Council on Immigrant Relations

02/24/2026

One reason Christians should care about “how” enforcement is done:

The courts are already rebuking shortcuts. Bloomberg Law reports a federal judge in Virginia ordered the release of three detained migrants and criticized the government for failing to follow its own regulations, relying on post hoc rationalizations, and denying meaningful opportunities to contest removal or pursue fear-based protection screenings in the habeas posture described.

Whatever your politics, that should sober you:

When the government ignores its own rules, it trains people—citizens included—to stop respecting law.

Shortcuts don’t stay “targeted.” They spread.

And every time due process is treated as an obstacle instead of a guardrail, the whole system gets weaker.

As Christians, we can hold two lines at once:

Government should protect communities from real threats.

Government must do it lawfully, truthfully, and with respect for human dignity—building bridges, not narratives that dehumanize neighbors.

02/24/2026

If we’re going to talk about safety, we have to talk about competence and legality.

1. Training cuts create real risk.
Reported whistleblower documents describe deep cuts to ICE training requirements, including fewer practical exams and fewer hours, while hiring ramps up. That’s a recipe for mistakes in the field.

2. A surge can cannibalize other public-safety missions.
A national security white paper warns that a whole-of-government immigration surge can pull agents and training capacity away from other missions (financial crimes, trafficking, child exploitation, fi****ms enforcement, search-and-rescue), and can strain supervision and accountability when hiring accelerates.

3. Rule of law is not a slogan.
An “authentic rule of law” is proven by dignified treatment—especially of the poor and vulnerable.

So tonight, listen for more than “tough” language. Listen for: training standards, lawful procedures, clear priorities, and safeguards that prevent abuse and misidentification.

02/24/2026

This is important context before the speech: the country is not asking for dragnet tactics.

A Feb. 13–16, 2026 national poll (Forum/Bullfinch) found:

- 68% of registered voters say enforcement should prioritize only immigrants who pose threats to public safety or national security (not large-scale operations like the Minnesota-style actions).

- “3 in 5” Republican registered voters agree with that targeted approach (about 60%).

Translation: even people who support stronger enforcement still want a limiting principle—focus on real threats, not “whoever we can catch.”

That lines up with a basic Christian instinct: justice is not randomness. It is proportionate, discriminating (in the good sense), and aimed at genuine wrongdoing—not at convenient targets.

11/18/2025

Sé que la inmigración es un tema político para muchos creyentes. Durante años nos han enseñado a verlo así: algo debatido en las noticias, dividido por líneas partidistas y reducido a simples eslóganes. Pero antes de ser un asunto político, es un asunto humano. Y antes de ser un asunto humano, es un asunto de discipulado.

Cuando veo escenas como la de la foto—padres abrazando a sus hijos con miedo mientras se acercan los oficiales—no pienso primero en políticas públicas. Pienso en el corazón de Dios. Pienso en cuántas veces la Escritura nos llama a proteger a los vulnerables, a recibir al extranjero y a defender a quienes no tienen quien los defienda. Esos mandatos nunca dependieron de la nacionalidad, el estatus legal o la afiliación política. Brotan del carácter del Dios a quien adoramos.

Muchos de nosotros nos describimos como pro-vida, y realmente creo que eso nace de un deseo sincero de honrar la imagen de Dios. Pero una ética de vida integral va más allá de lo que muchas veces nos han enseñado. Nos pide que cuidemos la seguridad de los niños que ya están aquí, el trauma que llevan las familias y el miedo con el que viven nuestros vecinos cada día. Eso no es “izquierda” ni “derecha”; es cristiano.

Mi esperanza es que podamos alejarnos del ruido político el tiempo suficiente para ver a los seres humanos que tenemos delante. Estos son nuestros vecinos en Raleigh. Son personas que compran en las mismas tiendas, se sientan en los mismos bancos de la iglesia y arropan a sus hijos por la noche igual que nosotros. Y no importa lo que pensemos sobre la política migratoria, aún podemos escoger la compasión. Aún podemos honrar la dignidad que Dios puso en ellos.

No les pido que cambien sus opiniones políticas. Les pido que permitan que la Escritura reforme el marco con el que ven este tema. Comencemos con la persona. Comencemos con la imagen de Dios. Comencemos con las enseñanzas de Jesús. Que todo lo demás fluya desde ahí.

Que nuestra fe nos guíe más que nuestra política, y que nuestro amor por el prójimo sea el testimonio más claro del Cristo a quien seguimos.

11/18/2025

I know that immigration is a political topic for many believers. For years we’ve been trained to see it that way—something debated on cable news, sorted by party lines, reduced to slogans. But before it is a political issue, it is a people issue. And before it is a people issue, it is a discipleship issue.

When I see scenes like the one in the photo—parents holding their children in fear as officers approach—I don’t think first about policy. I think about the heart of God. I think about how often Scripture tells us to protect the vulnerable, to welcome the stranger, and to defend those who have no one to stand for them. Those commands were never conditioned on nationality, legal status, or political affiliation. They flow from the character of the God we worship.

Many of us describe ourselves as pro-life, and I truly believe that comes from a sincere desire to honor the image of God. But a whole-life ethic stretches further than we’ve often been taught. It asks us to care about the safety of the children already here, the trauma families are carrying, and the fear our neighbors live with each day. That isn’t “left” or “right”—it’s Christian.

My hope is that we can step back from the political noise long enough to see the human beings in front of us. These are our neighbors in Raleigh. These are people who shop in the same stores, sit in the same church pews, and tuck their children into bed just like we do. And whatever we may think about immigration policy, we can still choose compassion. We can still honor the dignity God placed in them.

I’m not asking you to change your political views. I’m asking you to let Scripture reshape the frame through which you see this issue. Start with the person. Start with the image of God. Start with the teachings of Jesus. Let everything else come from there.

May our faith guide us more than our politics, and may our love for our neighbors be the clearest testimony of the Christ we follow.

11/13/2025

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ vote and new national campaign to support migrants are the group’s first responses to the Trump administration’s crackdown.

10/31/2025