When you hear the news of Iranian women being sent to the Central African Republic or a Colombian woman sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo, you might wonder, how is that possible? Both Adriana Zapata and several others, including people from Iran, Jordan, Georgia and Afghanistan were packed off to these countries with ongoing strife, war, and God knows what else because they had been granted withholding of removal.
Withholding of removal means you cannot be sent back to the country where you faced persecution, torture, or possible death. But the White House cut a deal with these two countries for cash, of course, which it would not be a stretch to call them hell-holes, to takes these persons who had fled one kind of terror and throw them into this new one.
The State Department says on its website that NO American should go to either of these places but this is what we do with people seeking freedom here. A fitting way to celebrate to celebrate the 250th according to the pseudo-Putins running our refugee policy, but those poor white South Africans, 30,000 of them will get refuge here.
Prayer for the Day
You have searched us and known us, O God,
And we are unable to pretend that we are something we are not.
Forgive us our blindness, our lack of care, and our fear,
For we know that they close the doors to living faithfully.
Awaken us by your Holy Spirit to a fuller dimension of faith
Leading us to find in others new opportunities for lcae.
In the name of the One who offers us a new way to live,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen
Thoughts for the Day
Each betrayal begins with trust
Martin Luther, religious reformer (1483-1546)
What has happened to us in this country? If we study our own history, we find that we have always been ready to receive the unfortunate from other countries, and though this may seem a generous gesture on our part, we have profited a thousand fold by what they have brought us.
Eleanor Roosevelt, humanitarian (1884-1962)
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;
According to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
Psalm 51: 1-2