Hispanic Texas Baptist churches and ministries that serve immigrants are feeling the effects of the suspension of Temporary Protected Status and humanitarian parole programs, along with the overarching threat of mass deportations.
Both Temporary Protected Status and humanitarian parole offer short-term refuge to vetted foreign nationals who face unsafe conditions in their homelands.
On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump issued an executive order instructing the Secretary of Homeland Security to terminate categorical parole programs considered contrary to the policy of securing the nation’s borders.
On March 25, the Department of Homeland Security announced the termination of the parole program for immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, along with their immediate family members, effective April 24.
Six days later, a federal judge in San Francisco issued an order to postpone the program’s termination, but the Department of Homeland Security promptly filed notice of its intention to appeal.
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The program affects hundreds of thousands of people who entered the United States to flee danger and oppression, Jesse Rincones, executive director, Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas, noted.
“It is devastating that half a million people will be displaced, even though they obtained U.S. financial sponsors and were not a drain on the government’s resources,” said Rincones, who is both a pastor and an attorney.
“Many of those soon to be cast out include our Christian brothers and sisters and pastors. We pray for God’s great protection over their lives and uncertain futures.”
Afraid of an uncertain future
Fernando Rojas, lead pastor of Iglesia Bautista Azle Avenue in Fort Worth, said the suspension of humanitarian parole and Temporary Protected Status will not directly affect members of his congregation, but it impacts people the church serves through its ministry to immigrants, Vida Nueva Immigration Services.
“A lot of people from our community are being negatively impacted by these changes and are afraid of the uncertainty of their future,” Rojas said.
“Multiple people have contacted our office from Cuba and Venezuela regarding these changes, and, unfortunately, we are no longer able to help them.”
The director of another ministry to immigrants launched by a Texas Baptist church asked not to be identified, saying the ministry did “not want to be targeted.”
The ministry typically provides legal referrals and spiritual counsel to immigrants, he noted.
“We offer the comfort of Jesus,” he said. “It a ministry of accompaniment—coming alongside them, listening to their struggles, providing counsel and giving support.”
In the last two months, the number of immigrants coming to the ministry seeking assistance has dropped by more than half, he noted.
While the number of people in the immediate community directly affected by the suspension of Temporary Protected Status is small, he pointed to an overarching general fear of mass deportation among immigrants.
“People are scared to seek our services,” he said.
As a result, the ministry is exploring the possibility of opening remote sites near where the immigrants live.
Call for mercy, justice and humble service
Rolando Rodriguez, director of Texas Baptists en Español, believes Christians must respond with compassion to people living in desperate circumstances.
“I believe that, without a doubt, removing the protection that allows so many people to continue legally in this country, working and providing for their families, will have an effect on local congregations,” Rodriguez said.
“However, I would argue that the greater impact will be on families. We are talking about children, young people and entire families who will be affected. In many cases, it is likely that they have lost everything in their home country.”
Christians have a “responsibility to help and serve people, regardless of their legal status,” he continued.
He pointed specifically to Micah 6:8, which says, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
God “wants Christians who are not just going through the motions of their faith,” Rodriguez said. The prophet’s use of the word “you” indicates “everyone is personally responsible for their actions,” he added.
God’s people are called to justice, mercy and humble service, he asserted.
“Justice means fairness, righteousness, and equity. It demands practice that honors the rights of others and strengthens social justice. To act justly is to speak for those without a voice, to advocate for those without agency, and to make sure that justice is done,” Rodriguez said.
“Mercy conveys a sense of loyal love, kindness, and compassion. This is not a simple action, but an attitude of the heart.
“Walking humbly is an attitude of submission and reliance on God. It recognizes human frailty and the need for heavenly direction.”
This article originally appeared at The Baptist Standard and has been reprinted with permission.
Ken Camp, based in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, is the managing editor of The Baptist Standard.
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25 Responses
They are NOT immigrants. They are illegal aliens, invaders & criminals who have broken the law. You need to re-read what God’s Word says about who His people are to accept & who they are not. God is very specific & strict… and for good reasons.
Dee Waggoner,
I’m about the last person alive to stan open borders, but you’re hardly a credible voice on the topic. You have posted very thinly veiled anti-Semitic and racist rhetoric here and the past.
*You* need to re-read what God’s Word says about hatred of your fellow man for no reason.
Unless you want to be an illegal alien in the new Jerusalem, you need to show empathy and compassion to the refugees, particularly to those in the church.
“You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
Deuteronomy 10:19
‘Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.’ Then all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’
Deuteronomy 27:19
Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of my brethren you did it to me.
Matthew 25:40
Joel, your Dt. 10:19 quote… And how were they strangers? Did they violate Pharaoh’s command, “you shall not enter!” Did they sneak in? Did they wander in? No, they were invited in! They were honored because because God used Joseph to save the Egyptians from a severe famine and they were Joseph’s family . Therefore they were given the choicest of the land. Yes, they were strangers, and the Lord said, don’t forget that you once experienced this, and were treated well. You should do the same for someone else who has been in your position.
But violating a nation’s sovereignty, and then claiming “I’m a stranger in a foreign land;” that should give one a free pass? “Withholding justice from the foreigner” cuts both ways. It’s a crime (not a civil violation) to enter the U.S. (or any other country these days) “illegally.” Should anyone be exempted from having the law enforced against them?
Is the Christ going to say to someone who breaks a nation’s law, “You are my brother.”?
“All wrongdoing is sin…”
Did not Jesus tell each of us to repent of our sin? Did He die for our sins and pay an incredibly high price, one that none of us could pay, to reconcile us to God, just to have us go back to sinning again?
Dee –
You don’t know everyone’s story, so I caution you against making blanket accusations.
And who does the Bible say we should NOT accept?
The Bible I read tells us of a Jesus who walked, talked and dined with sinners, including prostitutes. It also tells us how Jesus’s biggest critics were the religious…for “associating with those sinners who should be rejected.”
Hmm. Interesting.
Goes back to my earlier question: if winning others to Christ is to be our ultimate goal, how do we do that if we are so busy NOT accepting those who need Him?
Marin Heiskell,
Always remember that Jesus loves the sinner, not the sin. It’s very easy to pass over the fact that God is a Holy God and does not condone illegal activity. When it comes to Jesus associating with sinners, we are ALL sinners, so of course he spent time with sinners. There was no one else with whom he COULD associate except sinners.
Cynthia –
Your response proves why Dee’s comment “who His people (us) are to accept and who they are not” is concerning. Dee didn’t say “WHAT His people are to accept and WHAT they are not”; Dee said “WHO”. That refers to people (sinners), not activities (sins).
So my question to Dee stands: WHO are we – as sinners ourselves – not to accept?
You have a point, Marin. When we get into the “who” we are to accept, Jesus tells us to love one another, as He did. It is often difficult for mere human beings to separate the sin from the sinner, as Jesus did. I know this is a tough one for me. Perhaps it starts with the realization that we are ALL sinners, so who are we to judge others?
Doc, are you saying that God never condones illegal activity?
Not meeting in underground churches in North Korea? Not Rahab hiding the spies? Not Rosa Parks sitting in the front of the bus or black men and women defying race bans at Woolworth cafeterias? Not Corrie Ten Boom hiding Jews from the Nazis?
I can think of a nearly endless list of illegal activities that God endorses, not only throughout scripture, but throughout history at large.
John McCollum:
All truth is God’s truth. ANY law that contradicts or goes against Biblical truth is unlawful. So, we always weigh what the Bible says FIRST. If any human law contradicts that Biblical law (as in loving our neighbors as ourselves or protecting the most vulnerable, etc.), then we are to follow Biblical principles.
In the case of our immigration laws, they completely support Biblical truth and principles, so we are to uphold and support them.
In the case of Communists attacking and killing Christians, that’s anti-Biblical. In the case of abusing/enslaving/harming Black people, that’s anti-Biblical. There are a multitude of other examples of human laws that do NOT uphold Biblical principles.
So, as believers, ANY human law that contradicts Biblical law and principles is considered to be moot and should never be followed, condoned, or supported.
So, the “endless illegal activities” you mention in your post are not actually illegal if those activities uphold what the Bible condones. God’s laws always supersede any human law you can name.
Where is it written we are to put mans laws above God’s? You are comparing secular to nonsecular.
Act 5:29-30
Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
I’d be curious to know if you apply this same standard to the J6 rioters, or to the current administration with its contingent of convicted felons, sexual abusers and their penchant for breaking laws clearly spelled out in the Constitutional… (Emoluments clause for one – and other more recent law breaking / court defying)?
I love when you expose corruption and abuse in the church. I can do without your politics though.
Respectfully submitted,
John Hansen
I think that an illegal alien who is also a Christian should realize that as long as he is in this country illegally he is breaking the law and must make things right by returning to his country of origin
What if he would be killed if he returns to his country of origin?
“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. (Paul wrote this when Nero was emperor.)
“You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.”
8 USC 1325 – Improper Entry – Misdemeanor.
8 USC 1324 – Harboring – Felony
8 USC 1326 – Reentry after deportation – Felony
Like it or not, it is a crime to illegally enter this country. There is no excuse. It is what it is no matter what your feelings are; whether it is being encouraged (as it was under the Biden administration) or strictly enforced, as it now is under the Trump administration.
If you don’t like the law, then change it. Until then, a disciple of Christ has a responsibility to follow said law(s). And a disciple also has no business encouraging others to break the law.
That said, if you decide to encourage or facilitate illegal immigration because somehow it would be pleasing to the Lord to commit this crime, I would encourage you to remember this admonition from the Apostle Paul:
“Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…”
Robert,
Not quite right regarding the USC. Read the fine print of the statutes and get back to us.
And there is 8 USC Code 1158 which states:
Any alien who is physically present in the United States or who arrives in the United States (whether or not at a designated port of arrival and including an alien who is brought to the United States after having been interdicted in international or United States waters), irrespective of such alien’s status, may apply for asylum in accordance with this section or, where applicable, section 1225(b) of this title.
So it seems that the Trump and his minions are not following that law.
Try better next time.
Sorry, I will not engage with snark. You can take your own advice and do better.
Robert Osborne,
You are using the scripture against the scripture .
There is another person who is doing that.
The laws of man are imperfect and sometimes confict with the laws of God.
When that happens, the choice is clear to certain people.
“And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice”Matthew 12:7
“But Peter and John replied, “You can judge for yourselves—is it better to listen to you or to God?”Acts 5:29
The idea of government agents going onto churches, on Sunday morning to apprehend immigrants, cannot be acceptable to anyone who calls Jesus Lord. Otherwise…
“Many on that day”.
No sir, I am not.
You gave a great example from Act 5. In fact, you gave the answer. We are to listen to man’s law unless it conflicts with the law of God. The Hebrew midwives another great example. They disobeyed the king in the matter of killing Hebrew sons when they were born. And they were blessed because of it. So the implication is, they would have obeyed, had it not conflicted with their fear of a higher law.
If you wish to disobey man’s law, there needs to be sufficient justification for it. You need to have a clear conscience on the matter because, as Scripture says, we will all stand before the Lord and give an account for what we have done in the flesh.
As far as “going (into) churches,” how do you explain Nebuchadnezzar’s relationship with the Lord? He was far, far more brutal than enforcing immigration law “on a Sunday.” The idea may be anathema to you, but is it anathema to the Lord?
“You are using the scripture against the scripture .
There is another person who is doing that.”
Joel. When I first read that in your post, I thought you were referring to someone who posts regularly on this site.
Tonite, I realized what you really meant.
You have given me a great honor, as they said this about my Master:
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!”
Come into this nation legally. Like my grandparents did. This article disrespects all the immigrants that came legally, and are those waiting in their home nations to legally be citizens. Stop with the agitprop pieces, it discredits the entire site.
Jerome,
Maybe you should read 8 USC 1158 can get back to us:
“Any alien who is physically present in the United States or who arrives in the United States (whether or not at a designated port of arrival and including an alien who is brought to the United States after having been interdicted in international or United States waters), irrespective of such alien’s status, may apply for asylum in accordance with this section or, where applicable, section 1225(b) of this title.”
Many of these you and others are complaining about are actually following the law. But then don’t let the actual words of the statutes get in the way things.
Alright Charles Mallet, I am provoked to respond despite your snark.
Did Justice Elana Kagan err this week when she (essentially) denied an asylum appeal by four Mexican nationals? Go look it up. One would think she knows §1158 better than you or I. Or you would use your, “read the fine print and get back to us,” with her? Would you classify her as one of Trump’s minions?
Just because you CAN apply doesn’t mean you ARE automatically eligible for asylum. “Under the (CLP) rule, certain individuals who enter the United States through its southwest land border or adjacent coastal borders are presumed to be ineligible for asylum, unless they can demonstrate an exception to the rule or rebut the presumption. Individuals are encouraged to use lawful, safe, and orderly pathways to come to the United States.” – USCIS
In fact, if one listened to your advice (stay, claim asylum) afaik that could get them deported and permanently banned from U.S. citizenship. CBP One is now CBP Home and being used to self-deport with the opportunity to legally return. According to the DHS Secretary, if one is deported who is “subject to removal,” they will lose their future opportunity for legal residency. If one wants to claim asylum, they should e.g. enter at a POE and get due process there.
Interesting to say the least that secular laws and scriptures are utilised in this discussion around legal or illegal migration, yet little is said about the long long history of unethical and immoral US goverment and US business interventions in South American nations & societies in the form of political, military, and economic coups, which have also understandably negatively impacted faith communities and churches in these nations and societies.
Granted, contextualization and consequences may not be everyones strong suit. Nonetheless, truth calls that they be recognised and included.