By Jenifer Wellman

To me and to many people of faith, Texas’ most recent actions related to the border and immigration are alarming. 

SB 4, our state’s controversial law that would allow law enforcement officers to arrest migrants believed to have crossed the border unlawfully, is blocked in the courts for now, but the concerns around it continue. And Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit against Annunciation House here in El Paso is chilling for all of us who feel called upon to follow Jesus’ example and welcome the stranger in our midst.

SB 4 and the Annunciation House lawsuit are only the latest in a string of increasingly extreme state attempts to take control of the southern border. As a relatively new but proud resident of Texas, I am appalled at these actions. I urge Gov. Greg Abbott to change course before his rhetoric and actions put the lives of even more migrants at risk. 

Abbott’s and Paxton’s recent actions not only fail to protect vulnerable people, but also do little to restore order to the border. As we’ve seen in recent days, state agents’ intervention in what is traditionally federal authority is not making the border more orderly. And the razor wire the governor insists upon extending along the border has injured migrants and prevented Border Patrol agents from doing their jobs. 

As a person of faith, I believe that all people are created in God’s image and must be treated with dignity no matter where they were born or what struggles they face. Yes, it is important to enforce our immigration laws, but our state taking over the federal government’s responsibility is not the answer. Instead, we need to prioritize both compassion and order through targeted immigration reforms such as those in the Dignity Act. This bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Veronica Escobar, includes funding for resources and personnel along the border, as well as an expansion of legal pathways for people to enter our country. 

I have seen firsthand how desperately our country needs these kinds of reforms. Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in three learning experiences at the border — two here and one trip between San Diego and Tijuana. On each of these trips, I heard stories from Customs and Border Patrol officials and people who worked in migrant shelters on both sides of the border. 

I have learned that the issues our country faces in addressing the current challenges at the border are nuanced and that the majority of migrants are fleeing dire situations: persecution,  violence or poverty. These impossible situations in their home country have forced them to  make the dangerous journey to the border, hoping to be allowed to claim asylum in the United States. They are met with an outdated immigration system and an ongoing backlog of over 2 million pending asylum cases.

These are the real consequences of our country’s long standing failure to pass real immigration solutions, yet our governor continues to waste his time on pushing a political agenda rather than pursuing constructive proposals to address border challenges. After hearing the stories of families along the border, I urge Abbott to think about the people impacted by his policies. Perhaps doing so would soften his heart. 

If our state – and our country – really care about addressing the border, we would do well to remember the humanity of migrants, along with recognizing that extreme solutions are at odds with what the majority of Americans want. Recent polling by Lifeway Research shows that 80% of evangelical Christians want Republicans and Democrats to work together to boost border security, provide a solution for “Dreamers” and ensure a reliable, legal farm workforce. 

Instead of continuing to try to take matters into his own hands, I would challenge Abbott to visit the border towns of his state with a posture not of defense but of learning. 

If he would open his mind and hear from shelter workers, CBP officials working on the front lines, and the migrants he is so determined to keep out, perhaps he would come to understand a better way to lead on the border. 

Jenifer Wellman, an El Paso resident, is the Advocacy Director for We Welcome, a grassroots community seeking to mobilize and equip women of faith to build and cultivate a welcome movement from their tables at home to the halls of Congress.