As I stood at the No Kings Protest in Hillsboro, OR on October 18,\u00a0I thought of the two young adults who were pepper-sprayed on October 4 outside the ICE headquarters in South Portland. I watched the video of that confrontation multiple times, and couldn\u2019t see anything but the cruel intimidation of protestors by ICE agents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was appalled, and then was moved to look for ways to \u201cstep off the curb and into the streets\u201d. To somehow become more involved in supporting persons and\/or families being intimidated and arrested by ICE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I found a possible \u201cwalk the talk\u201d opportunity through new friendships with two Hillsboro pastors. They\u2019ve donned their clergy collars and spent some time at the ongoing (usually small) protests by the ICE headquarters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But most of their volunteer time is at the Immigration Courthouse, accompanying immigrant families or individuals in and out of immigration hearings. The Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (IMIrJ) trains them for this ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A brochure on The IMIrJ Accompaniment Program describes the program \u201cto support our community members who are forced to navigate the United States\u2019 complicated, outdated, and exploitative immigration proceedings. We train volunteers to walk side-by-side with individuals as they attend I.C.E. check-ins, immigration court hearings, Intensive Supervision Appearance Program appointments, and other mandatory dates during their immigration process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I\u2019ve visited about this program with my two new clergy colleagues, I realized that, as helpless as I\u2019ve felt in the past, I want to feel helpless no longer. Immigration issues in north Idaho, our former home, were too often only anger-talking points for folks who were fixated on \u201cillegal aliens\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This question was rarely asked: \u201cWhy<\/em> were these persons so desperate that they felt forced to leave their home countries and enter the U.S. illegally?\u201d I find this question an important one to ask. In our new hometown, I find other people \u2013 including our Mexican daughter-in-law\u2014who are willing to ask WHY<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I hear anecdotal stories about pastors accompanying people and families to\/from immigration court, I\u2019m pleasantly surprised to hear that ICE agents have\u2014up to this point\u2014respected the pastoral escort service. I hope to experience that myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For many years, I have spoken and written about a \u201csubversive Jesus\u201d, a man willing to confront both religious and political leaders with the words that come out of both sides of their mouths. He confronted their hypocritical words and actions that oppressed the common and defenseless people of Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we read Jesus\u2019s words and actions, we might miss their subversive nature. However, in the historical context of Jesus\u2019 time, they were very subversive. In Matthew 5, Jesus says, \u201cBut I say to you\u2026\u201d six times as he challenges six different religious rules about anger, adultery, divorce, oaths, retaliation, and loving enemies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He called the religious leaders \u2013 and us \u2013 to higher standards than merely the letter of the law. Being born of the God of Radical Hospitality, Jesus knew God\u2019s expected \u201cstandard of behavior\u201d was based on unconditional love, not conditional man-made laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I tend to see the Accompaniment Program of IMIrJ as a subversive effort. ICE agents and the broader Department of Homeland Security must be reminded in multiple ways that immigrant families and individuals are real persons, not \u201cothers\u201d to be targeted by political oppression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve been told by an IMIrJ volunteer that since Trump was inaugurated, they\u2019ve received hundreds of applications to be part of the Accompaniment Program. That\u2019s refreshing news!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I hope my application is approved soon. It better be. I just bought my very first clergy shirt and collar!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Rev. Paul Graves<\/strong> is a retired elder member of the Pacific Northwest Conference of The United Methodist Church.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Outrage can open our eyes\u2014but compassion moves our feet. Rev. Paul Graves found that truth in observing how clergy colleagues in Hillsboro, Oregon, support immigrant families through the Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice. Their Accompaniment Program pairs volunteers with people navigating our complex immigration system, reminding everyone involved that love and presence are powerful forms of resistance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":24434,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[92,74,16],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-24433","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-church-society","8":"category-opinioneditorial","9":"category-pacific-northwest-conference"},"yoast_head":"\n
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