Chicago Commandeers Churches to Shelter Illegal Immigrants
Churches are the latest target of the federal government’s recolonization of America; as millions of illegal immigrants flood the US-Mexico border, taking the nation by storm. On November 29th, 2023, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson began the process of commandeering seventeen Churches, declaring them as encampments for the influx of illegal immigrants. According to ABC7 Chicago, so far 80 illegal immigrants have moved from the District 5 Police Station into four different churches. Just one day prior, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that “around 1,300 migrants remain camped out at police stations and O’Hare Airport…Those numbers have fallen significantly in recent weeks — down from 3,300 at stations in mid-October and nearly 900 at O’Hare in early October — and several stations have been cleared out. But many stations remain crowded.”
It remains unfathomable that demagogues within the federal government can even consider exploiting prospective immigrants to manifest a façade of altruism in the name of democracy. Human beings are being forced to sleep in the cold, impacting the lives of those around them; as many have entered the country without a means of personal sustainability. Expedited immigrants are being facilitated by the U.S. government to enter our country ahead of those willing to go through the legal immigration process. To some, at first glance, this may appear admirable; yet a brief observation reveals the consequences have proven to be utterly inhumane after they are abandoned by the national government and left to be handled by the states. Now, the tyrannic policy of the United States government strives to trample citizen’s First Amendment to the Constitution, in favor of egregious policies that throw migrants onto the streets without appropriate resources. ABC7 Chicago reported that “[s]eventeen churches are opening their doors to house and feed migrants, funded by $350,000 in private donations at no cost to the taxpayer,” (ABC7). The news outlet continued, “[t]he goal is to have the migrants stay in the churches for 60 days and then hopefully transition to living on their own.” The Sun-Times reported that the program will begin with around 100 illegal immigrants relocated from police stations, and placed into churches by Wednesday.
What is a Migrant?
The term migrants is vague and ambiguous, and used to define illegal immigrants that may be eligible for some form of asylum, while enjoying the right to due process while on U.S. soil. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) the definition of the term Migrant is “[a]n umbrella term, [that is] not defined under international law, reflecting the common lay understanding of a person who moves away from his or her place of usual residence, whether within a country or across an international border, temporarily or permanently, and for a variety of reasons,” (IOM).
According to Amnesty International, “[a] refugee is a person who has fled their own country because they are at risk of serious human rights violations and persecution there;” whereas “[a]n asylum seeker is a person who has left their country and is seeking protection from persecution and serious human rights violations in another country, but who hasn’t yet been legally recognized as a refugee and is waiting to receive a decision on their asylum claim.” However, Amnesty International submits that “[t]here is no internationally accepted legal definition of a migrant;” clarifying “[l]ike most agencies and organizations, we at Amnesty International understand migrants to be people staying outside their country of origin, who are not asylum seekers or refugees,” (AI). If migrants aren’t refugees, nor asylum seekers; why are they being passed around Chicago? Why have the Churches been asked to convert into housing facilities for those seeking to bypass the American immigration process? What will happen to the migrants after 60 days, should they be unable to relocate?
Amnesty International believes that “[e]ach human being has more than one identity. ‘Refugee’, ‘migrant’ and ‘asylum seeker’ are only temporary terms; they do not reflect the whole identity of women, children and men who have left their homes behind to start a new life in a new country.” By the context of American policy, can the same be said for the term “illegal immigrant?” Why does America even have an immigration policy, if the government disregards one individual’s request for entry while continuing to approve the majority of those who successfully were able to bypass it. What initial message does this send to those willing to abide by US immigration law, as those willing to disregard it are rewarded? The message it conveys is that American authorities must approach all laws this way; id est, breaking the rules must be the only way to get ahead. The government’s dismissal of traditional jurisprudence ignites a state of civic division whereby the disapproval of church conversion to house migrants is somehow conducive to racism, or some other barbaric discrimination.
Permanent Policy
As witnessed during COVID-19’s two-week lockdowns to “flatten the curve;” what begins as temporary emergency government measures, remains as permanent policy after its public acclimation. Once citizens begin to perceive radical changes as fundamental; ones that would otherwise be unconsidered tyrannic by policymakers; America’s objective liberty and reverence for our Constitution and its Amendments begin to wither. No amount of private donations should deprive any man of his God-given right to worship freely in any established congregation of his choosing; what is occurring in Chicago is not only unconstitutional but a national disgrace to the sovereignty of American citizens. This attack on religion is likely only the beginning; as the U.S. government glorifies illegal immigration, awarding asylum to all who desire fast access to the American dream. The contemporary American dream however, requires the citizenry to remain asleep. Starting in 2022 the U.S. Immigration began implementing Expedited Asylum to combat “expedited removal proceedings;” adding this criterion to the already existent Affirmative Asylum and Defensive Asylum.
By facilitating new versions of asylum, the Executive Branch can introduce more immigrants into America without passing through the traditional immigration process. Although we have some form of physical borders surrounding our nation, namely the U.S.-Mexico Border; America’s contemporary immigration is contingent on policy. Adjusting the terminology, it becomes difficult to discern what violations are exactly occurring; by the time the majority of Americans wake up to the political horrors unfolding around them, throughout their communities; it may be too late.
What often begins in Chicago is diffused throughout the nation; this can be witnessed with the invention of the skyscraper. Although one could easily assume New York City set the trend for tall buildings supported by iron frames, this began in Chicago, before being replicated throughout every city in the nation. The Home Life Insurance Building was “[d]esigned by architect William Le Baron Jenney, this 10-story structure employed innovative engineering techniques and architectural features that laid the foundation for skyscrapers of the future,” (Architecture).
Separation of Church and State
Antifederalist Thomas Jefferson declared the foundational need for a separation of Church and state; in 1802, Thomas Jefferson’s letter to Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut declared there be a “wall of separation,” mandating and guaranteeing the preservation of religion; this included the promise of no national religion imposed by government; while voiding any persuasion of the church's doctrine through finance or culture, or policy.
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church & State, (Dreisbach, D., p.1)
Contemporary government now seeks to merge the two, creating a generational national obedience to the state. As Daniel Dreisbach suggests, “Religious liberty cannot survive as long as civil government enforces belief in religious dogma or is entangled with ecclesiastical institutions. Therefore, a “wall of separation” is a useful construct for promoting the voluntary, private support of religion and an environment in which freedom of religion can flourish, (Dreisbach, D., p. 119).
Churches have long held sovereign authority apart from government since the first application of the term used to describe Simon Peter in the New Testament (Matthew 16:18). It was at this moment Simon was transformed into Peter whereby God decreed he would be the strong foundation of the Church. Although the Christian Church is not confined to a building, designating houses of worship as a shelter for those willing to exploit American jurisprudence is a detriment to those guaranteed the freedom of religion and public worship. Peter’s reaction to Chicago’s commandeering of Churches and prevention of worship to facilitate government would likely correlate with that of his response in Acts, whereby Peter
and the apostles answered, “[w]e must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29).
The First Amendment to the Constitution enumerates our guarantee to practice religion and public worship, stating; "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;" (Archives).
A journalist using the pseudonym An Impartial Citizen gave a warning to future Americans; thereby writing in 1801 that, “[t]here never has been an instance, of the freedom of enquiry in matters of religion, being restrained, where the civil liberty of the people survived it. Nor has there ever been an instance, of the people being denied the right of enquiry on the principles, and, administration, of civil government, where the rights of conscience have been preserved. Neither of these can subsist without the other,” (Lutz, D., Loc. 20926).
Conclusion
Americans in support of exalting illegal immigrants over the interests of the people are themselves contributory to the demise of religious liberty under the current administration. Bidenites across America have assimilated to uphold a false dichotomy between Trump and our current sitting President; allowing for the desecration of our nation in the process. This does not declare traditionalism to be the epitome of policy in contemporary times; rather it warns against blindly following the path of big government. Facilitating illegal immigration is disrespectful to those awaiting the legal immigration process, who have not violated immigration law to gain access to the country. Housing illegal immigrants in Churches displays the U.S. government’s inefficiency; making it apparent how far removed incumbent pol are from the interests of their constituents. Should the American government prioritize citizens of other nations over the guaranteed enumerated inherent rights of their own?
Bibliography
ABC7Chicago. (Accessed on December 4th, 2023). Chicago migrant crisis: Churches begin taking in migrants as part of Mayor Brandon Johnson's initiative - ABC7 Chicago. https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-migrants-mayor-brandon-johnson-migrant-crisis-churches/14118025/.
AmericanImmigrationCouncil. (Accessed on December 4th, 2023). Asylum in the United States | American Immigration Council. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/asylum-united-states.
American Political Writing During the Founding Era: 1760–1805: Two Volume Paperback Sett. Liberty Fund Inc. Kindle Edition.
AmnestyInternational. (Accessed on December 4th, 2023). Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Migrants - Amnesty International. https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/refugees-asylum-seekers-and-migrants/
Archives. (Accessed on December 4th, 2023). The Bill of Rights: A Transcription | National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights-transcript.
Chicago. (Accessed on December 4th, 2023). Mayor Brandon Johnson announces new church-city partnership to house migrants - Chicago Sun-Times. https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/11/28/23979337/mayor-johnson-announces-new-church-city-partnership-house-migrants.
Dreisbach, Daniel. Thomas Jefferson and the Wall of Separation Between Church and State (Critical America (New York University Paperback). NYU Press. Kindle Edition.
IOM. (Accessed on December 4th, 2023). Who is a Migrant? | International Organization for Migration. https://www.iom.int/who-migrant-0.