Remarks at recent “Stop the Inhumanity” event on Capital Hill. I was honored to stand with Network, Faith in Public Life, 5000 Interfaith leaders and 1000 nuns to call on Congress to reduce funding for deportation, detention, and border militarization.
https://www.facebook.com/407570359384477/posts/1586513831490118?sfns=mo
In May FreedomRoadPodcast went on Pilgrimage through the story of America’s exploitation of non-citizen labor:
The Whitney Plantation
Sugar land Convict Leasing
The Alamo – a battle fought to protect and preserve Texas’s slavocracy
To the borderlands of Brownsville and McAllen, TX where immigrants are exploited in the fields and in detention centers.
In each case, denial of access to citizenship enabled the exploitation of labor.
The exploitation we’re experiencing right now—filling FOR PROFIT prison beds with asylum-seeking mothers, fathers and children is just a continuation of a deeply American story—one that we have the opportunity to repent of in this season.
Right now, America is standing a crossroads. This year budget is a decision point.
As an evangelical of color, I understand Budgets reveal morals—they reveal who and what we value?
When we see children wrapped in tin-foil sleeping on concrete we know we —as a nation —we chose to pay for that!
When we see new detention centers in our cities, then you can know we—as a nation—chose to pay for that.
When we see raids of meat-packing plants and homeless shelters, then you can know we—as a nation—chose to pay for that.
We chose not to pay for refugee resettlement.
We chose not to pay for responsible immigration policy.
We chose not to pay for oversight of ICE.
The appropriations process is an opportunity for us—as a nation—to choose a more perfect union.
The appropriations process is an opportunity for us—as a nation—to choose Dr. King’s vision of America—the beloved community.
The appropriations process is an opportunity for us—as a nation—to choose to be a better America!
Take the Freedom Road Podcast’s 2-part audio pilgrimage through American exploitation of non-citizen labor here: Part 1 and Part 2
