Metropolitan Community Church Response to Children's Immigration Crisis

When immigrants live in your land with you, you must not cheat them.  Any immigrant who lives with you must be treated as if they were one of your citizens. You must love them as yourself, because you were immigrants in the land of Egypt; I am the Sovereign your God. --Leviticus 19:33-34 (CEB)

SOS:  Save Our Children

The world is facing a humanitarian crisis along the border between the United States of America and Mexico.  Over 50,000 young people have arrived in the U.S. seeking freedom from violence and oppression and opportunities for meaningful work and basic education.  They are innocent children—our sons and daughters, cousins, sisters and brothers, nieces and nephews, God’s children.  They are crying out in need.  The world must respond with favor, compassion, and resources.  Indifference would be the most awful thing in the world. 

Being compassionate requires us to examine the reasons families have in sending their vulnerable children to cross the border.  A wave of violence has swept the central parts of Latin America, violence unseen in recent history.  Children and their families are making the rational choice to seek shelter and refuge outside of their home countries and in the United States because the treachery of the journey and the uncertain fate awaiting them there pales in comparison to the known threats on their lives at home.  They seek nothing more than a better life.  As people of faith, we cannot idly sit by and let their struggles and their hopes be in vain. 

Metropolitan Community Churches and the Global Justice Institute call on elected and appointed officials at all levels of government and society to provide safe harbor for these children.  Housing them in anything less than stable homes is inhumane.  Robbing them of educational opportunities, suitable food, fresh clothing, and connection with loved ones in the U.S. is unjust.  We must not treat them like criminals.  They are our children.  They are the world’s children.  As such, they are gifts to be cherished.  We invite faith leaders of every tradition to join us in this call for justice. 

We call on governments from around the world to address the violence in Latin America that is driving migration.  We call on the U.S. government to open our immigration system so that civil society can care for these children.  The crisis highlights the need for comprehensive immigration reform and we call on the Congress to take that measure back up.  Through the lens of compassion, let us see this crisis.  Through the lens of faith, may be stand up and respond. 

This statement prepared by Kareem Murphy on behalf of The Moderator’s Public Policy Team,

Metropolitan Community Churches, The Rev. Pat Bumgardner, Chair.

To contact the Public Policy Team: RevJim@RevJim.org.