Welcome the Stranger with a Faithful Budget

Welcome to our Speaking Up for a Faithful Budget series! Want to see other posts? Sign up here to receive them in your inbox and to view previous posts in the series. Next week we’ll be hearing about domestic poverty and hunger. 

Most of us are accustomed to creating a budget for personal spending for the year. Congress has the same task, but instead of  groceries and loans they’re handling the funding for the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. Personally, I have a hard enough time managing my own budget so when I hear that President Trump released his budget request to Congress for the next fiscal year (September 2017- September 2018) my initial reaction is less than eager to dig in to see what it says. I don’t think I’m alone. The federal budget is not the most riveting social justice topic, probably because it’s difficult to translate the funding increases and cuts into the actual human lives we care about. But if we are truly committed to seeing equality and justice for all people and creation, we ought to pay attention to the budget. Congressionally approved budgets give presidents permission to do what they’ve promised. With this administration, that means detaining and deporting a lot of people throughout the country. Christians have an opportunity right now to speak up for a faithful budget--one that works for the flourishing of all God’s people.

The federal budget is not the most riveting social justice topic--it’s difficult to translate the funding increases and cuts into the actual human lives we care about.

The Trump administration’s FY18 budget requests an additional $4.5 billion for expanding immigration enforcement, a 23% increase from FY16. It asks for a 66% increase from FY17 to detain an unprecedented number of immigrants: 51,379 individuals daily. The proposal also seeks to hire new ICE officers and 500 Border Patrol officers, for a total of 20,258 border agents, while lowering hiring standards to make it possible to reach this number. Finally, it requests $2.6 billion for increased militarization of border communities, including $1.6 billion for construction of less than 100 miles of wall along the southern border, despite that illegal migration and border apprehensions continue a long-term downward trend. Worse, this funding would come at the expense of critical programs that mitigate forced migration for Central Americans and refugees worldwide, and other initiatives that impact U.S. communities like education and nutritional assistance programs.

When I hear this statistic, faces of friends and neighbors run through my mind.

This budget proposal concerns me as both a Christian and neighbor. In the first 100 days of the new administration alone, there has been an 157 percent increase in arrests of people without criminal convictions. When I hear this statistic, faces of friends and neighbors run through my mind. I think of people in my church who have pro-actively created plans for who will take their American-citizen children and sell their home if they are picked up by ICE and deported. If Congress grants this funding, the administration will be detaining and deporting long-term residents who have strong ties to U.S. communities on a large scale, including members of our churches.

Immigrants, including the undocumented, make immense contributions to the U.S. The state of Michigan alone would lose $3.8 billion in economic activity if all undocumented immigrants were deported. Unjustly, this budget proposal completely dismisses these overwhelmingly positive economic impacts. It paints immigrants as a burden and perpetuates a narrative that immigrants are threatening our communities. As Christians, we cannot allow Congress to pass a budget based on myths on the backs of the poor and vulnerable.

As Christians, we cannot allow Congress to pass a budget based on myths on the backs of the poor and vulnerable.

In 2010, the Christian Reformed Church synod mandated that we advocate for comprehensive immigration reform. Ramping up funding for detention, deportations, and border enforcement without reforming our broken immigration system is not a comprehensive approach and will surely result in more deaths at the border and separation of families. Like our personal budgets, the federal budget is a reflection of our values and priorities. Let us, as Christians and neighbors, declare a prophetic, resounding NO to funding that goes against our call to welcome the stranger and defend the cause of the vulnerable and encourage our leaders to work for comprehensive immigration reform.

So, what can I do?

Send an email, call, or tweet your representatives in Washington asking them to oppose the current funding proposal that will separate families and hurt U.S. communities.