The Bible & Immigration 

During my time serving at the border, I noticed a common theme circulating in some “Conservative Christian” circles—the belief that deporting undocumented immigrants is not only lawful but biblically righteous. Many point to Romans 13:1-7 to justify this view, claiming it’s simply about obeying the law and that anyone who wants to stay here should “just come legally.” It’s presented in black and white—legal or illegal, good or bad—without room for nuance or compassion. Romans 13 to justify mass deportation is a misapplication of the text.

“Immigrants in our communities are afraid. Whether they are recent migrants or have lived here many years, their futures are uncertain. One such immigrant family is now afraid to leave their home, even to buy groceries…

Fellowship Southwest is disappointed and saddened by the passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill” by the House of Representatives this afternoon. We advocated against many of the provisions that, with the President’s signature, will now become law. As an organization committed to justice for the vulnerable, we fear what is to come.

Small Moments, Big Questions 

“¿Cómo se dice Estados Unidos en inglés?” the little Peruvian boy asked me, eyes wide, full of curiosity and wonder. 

“Estados Unidos is ‘the United States,’” I replied. 

He repeated it almost perfectly, carefully shaping each vowel and consonant. 

After just an hour of conversation, both he and his older sister—only 10 and 11 years old—eagerly asked questions about the United States: the language, the food, the people, the phones.

In back-to-back decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court handed two major wins to the Trump administration that could strip life-saving protections from nearly a million people, most of them from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua, while legal battles continue.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) is a budget reconciliation bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a 215 to 214 vote on May 22, 2025. The bill is likely to change substantively as it moves to the Senate and subsequently returns to the House for final passage. Here are five concerning things about the bill regarding immigration:

While the country opens its doors to 59 white South Africans arriving as refugees from a nation where apartheid no longer exists, the same government decides to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 8,000 Afghans—many of them Christians, many of them our allies through two decades of war. And the broader Christian public? Overwhelmingly silent. Again.

TCIM’s cohort one traveled to California last week to connect and learn from leaders in immigration ministries. It was a five day four night trip beginning in Los Angeles and ending in San Diego. The goal of the connection trip as part of our curriculum for TCIM is for churches in our program to connect, learn and build relationships with other leaders in immigration ministries, along with building stronger relationships among themselves.

No ministry at the border has adapted more nimbly to shifting policies than Pastor Carlos Navarro and Iglesia Bautista West Brownsville (IBWB). Over the past six years, their migrant ministry has continually reshaped itself in response to changing immigration policies and practical needs—anchored by a steady, gospel-centered commitment to those on the margins.

Last Friday, April 4, Fellowship Southwest and over two dozen other plaintiffs were represented by the Institute for Constitutional and Advocacy Protection (ICAP) at Georgetown Law at the lawsuit’s first hearing in federal district court in Washington, D.C. Anyra Cano attended the hearing and the previous night’s interfaith prayer vigil on behalf of Fellowship Southwest.

The Fellowship Southwest Board of Directors met for their semi-annual meeting March 31 and April 1 in Houston, Texas. The chair of the board, Bishop John Ogletree, hosted the group at First Metropolitan Church where he was founding pastor 39 years ago.

Fellowship Southwest remains alarmed and disturbed by the numerous anti-immigrant actions by the new administration. A summary of some of the major actions compiled by Elket Rodriguez can be found here. 

Last weekend, a family from Nicaragua, let us know how desperate they felt when they learned the current administration was canceling humanitarian parole for immigrants from Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuela, and Haiti.