Friends in Christ:
Like many of you, I have been watching what has been unfolding in the Twin Cities with increasing amounts of fear and anxiety. While the recent events surrounding the increased presence of federal immigration enforcement officials are unprecedented and alarming, they are also becoming more and more common, leading many to wonder how we would respond if Milwaukee and the surrounding communities are next.
In my conversations with various leaders, I have come to believe that the question is not if, but when. While I certainly hope that we do not experience what our neighbors are experiencing, I think we need to be prepared, and I am writing here with some steps we can be taking now to care for our neighbors and protect our rights and our freedoms.
First, we need to be truth-tellers. What we are seeing in Minnesota and elsewhere is largely not an effort to target “the worst of the worst.” While I affirm the responsibility of our law enforcement officials to apprehend violent criminals regardless of their citizenship status, we are seeing countless individuals arrested and detained, including citizens and those with legal resident status, simply because they look like an immigrant. Furthermore, immigration-related offenses are not criminal, but civil offenses, and all residents of this country have a right to due process, regardless of their citizenship status.
Second, we need to bear witness. When Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Patrol (CPB) agents detain our neighbors because of the color of their skin or the language they speak, we need to show up, take videos, and document what is taking place. I do not encourage violent or obstructive behavior, but we need to make sure that those who violate our constitutional protections are held accountable.
Third, we need to love our neighbors. We are seeing that immigrants and other people of color in Minnesota are afraid to leave their homes to work, shop, or even attend school, for fear that they will be swept up indiscriminately, even though they may be citizens or have legal resident status. We will need to come together to provide food, transportation, and other resources for our friends and neighbors, and I encourage us all to take time now to get to know our neighbors and identify the community resources wherever we live that may be called upon to provide support.
Through it all, we need to stay grounded in our faith, a faith which Martin Luther described as “a living, busy, active, powerful thing!” Our faith compels us to love our neighbors and to make sure they have what they need to live in peace and unafraid; our faith compels us to boldly bear witness to the truth; our faith compels us to stay connected, to our God and to one another, as we confront these unprecedented challenges together.
We will continue to post resources and opportunities to learn and engage in advocacy and support on our synod website, and I ask us all to be in a spirit of prayer, reflection, and action on behalf of our neighbors, our church, and our nation.
God of grace and God of glory,
on your people pour your pow’r;
crown your ancient church’s story;
bring its bud to glorious flow’r.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
for the facing of this hour,
for the facing of this hour.
–God of Grace and God of Glory (ELW, 705)
In Christ,
Bishop Paul Erickson
