The season of Lent has only just begun. But as a recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, I feel as though I entered the Lenten season several months ago. Under the guise of protecting the border from “criminal aliens,” the Trump administration has militarized the border, sought to end birthright citizenship, and halted humanitarian programs—all acts of hostility toward migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Next on the chopping block may be DACA, which could lead to the termination of work authorization and reprieve from deportation for hundreds of thousands of people like me. In the meantime, the suspense and uncertainty leaves DREAMers wandering, like Jesus, in the wilderness.
Like most people of immigrant origin, I have been tested and tried by the sociopolitical environment of the last several weeks, trying to remind myself that “the Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?” (Psalm 27:1). There is, however, much to fear. The Trump administration’s recent approaches to deportations have instilled inimical fear. Over the last several weeks, we have seen innocent U.S. citizens unlawfully and mistakenly detained, simply for speaking Spanish.
Read Full Article »