SPOTLIGHT: Migrant Family Border Ministry

Recently, Joel Bidderman, worship pastor at Gilbert Vineyard (AZ), shared with VJN about how they’ve responded to the migrant crisis at the border with compassion.

AT THE BORDER

Since February, Gilbert Vineyard (Gilbert, AZ) has served about 1,450 people through their migrant family ministry. During this time we welcomed strangers, fed the hungry, preached good news to the poor, and many trusted Christ and came into the kingdom. In the past couple of months, however, we’ve needed to shift the way we serve immigrants at the border.

SUMMER SLOW-DOWN

In July, ICE began dropping off less migrant families (who were applying for temporary asylum) at our church facilities. ICE shifted the ways that families are being processed, and they have shared some of the reasons for this:

• Summer heat. According to ICE officials, every year they see a decrease in immigrants crossing the border in the summer months because of the heat. Less people cross the border, ICE receives less families into custody.

• The new policy requiring people who want to apply for asylum in the U.S. Immigrants must now first apply for asylum in the country they pass through to get to the U.S. (e.g., Mexico). Currently, people requesting asylum in the US at a port of entry are given a court date here. They must return to Mexico to await the date of their hearing. (This policy is being challenged in court and it remains to be seen what the final outcome will be).

• The opening of a welcome center (a former elementary school) in Phoenix This currently receives around 80 people per day with a potential of up to 277 per day when they are fully operational. This too is mitigating the need for ICE to release families to local churches.

While the Migrant Family Ministry is “on pause,” they’re exploring other ways they can minister to immigrants in their community. For instance, they plan to start English as a second language classes, or other classes that will serve migrants in the area that have been granted asylum.  They plan to leave the door open with ICE, and are certainly willing to receive families again, if and when the need arises.