The trip, taken just days after President-elect Donald Trump won a second term in the U.S., brought 25 Latino Protestant leaders and pastors to Panama to help them understand the experiences of migrants who may later arrive in their communities.
‘Together, we will transform our grief into a force for change that will build a more just, equitable society that respects the dignity of all people,’ Omar Angel Perez, Faith in Action’s immigrant justice director, said.
At St. Paul's Episcopal Church, the Rev. Jean Beniste, a Haitian immigrant and Episcopal priest turned internet curses into blessings during an annual blessing of the animals, held in honor of St. Francis.
US migrants are much more likely to have a religious identity than the American-born population.
‘The Texas Attorney General’s use of the request to examine documents from Annunciation House was a pretext to justify its harassment of Annunciation House employees and the persons seeking refuge,’ Judge Francisco Dominguez wrote.
Six of the nine agencies tasked with resettlement by the federal government are faith-based and have a long history of advocating for immigrants.
Catholic Charities locations have become the target of far-right media personalities, conspiracy theorists, and even members of Congress.
Catholics, including El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz, have rallied around the volunteer-run network of migrant shelters, describing Ken Paxton’s legal actions as violating religious freedom.
Whether a humanitarian or a security emphasis resonates the most varies among and within Christian denominations.
Ken Paxton’s legal action appears to be part of a broader Republican push to target religious nonprofits serving migrants at the border amid an effort to make immigration a key 2024 election campaign issue.