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I have lived in Texas for 18 years now and am no stranger to this issue. Dallas is nowhere near the border but in my short career of Restaurant Management and Staffing Operations I have encountered numerous illegal immigrants. I too admire their gumption, respect their hardships, and am shocked by their untamable work ethic. I have even learned Spanish to better handle the onslaught of applicants throughout the years. However, I have sincere questions. And these are questions that I have no answers for...

Should we continue to enforce immigration rules with The Mexican people or limit the number that can cross?

What happens if we don't?

RLP -

Thank you for posting this essay. I got back from a trip to Mexico last night (Since we're on the West Coast we travel to Baja, 20 miles South of Ensenada, but the poverty is just as bad as the mainland) the group I go with has the privilage of building about 4 homes every year, and my family visits there an additional 8-10 times a year.

It is a place rich with culture, but with virtually no opportunity to leave the swirling pit of the (corrupt) Mexican government's poor economic system.

Yesterday I stared a 3 year old boy in the face. He looked like he hadn't had a shower in a week. He had no mother or father, he was just wandering around and was so hungry. As I stared at him, I wondered if he'd ever get the chance to cross the border, by any means, to come to the U.S.

I think we get into big trouble when those of us who were born in the United States think we've earned the right to be here. It's luck of the draw. Or providence. Or something.

Brian

very nice visual piece for what is reality down here by the Reynosa border....and the lawmakers have gone a step further to try and penalize ANYONE helping illegal immigrants.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-03-08-immigration-house_x.htm

This article was beautiful. I've been hearing all the political hullabaloo concerning the topic of illegal immigration lately, and I tend to side with those politians who are trying to control the borders more effectively. (Not that I think we shouldn't let people in--I just think we should have processes in place to make it easier to LEGALLY enter our country. But I don't know much about the pros and cons or rights and wrongs of either side, so I mostly keep quiet with my opinions, aware that I am often wrong about things.) You can understand, then, though, why I was a bit skeptical when I began reading this essay. But it wasn't really about illegal immigration at all. I mean, it WAS....but it was REALLY about people, real people, and real needs, and deeply held dreams that compel men to risk life and limb....and mostly, about grace and about one man's endevours to obey the commands of Jesus: to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, care for "the least of these". Roger's ranch is a beautiful thing and I hope that others will read this and follow his example.
Thank you.

Slam dunk, friend. Nothin' but net.

A beautiful piece as usual, rlp. We need more folks like your friend. We need people like him in the governement. I don't know enough about the whole issue of illegal immigration either, but I am struggling to figure out how our supposedly Christian leaders like Frist and company are able to work to create laws that will now make it illegal to practice the biblical imperative of hospitality to strangers. I also find it instructive to see how few comments this post has engendered as compared to the ones that have concerned homosexuality or biblical inerrancy. There are many more verses (over 2000) in the Bible pertaining to caring for the poor (which would certainly include many illegal immigrants)than about either of those other topics.

“If a stranger lives with you in your land, do not molest him. You must count him as one of your own countrymen and love him as yourself – for you were once strangers yourselves in Egypt. I am the Lord your God."

Leviticus 19:33,34

Came upon that in the Office of Readings for this morning. I thought of your post.

I wish that I could say that I have never met anyone who despises these individuals. Unfortunately, I can't. It's not just the politicians. There are number of Texans who if asked will tell you outright just exactly how they feel about these immigrant. And I'm not talking about individuals who burn crosses and wear white hoods. I'm talking about Joe Schmoe who works at the local piggly wiggly who is firmly convinced that Juan is simply a bum looking for a handout.

Racism is still here, burning and destroying individuals from deep within. God help us, it's still here.

Hey Gordon,
I read this yesterday when you posted it and I sat with this story for 24 hours and for some reason, call me crazy, but have you written about the ranch or a "ranch" before? For some reason it just jogs a memory that I can't quite place. So I rifled through the book, no mention there, it all just seems so deja vu at the moment.

It may not have been this exact story - but if memory serves it was something really close to it. Maybe you can enlighten me because this is freaking me out. I feel like I have been to this ranch before. I get this VERY vivid mental picture of every aspect of this essay and I took it to bed with me and still got up this morning and there I was - I had been in the house before???

confused...Jeremy

actually, there is a large group of people here on the border who do not SEE the gumption, because they do not SEE these people.They shut their eyes to them. typically the ones i speak of are the mexican-born immigrants...who do not consider themselves "family" to these struggling, hard-working, poorest of the poor immigrants. i do not understand that mentality , never will.

actually, there is a large group of people here on the border who do not SEE the gumption, because they do not SEE these people.They shut their eyes to them. typically the ones i speak of are the mexican-born immigrants...who do not consider themselves "family" to these struggling, hard-working, poorest of the poor immigrants. i do not understand that mentality , never will.

actually, there is a large group of people here on the border who do not SEE the gumption, because they do not SEE these people.They shut their eyes to them. typically the ones i speak of are the mexican-born immigrants...who do not consider themselves "family" to these struggling, hard-working, poorest of the poor immigrants. i do not understand that mentality , never will.

You have a gift, my friend, to move people with your words. This was a beautiful essay, about a sad situation.

On the policy side, we can't have it both ways -- "cheap" labour at this price is too expensive. I echo the comments of harper above, that people can get themselves so worked up about who people fall in love with and touch with various parts of their bodies, but don't get worked up about this regular suffering and death, caused by our policies (and those of the Mexican government).

Reminds me of the old Ann Richards joke about GHWB -- American won the lotter by being born in this country, and think that somehow they earned all these material good. But I ramble.

Nice essay,

Geodog

Beautifully written and evocative. Policy makers take-note!

Scog Blog (not signed in!)

Ironically, I found this in the second reading (from Leviticus) in the Office of Readings yesterday morning:

"When an alien resides with you in your land, do not molest him. You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; have the same love for him as for yourself..."

It's creepy as hell when the Liturgy of Hours meshes with life like that.

http://bigumuse.blogspot.com

Wonderful article, RLP!

Just today, I had read an article that was angry at illegal aliens because they were breaking the law. I thought, "Just because it's illegal doesn't mean it's wrong." Then I read your compassionate article and it all hit home with me.

I think we should open up our borders to whomever is willing to come. If it costs us extra money, we'll just draw from the money we would have spent on border patrols. We'll probably come out ahead in the end.

Except for a few years wandering around in the far north to see what the weather feels like at 40 below zero I have lived most of my life in the brush country. I can tell you that it doesn't take too long to get from Tilden to San Isidro if you drive 105 miles an hour. And I can tell you about seeing frightened, hopeful people ducking to hide as my car came down the road, fearful I might perhaps be "la migra".

A few nights ago another wanderer came to my remote, rural parsonage door. We shared broken TexMex. I helped him as I could. He left, hiding behind the corner of the church when a white SUV came down our little road. I waited till I figured he had gotten back into the brush and I called the Border Patrol. I wonder if they caught him. I think I hope they didn't.

Maybe he made it to San Antonio. Maybe someone will tell him about another pastor who grew up understanding that a few yards across a muddy river means walking in the promised land. Maybe he will come see you. Then two more "Santos" will be named in a prayer.

May your friend be blessed.

Policy matters greatly here, but I think we can agree that compassion must rule. I just wish compassion was not met by fines and jail terms.

Bill