One of the unforgettable images of 2021 is Afghan citizens clinging to a moving plane at the Kabul airport in a desperate bid to escape from the country after the fall of Afghanistan’s government to Taliban fighters. Some of the…
This agency already has resettled 600 Afghan refugees in Houston
In the last several months, the United States has welcomed more than 74,000 Afghans who fled their country after the Taliban seized power in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal of troops from the country. One of the organizations that…
Once again, immigration reform gets kicked to the curb by Senate
News that the U.S. Senate parliamentarian once again rejected Democratic efforts to include immigration reform in President Biden’s $2 trillion Build Back Better budget proposal elicited deep disappointment from the White House and Capitol Hill. And that was before Sen….
Homeland Security asks for ideas on how to prevent future family separations at border
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is asking Americans for ideas on how to prevent the future separation of migrant families at the southern border. This controversial practice of the Trump administration ripped thousands of immigrant children from their parents…
How our refugee resettlement program came to be so broken and what to do about it
At the close of the fiscal year in September, the U.S. had resettled only 11,411 refugees. That’s the lowest number in the history of our refugee resettlement program. Here’s how we got here. When a refugee enters the resettlement system, they’re starting a lengthy process with five distinct steps. First, they must be…
The true gospel is social
Several years ago, a mission team of laypersons preached the morning sermon at First Baptist Church of Abilene, Texas. They had just returned from completing medical and construction projects at a small Christian hospital in the mountains near Chihuahua, Mexico….
Could Jesus be coming to us again in the guise of an Afghan child?
You know what I’m grateful for this year as Advent comes? A home. Not just a roof over my head or a house with electricity and running water. I’m thankful for a national home, an imperfect but beloved country, a…
Some African immigrants see their hopes of a better life in the U.S. dashed by new immigration plan
Among the African community, mixed reactions have continued to trail debate in the United States Congress of the Build Back Better bill. The concern is about a lesser-noticed provision about immigration. Reports show that $100 billion is earmarked for immigration…
Tips for having a Thanksgiving Dinner conversation about immigrants without choking
Christians compassionate toward migrants and refugees can prevent or de-escalate heated arguments during holiday gatherings by developing empathy for disagreeable relatives and staying out of lecture mode, an immigrant advocate and former college debate coach advises. “Your loved ones did…
The church is losing its way
Statistics for 2021 from across multiple Christian denominations reveal a decrease in church membership and active participation, according to the parachurch organization Exponential and the Pew Research Center. This decline can be attributed, in large part, to the increasing number…
DeSantis and Abbott working hard to see who can be more cruel to immigrants, faith leaders contend
The governors of Florida and Texas seem to be vying for the title of who can be the cruelest to immigrants, some faith leaders say. Whether motivated by their 2022 re-election campaigns or a desire to gain a VP nod…
Closed minds are behind the open border myth, and immigrants are not the source of COVID either
Last month, I was puzzled by a friend’s post that popped up in my Facebook feed. “Guess the pandemic is over now since we have open borders. No?” Having just returned to the United States after five years living in…