Separation of Church and Hate

by John Fugelsang

Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in March 2021, which deployed the Texas National Guard and Department of Public Safety to the border, arresting asylum seekers who were legally entitled to seek protection. He began busing migrants from Texas to other states in very public media stunts that used vulnerable and confused humans as pawns. But in 2022, Governor Abbott topped himself when he ordered the installation of razor wire along sections of the Rio Grande River. What better way to honor Christ’s commandment to welcome the stranger than slicing up some of the more desperate ones? A federal judge and the US Supreme Court all ordered Abbott to remove the razor wire. The governor, apparently not a fan of Paul’s letter to the Romans about respecting authorities, ignored the orders and continued to let migrants be shredded in the river. The Houston Chronicle’s Christmas Eve 2023 editorial was devastating: “Like Joseph and Mary and their child, more than 100 million people around the world are estimated to have been displaced this year, many of them on the move this very night. Refugees and migrants, they are fleeing persecution, grinding poverty, war, and unspeakable violence.” The editorial finished with: