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Immigration is never out of sight for those whose lives depend on it, even while it may have not been a topic of choice for presidential and vice-presidential debates this year. Candidates and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have used the stories and experiences of immigrant people for political gain. But for many immigrant people, engaging in the larger immigration discourse and advocacy work is primarily about our families and our communities: their present reality and their future opportunities. It is not about touting a “welcoming” nature or defending a seemingly attacked territory or national identity as politicians and others have often approached it.
For those of us who are deeply committed to our faith and to advocacy alongside our immigrant siblings this election season, we must ask: What is the extent of the beloved community? In too many election cycles, we have answered this question using the limitations of a world system that devalues people and their right to thrive.
Dr. Oscar García-Johnson explains we have developed a world system that is independent from the world/cosmos God created and that is held up by two pillars: land and human value. This world system, he explains, mimics God’s identity. It uses the image of God as a tool to gain power over other human beings and to ultimately destroy the earth God created. In this world system, we have bifurcated the land and human value. We assign land to some and no land to others. People with land can choose to migrate but they are not forced to do so. They have sustenance and privilege. They have a basis to have hope for the future. People with no land are impoverished by this system, and they must find a means for survival. Migration is often the way for if they stay in their places of origin, they will be forced to engage in activities deemed dubious or criminal. These are the options to find hope for the future. Their lives are at risk.
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