By Vic Affolter
The world’s major religions are united in opposition to Trump’s depiction and treatment of immigrants. Christ’s teaching emphasizes welcoming, loving, and protecting immigrants and strangers, treating them with the same dignity as native-born citizens. Central to this is Matthew 25:35-40, where Jesus identifies himself with the stranger, stating that welcoming them is equivalent to welcoming him. This command stems from the Old Testament imperative: “The stranger living among you must be treated as your native born. Love them as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:33-34). These fundamental tenets of Christianity and Judaism are shared by Hinduism, Buddhism, and other prominent religions.
Pope Leo XIV fully endorsed Catholic bishop’s Nov. 12. 2025 “Special Pastoral Message” on the status of immigrants in the U.S. that proclaims:
“Despite obstacles and prejudices, generations of immigrants have made enormous contributions to the welfare of our nation. … We are saddened by the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care. We lament that some immigrants in the United States have arbitrarily lost their legal status. … We oppose the mass deportation of people. We pray for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence. …We recognize that nations have a responsibility to regulate their borders and establish a just and orderly immigration system for the sake of the common good. Without such processes, immigrants face the risk of trafficking and other forms of exploitation. Safe and legal pathways serve as an antidote to such risks.”
That statement preceded ICE’s and Border Patrol’s 3,000 masked invasion of Minneapolis, including their January criminally fatal shooting of Renee Good and Alex Pretti that resulted in a substantial increase in national and international awareness and revulsion. J.D. Vance believes his recent conversion to Catholicism entitles his presumptuous criticism of Pope Leo for expressing concern about the Trump regime’s often violent mistreatment of immigrants. The Catholic Church has been involved in multiple lawsuits against the Trump administration, most recently a federal lawsuit filed in October 2026 by the Archdiocese of St. Louis over clergy access to immigration detainees in “detention centers” that approximate concentration camps.
Our Statue of Liberty’s immigrant welcoming words, those of President Reagan, and all others who believe in treating immigrants in a humane manner resonate with me. What happened to the GOP that was once my party and that of my parents — a party that once welcomed immigrants, and opposed federal domination of state and local government that now characterizes the autocratic Trump administration? Servile GOP representatives in Congress have literally and figuratively gone to POT, becoming the Party of Trump — no longer resembling the party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt. and Eisenhower — or Reagan and the Bushes. Today Abe Lincoln and other well-qualified, humane Republicans would not survive a MAGA-dominated primary. So sad!
So what’s to be done? Addressing the immigration crises requires understanding and overcoming the disparaging treatment of those regarded as “the other,” who aren’t members of the Euro-American native tribe. This requires a decisive refutation of Donald Trump’s and Stephen Miller’s degrading alien tribal view of immigrants, and their consequent subhuman treatment. It requires Republicans in Congress to put aside their fear of offending Trump by supporting policies that balance border security with compassionate legal pathways to citizenship, family unity, and the protection of vulnerable individuals — particularly refugees who are fleeing from all manner of abuse in their home countries. Candidates who fail to do so need to be held accountable.
The outcome of the midterm election shows some significant sign of accountability, particularly the defeat of all statewide candidates in Texas where soon-to-be former Governor Greg Abbott reveled in the especially cruel line he took with immigrants. On his Oct 8, Sunday night 60 Minutes appearance, Trump conceded his immigration crackdown had been “too tough” and acknowledged it had helped fuel the blue wave by driving Latino voters away from the Republican Party. He cited the treatment of immigrants who have been in the country for ten years or more without committing major crimes. But this feeling is belied by Trump’s chief of staff appointment of Stephen Miller, the architect of his hardline immigrant deportation agenda. Miller, who some compare with Hitler’s Gobbels, won’t back down while Trump remains focused on his vanity projects obsession.
Meanwhile, Minneapolis’s tens of thousands of brave souls provided an inspiring example for other communities by their nonviolent resistance to ICE’s and Border Patrol’s masked, violent invasion. Their message is to resist and protest in any peaceful way you can, and to treat all immigrants with the care and protection they deserve. They have demonstrated that their resistance makes a meaningful difference by their consequent virtual eviction of ICE and Border Patrol invaders from their city.
I am an 85-year-old, “birth right” US citizen wanting to have some impact while I still can. My father’s parents were Swiss immigrants who homesteaded in South Tillamook County one mile south of Neskowin in the 1880s. They carved out a place aptly named “Hole in the Woods.” My mother’s ancestors go back to 17th century pilgrims who escaped religious persecution in England. They include Squire Boone, the Quaker father of Daniel, and a shared ancestral heritage with LeeAnn Neal, the Tillamook County Pioneer’s founder and her legacy. LeeAnn was the great, great, great granddaughter or our county’s 1852 pioneer settler Elbridge Trask, I’m Trask’s less impressive 2nd cousin six generations removed. Any relationship to LeeAnn means a lot to me.
All U.S. residents, who are not of indigenous heritage, descend from immigrants. Ultimately we are all products of the same Creation. We need to treat immigrants in accord with cited religious beliefs, our Statue of Liberty’s welcoming words, their affirmation by President Reagan, and the humane views of those who aren’t subject to Trump’s and Miller’s white nationalist orientation. As President Reagan said: “If we ever closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost” — along with substantially much more that defines and reflects our fundamental humanity.
On Immigration Series:
Part 1 – https://www.tillamookcountypioneer.net/on-immigration-series-the-new-colossus-and-regan-to-trump-and-miller-et-al-part-1-of-3/
Part 2 – https://www.tillamookcountypioneer.net/on-immigration-series-immigrants-contributions-and-ices-response-part-2-of-3/
