Thursday, May 22, 2008

Illegal Immigrant Roundup Leaves Kids Without Parents

Through the internet and locally we help people in all kinds of situations. Last year, we helped a victim of human trafficking. She is Hispanic and was brought to the area with the promise of a job, a home and security. She did get the job. Everything else turned out to be a lie.

She was locked into a cycle of domestic violence by poverty and a language barrier. Ultimately, she fled to the home of a family member in another state. When she left, her plan was to get a job with whoever would hire her and pray she wasn't arrested in the process.

We've had several victims of domestic violence who are Hispanic. For situations already kindled for domestic violence job instability can be the fuse that ignites the flame. I'm not going to debate the legalities or moralities of illegal immigration. That's not my job. My job is to make you, my blog reader, aware that every illegal immgrant is a person. They have families, people to care for and people who love them.

Forced to live on the margins of society, illegal immigrants are the nameless and the faceless people who we choose not to see. Sometimes, our worlds collide and we must see, be moved and act.

The article linked below from the United Methodist News Service is gut wrenching. It is about an immigration round-up at a poultry processing plant in Chattanooga. In some families, innocent children were home waiting for a mom or dad to come through the door who never arrived.

The family shreds are being helped by the St. Andrew's Center of the United Methodist Church. I'm glad they are there to help and I pray that wherever our client is, she is safe.

United Methodist Church News Article
St. Andrew's Center
Gayle's Glimpses

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