I’m in New York City today, home to at least 19 Mennonite and BIC congregations and one of the two places where MCC has partnered with congregations in the East Coast region to meet the needs for low cost legal services among recent immigrant populations. This work grows out of MCC’s commitment to welcome the stranger in our midst and to love them as ourselves (Lev. 19: 33-34).

If you’ve been reading the news, you know that immigration has become “the issue” in the Republican Party nomination contest. (See NY Times article.) While there have been one or two bright spots of Christian theology breaking through (Gov. Mike Huckabee’s statement regarding providing certain education opportunities to the children of undocumented immigrants – “We’re a better country than to punish children for what their parents did.”) the discussion has turned increasingly punitive as candidates compete to be seen as toughest on “illegal aliens.”

You’ll note that two phrases are there in that last paragraph – “undocumented immigrants” and “illegal aliens.” Legally it means the same thing, but how the discussion is framed is incredibly important. As George Lakoff and Sam Ferguson write in this article:

“Illegal,” used as an adjective in “illegal immigrants” and “illegal aliens,” or simply as a noun in “illegals” defines the immigrants as criminals, as if they were inherently bad people. In conservative doctrine, those who break laws must be punished — or all law and order will break down. Failure to punish is immoral.

“Illegal alien” not only stresses criminality, but stresses otherness. As we are a nation of immigrants, we can at least empathize with immigrants, illegal or not. “Aliens,” in popular culture suggests nonhuman beings invading from outer space — completely foreign, not one of us, intent on taking over our land and our way of life by gradually insinuating themselves among us. Along these lines, the word “invasion” is used by the Minutemen and right-wing bloggers to discuss the wave of people crossing the border. Right-wing language experts intent on keep them out suggest using the world “aliens” whenever possible.

So how do we provide a Christian witness, one based on the very basic belief that “God is love?” (1 John 3: 16b-18 continues whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in [them]. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear. . . the one who fears is not made perfect in love.”)

Sandra Perez, a MCC local service worker and sole staff person for the New York Mennonite Immigration Program, witnesses by helping people who have a way of legally adjusting their status to navigate the legal system. She also witnesses by listening to the struggles of people who come for good information – an apartment broken into and rent money stolen, a less honest immigration office who wants to charge the person $150 just to get their documents back from the office. She may not be able to solve any of these problems, but at least by listening, she helps break down the walls of fear and hopelessness that many recent immigrants, documented and undocumented, see being built higher every day by the rhetoric of the political sphere.

Many of you reading this blog don’t live in New York City. But we all live in the same country. How can you be witnessing to our belief as Christians that “God is love?” Who can you listen to deeply? With whom can you share an alternative language or “framing” of the immigration realities that exist everywhere in our country – New York City and Iowa, Texas and Pennsylvania?

P.S. If you are interested in making a donation to the work of the NY Mennonite Immigration Program, please write to NYMIP, 169 Knickerbocker Av., Brooklyn, NY 11237.