IMMIGRATION – MPP/TITLE 42

A FAN PODCAST

On January 25, 2022, Franciscan Action Network (FAN) sponsored a podcast dealing with immigration. Since that is such a huge topic the focus was on MPP and Title 42. Those are pieces of United States policy dealing with where migrants are required to wait while their asylum claims are processed. As one might imagine the process is not comfortable or comforting and viewed differently by different folks.

The presenters were well versed and it is my prayer we will hear more from them on this impor-tant topic. Giovana Oaxaca seemed to have prepared notes and spoke well from them, as she did when responding to questions.

At 18:25 of the podcast Ms. Oaxaca used two expressions “toxic white supremacy” and “nativist.” The former, for many, is a conversation stopper; the latter is a conversation pauser, many will wonder what the word means. It may be presumptive of me to conclude that those words were directed toward the prior administration and its supporters. I found those words counterproductive and inappropriately used for the vast majority of Americans. Candidly, I considered how I might better use my time if I signed-off, but I was nudged by the Holy Spirit.

For a moment let us review numbers generated by the US Census Bureau. During the eight Obama years the average number of people living below line averaged 44,800,000 people per year. In no year did it drop below 40,000,000. In the Trump years the numbers of those below the poverty line were: 2017 – 39,700,000; 2018 – 38,150,000; 2019 – 33,980,000; and 2020 – 37,250,000. The spike upward was the direct result of the beginning on the Covid-19 pandemic in January 2020 and the ensuing lockdowns and lockouts etc.

The average of the Trump years was 37,270,000 people per year. The difference between the two administrations was 7,530,000 fewer people living below the poverty line each year. According to the US Census Bureau figures two additional facts appear: Blacks and Hispanics are over represented among those living below the poverty line and the number of whites remained fairly constant. Thus, one might conclude that the primary beneficiaries of the prior administration’s policies were Blacks and Hispanics.

These figures are not mine: they are available to review on the US Census Bureau website. Nor do they seem to be the actions of “toxic white supremacists” or “nativists”, they seem to be the policy of those who have compassion for their fellow humans and find dignity in work.

One might also wonder how the use of terms that label others is indeed helpful and in the spirit of Jesus’ words in John 13:34-35 NIV.

Hank Hohenstein OFS

hankhohenstein@gmail.com

01/28/22; Words 449