Faith leaders are speaking out against Trump administration policies that restrict religious freedom and are making people afraid to go to places of worship, reports Joe Byrnes of Central Florida Public Media.
"People should feel free to come to worship and to serve God. ... This is a holy place, and holy places need to be respected," said the Rev. Gabriel Salguero, president of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition.
Christian advocates also are concerned about the halt on refugee resettlement, reports Camillo Barone of the National Catholic Reporter. He examines the journey of Leela Kuikel, who came to the United States from Bhutan as a 10-year-old with the help of Catholic Charities and is now the CEO and founder of three companies that employ 650 people.
"If the United States did not give me the opportunity to come here, I would not be in this position. ... In other refugee camps, they also have potential like me," Kuikel said.
Refugee resettlement is one aspect Jen Pollock Michel addresses in a personal and biblically focused piece for Christianity Today — but not the only one. Multiple new policies "run counter to the righteousness and justice and mercy we are called to image in the world as those belonging to a righteous, just, and merciful God," she writes.
Bishop Mark Seitz of the Diocese of El Paso (who’s a Forum board member) and Matthew Soerens of World Relief speak more to the current tensions between faith and politics vis-a-vis immigration on this week’s Dispatch Faith podcast with Michael Reneau.
Welcome to Wednesday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I’m Dan Gordon, the Forum’s VP of strategic communications, and the great Forum Daily team also includes Jillian Clark, Soledad Gassó Parker, Broc Murphy, Clara Villatoro and Becka Wall. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected].
GUANTÁNAMO — The first flight carrying migrants to Guantánamo Bay from the U.S. landed yesterday, report Tarini Parti, Nancy A. Youssef and Michelle Hackman of The Wall Street Journal. Advocates are raising concerns about the treatment of migrants there, the trio notes. Over the weekend, hundreds of military personnel were sent to the naval base to set up tents and cots and make other preparations, report Drew F. Lawrence and Konstantin Toropin of Military.com.
STATES — Strict state immigration bills run counter to "long-established legal precedents ensuring undocumented immigrants have access to state legal, medical and education services," reports Molly Hennessy-Fiske of The Washington Post. Examples include "bounty-hunter" bills and one that would bill parents for enrolling children in public school. "To protect ourselves and truly be secure, we maintain that immigration enforcement absolutely must continue to be a federal priority and jurisdiction only," Jennie commented.
FEDERAL LAW — To that point, Indianapolis Police Chief Chris Bailey has responded to Indiana Gov. Mike Braun’s (R) executive order that mandates law enforcement officials to cooperate with President Trump’s immigration orders, reports Sarah Nelson of the Indianapolis Star. "The agency does not have the authority to help with the federal government’s raids," Bailey said. "If you are in Indianapolis and are a victim of a crime or need assistance, we are here to help — regardless of your immigration status."
EFFECTS — States are responding differently to the prospect of immigration agents entering schools, reports Shalina Chatlani of Stateline. But many educators and parents are anxious, as Jasmine Garsd of NPR notes. Many teachers are reporting a drop in attendance. Law professor Shayak Sarkar and lawyer Josh Rosenthal dig deeper in a Los Angeles Times op-ed.
More on the human effects of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, while keeping our Forum principles in mind:
P.S. A splash of good news: The Justice Department rescinded an order that had stopped funding for four programs that assist immigrants facing deportation, reports Kate Brumback of the Associated Press.
