The Exodus We Didn’t Ask For: When the Empire Comes for the Strangers Among Us

They are rounding up our people. Mass deportations are underway. Families are being torn apart. And a nation built on stolen land has, once again, chosen fear over humanity.

This is the exodus we didn’t ask for. It was forced by the hands of a government wielding cruelty like a weapon and a populace that has traded critical thinking for blind allegiance. Fearmongering has won the day, and those most vulnerable – immigrants are paying the price. I know this dehumanization intimately because I live it.

The attacks on immigrants are not based on truth. They are built on fear. A populace too comfortable in its ignorance has been convinced that foreigners are dangerous, that those who speak a different language, worship in a different tongue, or hold passports from elsewhere are somehow a threat. This is the lie that has justified cruelty and has fueled mass deportations.

To call a spade a spade, these policies are about control and not safety as has been touted. This is not new. The mistreatment of immigrants has been a historical constant, yet the Bible stands in stark opposition to it. "When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt." (Leviticus 19:33-34). Here we are. Again.

Some immigrants, the ones with their papers in order, stand on the sidelines watching the mass deportations unfold and whisper among themselves, “At least it’s not me.” They have bought into the lie of the good immigrant vs. bad immigrant—the idea that as long as they have done everything "right," they are safe. Well, they are not safe.

Legal status is fleeting. What the government grants, it can take away with the stroke of a pen. Today, it is the undocumented who are being dragged away. Tomorrow, the line between documented and undocumented will be redrawn, and a new class of undesirables will be created. Nobody is safe from the reach of state-sanctioned cruelty.

The same warning that applies to the broader gatekeepers of oppression applies here: You are not exempt from the systems that harm others. You are just further down on the list. The obsession with separating "good immigrants" from "bad immigrants" is nothing more than a tool of division, designed to make people believe they must perform their worthiness. It is an old trick—pit the oppressed against each other and watch them tear each other apart while the system thrives. This is bullshit. 

There is no right way to be an immigrant. A person does not need to be highly educated, financially independent, or fluent in English to deserve dignity. No one should have to prove their humanity before they are treated as human. Immigrants are not just laborers for white comfort. They are not just here to pick fruit, clean houses, and toil in unseen corners either. We are teachers, doctors, artists, and dreamers.  We are builders and neighbors. We are people.

Empire always comes for the margins first. History is repeating itself. The empire has always used deportation, displacement, and exclusion as its weapons of choice. Acts 28 describes how the people of Malta welcomed Paul and others who had been shipwrecked, treating them with kindness rather than suspicion. Yet today, nations built on Christian rhetoric have none of the hospitality that the so-called "pagan" Maltese showed to strangers. Instead, they act like Pharaoh—ruthless, afraid of losing power, and willing to crush entire communities to maintain control. The same empire that is rounding up immigrants is the one that has dismantled DEI, gutted protections for marginalized communities, and funneled money into the hands of the wealthiest. Black and Brown immigrants are at particular risk because, as always, Blackness feels oppression more severely. The empire always comes for us first.

This is the time for true solidarity - not empty words or cute social media posts. Action. To stand in solidarity means learning history and refusing to let it repeat itself; Sharing power and resources, not just sympathy; Protecting those being targeted without needing to insert oneself into the conversation; Using privilege—whatever privilege one has—to amplify the voices of those under attack; Resisting, not just in words, but in deeds. Don’t ignore what is happening. 

The Church cannot be silent either. The Black Church has always stood at the forefront of resistance. It has been a prophetic voice against oppression for generations. And yet, the weight of justice should not fall solely on the shoulders of Black people or Black clergy. This fight is bigger than one pulpit, one congregation, or one community. Too many predominantly white churches remain silent, and too many preachers hesitate to speak because they fear the loss of donations more than they fear the wrath of a God who calls for justice. 

Jesus was crucified because he challenged Pax Romana. It was not because he wanted to bring romance to the cross. People wanted to kill him after his first sermon. He threatened the system, and the system responded with violence. What’s new? Today, the same thing is happening. To stand against mass deportation is to stand in the way of empire. And just like Jesus, it comes at a cost.

It is time to choose. Will the Church side with empire, or will it side with humanity? Will people continue to believe the propaganda that fuels oppression, or will they resist?  For those who still believe in the myth of safety - that if they comply, behave, say the right things – or whatever lie is being told - they will be spared; just so you know, Empire does not have and loyalty or conscience. It will use you, and then it will discard you.

History will remember. Always. 

#Immigration #Immigrants #LoveGodlovePeople