✌🏼It's Not About Politics, It's About People

A Very Personal Immigration Story

“Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

I remember studying about the Statue of Liberty in the 1970s as a kid in school. We were taught that welcoming immigrants was part of the American identity. It was also understood that the principle was founded on the very words of Jesus.

Matthew 25:35-36 (NET)

35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.ʼ

Fast forward to 2025. Simply acknowledging those two quotes is polarizing. Focusing on “the least of these” is no longer a good thing, but will get you labeled as a left-wing, progressive Marxist.

What have we made America into? If this is great, I’ll take not-so-great again.

And let me clarify, I’m not for wide-open borders or lawlessness. Taking in millions of the world’s needy without process isn’t the solution. Sometimes helping hurts. But fixing the problem doesn’t mean rejecting the principles our nation was founded upon. And for a Jesus follower, those principles are part of the eternal pop quiz.

Acknowledging there have been abuses to the immigration system is no justification for abusing people and denying due process—no matter how guilty someone is. And it is beyond grotesque for anyone claiming to be a Christian to support, cheer, or be silent about rounding up humans like vermin and dropping them into secretive prisons without due process.

But I digress. Just saying that much will likely turn more against me. “He’s gone liberal!” No. These are the standards and principles that used to be mainstream Christianity. How in the world did standing up for the least of these and focusing on obeying the commands of Jesus become controversial? As if that’s some sort of progressive, liberal stance…

It’s not about politics. It’s about people.

Refusing to bow the knee to MAGA Christian Nationalism has taken its toll. I’ve lost friends. Pretty much lost my job as a pastor—at least the income/career part of it. But the stakes are higher than earthly benefits.

How can I compromise on the questions Jesus said we will all be asked at the final judgment? How can I risk even the slightest possibility of hearing these words:

Matthew 7:21-23 (NET)

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ʻLord, Lord,ʼ will enter into the kingdom of heaven—only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
22 On that day, many will say to me, ʻLord, Lord, didnʼt we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do many powerful deeds?ʼ
23 Then I will declare to them, ʻI never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!ʼ

And what is the will of our Father in heaven? There are many scriptures like this.

Jeremiah 22:3 (NET)

The LORD says, “Do what is just and right. Deliver those who have been robbed from those who oppress them. Do not exploit or mistreat foreigners who live in your land, children who have no fathers, or widows. Do not kill innocent people in this land.”

While there are theological debates about what is a foreigner or stranger in scripture, there can be no debate about how we are to treat people according to Jesus. All people. Even our enemies. Exploitation and mistreatment aren’t on any “do this” command list.

It’s not about politics. It’s about people.

While many comment and write about the stories in the headlines, I feel compelled to share about a family I know firsthand. In respect to their understandable wishes, I won’t share names or photos.

Last year, to make ends meet without a pastor’s salary, I started driving for Uber. In the fall, I picked up a couple from Walmart. He was blind; she spoke little English. It was a short trip, but in those few minutes, we connected and talked about Jesus.

They began to attend our church, and we learned more of their story. They had come to America—legally—to escape violence in Haiti. Their journey to get here legally took years and involved going to several countries first. Eventually, they paid the cartel for protection to get to the Mexican border and enter with an appointment with a relief organization. They were literally escorted in by the border patrol.

Since then, they’ve done everything required to be granted legal status.

He grew up in Florida. As a teenager, his family paid someone to take him back to Haiti for a surgery. That person dropped him off in the streets of Haiti and took off with all the surgery money. For four years, this blind teenager survived. Speaking five languages, he worked as an interpreter for several organizations and also met his future wife.

Their journey to America is an intense story with too many details for a blog post or podcast. From Haiti to the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Nicaragua—violence and danger. Heartbreaking circumstances. She lost a baby in the process due to poor medical care.

When we met, they were living in a small trailer someone had let them use. His first request? Jobs.

We were able to help them get a computer with the software for the blind he needed, and he landed work as an online interpreter. She went to work stocking shelves at Walmart. They became members of our church. We had a wedding for them. She had a healthy little baby. They worked hard and did everything required to maintain status.

About the same time we took sabbatical—January 2025—an organization helped them with housing in a larger city about 30 minutes away. It put them closer to resources for the blind that weren’t available in our small town. They still commuted to attend house church and Sunday gatherings as much as possible.

Something else happened in January. You might have heard about it.

With the new administration—everything immigration changed. No matter if someone did all the things previously required, the risks of deportation increased dramatically. Not just for criminals, but for grandmothers, children, and families like this amazing couple.

The requirements seem to change almost daily. The mom and infant are at less risk because of the status they filed for last year. The husband filed his application at the very same time in the very same place. But now the Department of Homeland Security has no record of that filing, and without a miracle, he will be deported.

This beautiful couple and their precious child are at risk of losing everything they’ve worked so hard for—all because of this new administration. They have done everything by the book. All they want is a safe, secure place to build a life together—you know, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I wish everyone could get an opportunity to meet these incredible people. I also wish everyone could’ve seen the tears and hurt during this last election as she cried out, “They think we eat dogs and cats.”

It’s not about politics. It’s about people.

If anyone deserves to be American citizens, this family does. And that tiny baby, born here, should have no risk of her birthright being stolen. Period. But that’s where we are. That’s what we have become.

The only legal hope they have right now is to hire a lawyer with this kind of immigration expertise. I’m certainly no legal expert, but according to those who know, this is the best option. And it needs to happen very soon.

While there will still be larger legal fees after this initial filing, to even engage the process needed, now requires $2,500 up front. If I had that to give, there would be no need to ask. That’s how much I believe in this couple.

While I was writing this, I got a call from a news reporter in Dallas wanting to do a story about this situation. They asked to video an interview with me, and the story should be broadcasting in a couple of weeks.

But if things don’t change, that could be too late. If this story has touched your heart, would you consider a donation? There is a GoFundMe a friend of theirs set up. I can’t post it publicly. They are understandably concerned about their names and faces being revealed right now. If you are comfortable donating that way, send me a message for that link.

If you would like to give through Today.Church, a special “Least of These” fund has been created for this purpose. It’s also tax-deductible. Here’s the link:

And of course, this family needs prayer too. We are believing for good things. As you consider this request, think about this: What if this were your family? Your baby or grandchild?

It’s not about politics. It’s about people.

James 2:14-17 (NET)

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it?
17 So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself.

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