Forced Displacement of Human Beings
The forced displacement of human beings—whether due to politics, ethnicity, or faith—is a crisis as old as history itself. Yet today, in our own communities across the United States, it is happening again, with alarming speed and silence.
We write to express deep concern over the current federal policies that are resulting in the sudden removal of immigrants—many of them Hispanic and Catholic—with no prior notice, no legal recourse, and no compensation. These individuals are often long-time residents, community members, and parents who contribute meaningfully to society. Their abrupt expulsion tears apart families, dismantles homes built over decades, and leaves children without protection or clarity.
This is not just a legal issue—it is a moral one. When the machinery of government begins to operate with indifference to human suffering, when due process is denied and livelihoods destroyed without accountability, we must ask ourselves: who are we becoming as a nation?
It is all too easy to grow numb to these injustices. But we cannot afford that luxury. The quiet normalization of cruelty under the banner of law is a betrayal of our core democratic and humanitarian values. We must resist the drift toward policies that dehumanize our neighbors and dismantle communities under the guise of enforcement.
To better understand the forces that have driven so many to seek refuge here, we urge you to read Strangers Among You by John Washington, available on Amazon. This powerful book, also available in Spanish as Extraños Entre Ustedes, offers critical insight into the conditions of violence, poverty, and instability in Central America that have left many with no choice but to flee.
These are not strangers—they are fathers, mothers, children, and workers who live among us, who worship beside us, who contribute to our neighborhoods and economies. Their stories matter. Their dignity matters.
We call on you to advocate for humane immigration policy that upholds justice, compassion, and due process. Let us not be silent. Let us not be complicit. Let us be the voice that remembers the difference between wrong quietly tolerated and wrong loudly opposed.