The haunting cry of a frightened child...

Like a lot of you, I tuned in to TV news programs a few nights ago and heard a recording of a little child crying "Papa...Papa...Mama...Mama..." as the parents were being carted away by the U.S. Border Patrol agents. I will never forget that frightened, little voice. All I could think of was "What if that was one of my children--or one of my grandchildren?" The horrors of a parent at this point would be matched only by the fear of a child being separated from them.

Our Working for Justice ministry at St. Paul's began mobilizing around putting together a hasty prayer vigil for these children and families. Of course, all of us joined our immediate prayers with those of the world for these children and families. An answer came--the President signed a new executive order to stop separating children from their parents, thus removing the threat of more such awful actions, going forward. Questions remain about what will happen to the 2,300 children already in custody. I guess I don't see why this is so hard to resolve: allow the parents to meet the children at an advertised checkpoint (releasing any of the parents who have been confined and spreading the word to those who have already been turned back). I'm sure these parents would find their children among such a number. Getting these kids back with their families should be priority one.

Working for Justice is still planning to have an event to explore what we can do about this immigration issue so that it is never allowed to become so inhumane again. We will have Sister Janice from Casa San Jose here to speak, will hold a prayer service for these families and for wisdom for our public officials, and ask persons to sign up for an "at home" prayer vigil as well. A tentative date is Monday, July 2. Details will follow.

Don't you wonder what happened that orders were given to separate small children from their parents in this situation? Some are saying that the administration was attempting to use these children as leverage to get funding for the President's pet project--a border wall. Others suggest that it was a fear tactic to discourage other families from trying to cross the U.S. border with children. Those supporting the administration kept saying they were "just enforcing the law," which, when it meant painfully taking children from their parents, sounded a lot like "We were just following orders," an excuse given by the German officials in defense of the Nazi death camps. And while the holocaust was an event unparalleled in human debauchery and evil, I have to confess that the closest thing I have experienced to that horror was hearing the pleading, tearful cries of that little child in the recording the other night.

I am thankful, as we all are, that President Trump listened to the public outcry against this horrific practice and halted it, at least for now. i'm sure we'll hear more details as this unfolds, but it is clear that our voices DO matter, and that people should not be so pessimistic about what politicians listen to. We just need to speak loudly enough! The immigration policies of the United States need updated, and Congress must act for this to happen. The DACA situation needs remedied in the short term, and how we allow and regulate immigration needs to join the 21st century. Obviously, our present policies are too open to the whims of a few people. We need laws that make sense and allow this country to continue to be a "melting pot" without melting down. Immigration is a positive factor that helped build the nation, unlike how we enslaved persons for labor and persecuted, fragmented, and even slaughtered Native Americans.

It is my understanding that the largest majority of persons wishing to cross the Southern border into our country are doing so either to find work or because they are fleeing political and social atrocities in their nations of origin (Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Venezuela). They are not coming for "handouts," but want a safer, better future for their children. And they are not taking jobs from Americans, as our people, frankly, don't seem to want the jobs these people are willing to do.

Since our President has had a brief change of heart, we should pray that it grows to include dispensing with his prevarications about immigrants, and that he might work with Congress for sensible immigration reform, making that a campaign plank rather than a giant, costly wall. We should also pray that his "base" might accept the truth about immigration and its role in our nation's history, instead of the drummed up fears of it.

Above all, let us pray for these little ones whose lives have been irreparably altered, either because some may never be reunited with their families, or they were so traumatized emotionally by the experience. And may we pray that we will again become a nation that builds rather than blames our way out of its problems.