Walk Your Talk

Paul Gauguin – The Birth of Christ

Cristóbal Andrés was only 48 when he died on December 3rd at a hospital in El Paso. His wife, Lucía Pedro Juan, had been put on a deportation flight to Guatemala on November 28th.

Andrés and Pedro Juan came here from Guatemala more than 18 years ago. They raised a family, ran a plant nursery, had a life…until ICE.  They weren’t drug traffickers or dealers, they weren’t running a pedo camp for billionaires, they weren’t gangbangers. They were arrested during a traffic stop in south Florida in September.

They were taken to Miramar, Florida, to be processed between 9:30 a.m., and 11 a.m. Agents took all their possessions, including the over $1,100 in cash Pedro Juan had with her, which was never returned. 

From there they were shipped, separately, to Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas.

Pedro Juan was held in the detention facility for nearly three months, despite the Trump administration's claim that the facility would hold detainees for only up to five days.

She described living in cruel, unsanitary and inhumane conditions at Camp East Montana.

The guards would mock them in English, describing them as animals. (source) 

Before she was deported on November 28, she begged to see her husband. 

"They said nothing. Not even 'Wait' or 'Let me check.' Nothing. 'No visits allowed.'"

At least 30 immigrants have died in detention in 2025 alone. The little baby Jesus would be so thrilled, eh? 

Meanwhile at St. Susanna's in Dedham, Massachusetts, home to the “ICE was here” nativity scene, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are still safe within the church sanctuary. St. Susanna’s not giving them up.

By the by, there’s a sign below St Susanna’s empty manger. It reads:

If you see ICE please call LUCE 

What is LUCE?  

Liberation. Union. Community. Esperanza/Esperança/Espoir/Espwa (Hope) 

We are a coalition of immigrant-led, grassroots organizations who build people power for everyone across Massachusetts. 

We move grounded in our principles of justice and equity, with a deep commitment to keeping all of our communities safe through grassroots organizing, information sharing, and mutual aid. 

When should you call or text the LUCE hotline? 

1. You suspect I.C.E. or DHS, FBI, federal agents, or unidentified suspicious activity in your community.

2. If you’ve witnessed or had a personal contact report any of the above.

3. If you see people dressed like civilians parked for prolonged hours in a residential area, with tinted windows, making traffic stops in a neighborhood.

4. If you want to connect with other people in your community who are taking action to keep each other safe.
 

For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself."
~ Galatians 5:14

When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.
~ Leviticus 19:33–34

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.
~ Matthew 25:25–36

Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured.
~ Hebrews 13:1-3

Christians – WALK YOUR TALK!