Detainments & Deportations
Immigrant enforcement dialed up detainments last week:
- In Tennessee, over 100 people were detained in a joint operation between ICE and the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
- In Newark, NJ, Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested (and released hours later) after protesting a new federal immigration center he claims lacks permits.
- In Worcester, MA, local police pinned down a 16-year-old girl as ICE agents detained her mother. Both were arrested, sparking chaos as neighbors intervened.
Meanwhile, President Trump signed an executive order formally launching DHS’s new self-deportation program, stating migrants “can simply show up at an airport and receive a free flight out,” and warning that those who don’t will face “severe consequences.”
The White House also signaled that it’s considering suspending habeas corpus—the right to challenge unlawful detainment—under the Constitution’s exemption for times of “invasion.” Expect lawsuits.
CHOOSE HUMILITY
When discussing divisive topics like immigration, remember that both your stance and how you take your stance reflect on Christ. Believing you’re right is not an excuse to be harsh, impatient, or unkind (James 3:9–10, 13).
“O Lord, let those who claim your name do no harm to it by their abrasiveness and impatience, but rather, speaking your precious truth in love, let them present your story winsomely that it might be well-loved, and that others might be drawn to your goodness, your beauty.”
Every Moment Holy, Volume 3, page 376