Immigration Imagination

*Letter written for various newspapers.

Dear Editor,

Imagine a scenario. You’re in your apartment. Your favorite show is on the television. The kids are resting in the floor. You give your partner a hug and a kiss. When the show is over, you help your kids to bed. Once they’re underneath the covers, you bend over to gently kiss them on their foreheads. As you close the door, you pray for their safety. Giving your partner a kiss, you run to the store to get some food for breakfast. When the children wake up, you’re gone. Overnight, Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE picked you up. As your children cry, they wonder if they’ll ever see you again. Their remaining parent can’t answer the question. You’re driven to the border and pushed out of the country. As you look around, you realize that you’re alone. Now, I want you to imagine that the family is white and the agents from ICE are all persons of color. Things always begin to look different when white lives are on the line. Jesus commanded that we love our neighbors regardless of their color. How can we love our neighbors and deport them?

Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood

Denton, Texas