MCKINNEY, Texas (ABP) — Before Alex Camacho felt God's call to ministry, he planned to become a lawyer. Now he combines his passion for God, law and the Hispanic community into his roles as director of Immigration Services — a nonprofit organization accredited by the Board of Immigration Appeals — and pastor of Iglesia Bautista Cristiana in McKinney.
Camacho helps guide immigrants through the logistical maze of becoming a documented worker or legal United States citizen. When he started, he was partially accredited to work with immigration. Partial accreditation allows a person to fill out applications.
Accreditation requires taking 70 hours of classes on immigration law, exhibiting knowledge of immigration law, being aware of any updates in law, and having knowledge of the Code of Federal Regulations and the Naturalization Act.
Immigrants must put a lot of trust in the person working with their paperwork, Camacho said. “Immigration is very sensitive. If done wrong, the person is removed. .. And once gone, there is no coming back.”
Immigration attorneys typically charge anywhere from $2,000 to $8,000 to file the application, so many people try to do it on their own.
After realizing the limits on the help he could provide without being an attorney, Camacho got a degree in immigration law. He also became fully accredited with the Justice Department, now the Homeland Security Department. He not only helps clients navigate through the vast amount of paperwork, he represents clients in immigration court and with the board of immigration appeals.
“I did it because I'm crazy or something,” Camacho quipped.
There are limitations to what Camacho and his team of two secretaries and volunteers can do. “Even though we practice immigration law, we can't have a bunch of cases, because we do it pro bono (free to clients), and money is limited,” Camacho said. He estimates 1,200 people contact the agency annually, and they are able to take the cases of about 300 people each year.
He does not take cases related to drugs or any other major crimes. But he does help in situations where someone now is being refused citizenship because of a juvenile offense or some misdemeanors.
In one of his recent cases, a man going through the immigration process was about to be deported because of his criminal record. When he was 17, he stole liquor from a store in Mexico. He now is 45, the pastor of a Dallas church and a vital member of his community, Camacho said. Camacho's team needed two years to help him, but eventually they won the case.
Camacho works in immigration because he sees it as a priority need among Hispanics.
Rather than going out and finding people to whom he can minister, Camacho has people coming to him, he said. About 50 percent of his congregants came to him looking for help. He took that opportunity to tell them about the church.
But he also receives phone calls from people seeking help from all over Texas and from Arizona, New Mexico and Florida.
Camacho balances his time as pastor and director of Immigration Services by viewing himself as a bivocational pastor.
“The church is the priority,” he said. “I see this as a ministry. I love going to court. … But some pastors don't have the same calling. Maybe they teach or they fix cars. Everyone has their own calling.”
In 1986, the U.S. government asked churches to help with immigration. “Catholic Charities is the leader in immigration in Texas and other states. But there is a lot of space for Baptist charities to get involved. Every [Baptist] association could open a center, and they would all be packed,” Camacho said.
Churches can minister to immigrants by opening an immigration center or hosting a conference where an expert in immigration law can speak to immigrants who are going through the process. They also can enlist an attorney to help.
Whichever route is chosen, Camacho warns, immigration must be taken carefully from the beginning to avoid major problems that lead to deportation or incur large attorney's fees.
The opportunities the United States offers and harsh economic realities draw immigrants from across the Rio Grande, Camacho said. “There is no future in Mexico,” he said, noting available jobs there offer little more than sustenance for day-to-day survival. “There are no dreams.”
Two former Mexican doctors attend Iglesia Bautista Cristiana in McKinney, he noted. One works at a discount store and says he has more opportunities for his family now than he ever did in Mexico.
Immigration will remain a hot topic in border states, Camacho predicted. And the need for ministry to immigrants will continue, he added.
“Once someone becomes a citizen, that is not the end,” Camacho said. Some have to renew documents annually. Many people work to bring their families into the United States. But, as he noted, “We are a country of immigrants.”