I Challenged Staffers in Washington DC on Immigration Policy, from Scripture

It was a rich learning experience to be the lone Aussie (and Vancouver resident) attending two conferences around immigration in Washington DC in November 2018.

I had the privilege of being on a panel at the Evangelical Immigration Table, as a biblical scholar working on these issues. I also attended the National Immigration Forum. 

 Poignant for me was the opportunity to sit with legislators and their staffers, advocating for comprehensive immigration reform. We held these conversations in teams of five. During the first two meetings I stayed quiet, as an outsider. The second meeting was with a Democrat staffer. The Representative, a Senator from New Mexico, was making himself a nuisance at border detention centers, insisting that he be shown around in order to keep these centers accountable. I thought to myself: this is exactly what I would be doing if I were a Senator from New Mexico! 

To finish the day, we sat with two staffers of a Republican Senator in a southern state, a woman and a man, each highly intelligent and in their young thirties. One of my team-mates introduced the topic of ‘Dreamers’. ‘Dreamers’ is a term used for people who immigrated while children with their parents. Former President Obama passed an executive order that protected Dreamers from deportation (known as DACA). These people work as surgeons, care givers, engineers, and labourers. In other words, they are a part of the fabric of society. Recently, President Trump has passed an executive order rescinding Obama’s order. The Supreme Court is deliberating whether a President can overrule an executive order of a former President, but most people think that a President can. As it stands, then, this enormous group of people may be deported. My team mates, who spoke to the staffers about this issue, were brilliant and winsome, full of lived experience. 

 The Republican staffers responded: “Of course! Everyone knows that Dreamers should stay.” “The trouble,” they explained, “is with the parentsof DACA recipients.” They explained that their Representative would want the legislation to state that the parents of Dreamers have no recourse to immigration to the U.S. (That the parents of many of these people are nearing retirement and may be an economic drain, was, I think, the unstated thought).

 Our conversation turned to other topics. Toward the end of the meeting, I decided to bring scripture into the conversation. I was nervous for a number of reasons, not least because this was my first visit to DC. 

 “Can we return to the topic of the Dreamers for a moment?” I began warmly. “You mentioned that you would want to see that the legislation provides that parents of DACA recipients have no recourse to immigration.” I politely inquired: “I assume that many of your constituents are Christian people—would that be right?” The staffers nodded: “Yes.” “And your legislator is probably a person of faith.” “Yes,” they agreed. “You yourselves are probably people of faith,” I said. They nodded. “Would mind if I explore this question of the parents of Dreamers from Scripture for a moment?”

 At the mention of Scripture, these staffers looked alert and serious. Their reaction took me by surprise, because they had a reverence for Scripture that I see only occasionally in East Vancouver, where I pastor. My city is thoroughly post-Christian; this is Bible country.

 I began: “In Deuteronomy chapter ten, God says that God loves the stranger. God also commands Israel to love the stranger.” To reinforce this point, I opened one hand at a time as I said: “God loves the stranger; Israel loves the stranger.” Then I explained: “love, here, is a covenant commitment. God makes a covenant commitment to the stranger. And, God wants God’s people to make a covenant commitment to vulnerable people who are seeking a home. This means protecting these people and enfolding these people.” 

 I shifted forward in my seat: “This is the character of our God: God loves people who are seeking a home, with a covenant love. I am wondering: how should this shape our policy regarding the parents of Dreamers?”

 Our two staffers were silent for a full five seconds—this was quite something, given the pace of the conversation so far. Then the man, who was clearly struck by the enormous gap between God’s character and his Representative’s policy, cautiously offered that the constituents in his state may not quite see things the same way. 

 The woman, who was also clearly moved, clicked back into political gear: “People have to follow the rule of law!” she said, using a tired line. My team mate responded: “Then change the legislation!”

 This experience left me feeling hopeful and also dumbfounded. I felt hopeful as I was reminded that at the heart of reality is a generous God, who invites us into the joy of kinship with people-on-the-move. The amazing work of my team mates back in their home towns, in solidarity with immigrants, as well as their ability to speak at a political level also gave me hope. 

 Yet, I also felt dumbfounded. For, I encountered a strong compassion in the Democratic office, which must bring God delight. Yet, here, in an office where the Scriptures were cherished, God’s address wasn’t heard, trusted, or believed upon. It seems like these staffers knew that the Scriptures are important, but they didn’t trust the Scripture’s power: that God’s word truly brings life.

 I left feeling troubled about detrimental effects of cultural Christianity. In the U.S. I am an outsider, but from where I stand, ‘Christian’ politics seems to be overly driven by ideology and by idolatries of re-election and power. In this way, Christ is put on spectacle and publicly shamed. Is it any wonder that so many justice-seeking Millennials are leaving the church? Is it any wonder that many African American and Hispanic Christ followers feel angry at white evangelicalism? 

 Yet, by many Christ followers in America, Christ’s Way—expressed so beautifully in Deuteronomy 10—is being sought: in chambers of commerce, social enterprises, churches, business, micro financing, etc. (Heb 1:14). Angels gather in all of those places where the love of Christ is incarnate in his people (Heb 1:14)

 For myself, I value living in our thoroughly post-Christian city, Vancouver. For some reason, I feel more comfortable among a compassionate secularism than within a cultural Christianity. Maybe I feel this way because in post-Christian contexts, when Scripture is cherished (as rare as that is), it is also trusted.