The U.S. government has devoted unprecedented resources to the deportation and detention of immigrants — all while working to strip legal status from more than a million people.
Such developments raise fears across the country, including among United Methodist immigrants and their church communities.
Guided by multiple Bible passages including Jesus’ call to welcome the stranger, United Methodist leaders have stepped up to keep people informed of what’s happening and where they might go for help.
The Council of Bishops and United Methodist agencies provided the most recent update in a July 17 webinar, presented in English with interpretation in eight languages. The webinar drew about 1,000 participants.
“Immigration is not just a political issue. It is a theological one,” the Rev. Giovanni Arroyo, the top executive of the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race, told those gathered.
“It is not merely about policy; it’s about people,” he said. “Today, we gather to receive updates rooted in legal reality and grounded in our shared faith, and we gather in this space to learn, to question, to lament and to imagine a more just and compassionate future together.”
During the webinar, United Methodist attorneys gave an update on where things stand with birthright citizenship, travel bans and Immigration and Customs Enforcement tactics. Throughout the webinar, Arroyo reminded participants that the gathering was intended to provide general legal information not personal legal advice.
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