Love is a funny thing – it doesn’t respect artificial boundaries like race, gender, religion, or immigration status. In January 2024 it was estimated that more than 22 million persons live in mixed status household, that is, at least one member of the family does not have an authorized stay in the United States.
In many of those families, the unauthorized person has little or no hope of obtaining legal status thanks to our immigration laws. A 1996 law created a Catch-22. If you are out of lawful status and leave, you can be barred for 10 years; but, if you did not enter with a visa and are married to a US citizen, you cannot regularize your status without a convoluted process that takes years, but not possible in many cases.
Oklahoma and Iowa have now passed laws that now make it a criminal offense just to be present in those states without lawful status. Families are wondering that to do; some have left to other states. Did those legislators think God was going to milk the cows and feed the hogs? Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Prayer for the Day
Trapped by laws that would cut our families apart,
We wonder why is it we are hated so much?
Caught in a conundrum while we provide essential services,
For we know that the Nation would suffer without us.
We beg you, O God, to enter into the hearts of stone
And continue to bless this land with our work.
In the name of the One who welcomes all into the kingdom,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
We are here with that insecurity. We have considered returning to Mexico, even though it would mean truncating all our dreams for our [US citizen] daughter. It’s a hard decision to even think about and even harder to make.
U.S. citizen married to an undocumented immigrant in Iowa
Here in Iowa, the immigrant community plays a very important role in agriculture, construction and service sector health care. This would really cause chaos in a lot of different industries economically, if this law were to go into effect. It’s not just the families but also the economy.
Joe Henry, LULAC representative
Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments,
Show kindness and mercy to one another;
Do not oppress the widow, the orphan, or the alien, or the poor;
Do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.
Zechariah 7: 9-10