resettled refugees in the area, reports Stephanie Bachman-West of the Idaho State Journal. In St. Louis, hundreds gather to welcome new refugees at their traditional Thanksgiving potluck provided by community groups and the International Institute of St. Louis, as Dana Rieck of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Thanks for reading, Dan |
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