Sunday, November 28, 2010

No Room In The South Dakota Inn? An unjust and ironic law.

Manny Steele and two other SD legislators are apparently proposing that we criminalize hospitality.  Their proposed law would make it illegal to offer a ride or lodging to illegal immigrants, and it would also make it a crime for an illegal immigrant to ask for work. 

Putting aside the fact that this would be a very difficult law to obey and to enforce (Would bus drivers and cab drivers need to verify citizenship before taking on fares?  Would it be illegal to offer a ride to a stranger?  Would shelters be forced to turn aside illegal immigrants on freezing nights?) this is ironic news to appear on the first Sunday of Advent, the season in which we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  This is the Jesus who was born to poor immigrants who had no place to live in their hometown.  Who was born in a barn.  Whose parents were forced to flee their homeland to escape politically motivated violence. 

I propose that our legislators take some time this Advent to try to put themselves in the shoes of other poor migrants.  Think about it: if you lived in Mexico, would you willingly give up that climate for South Dakota winters if you could avoid it?  Would you give up your hometown, your family, your language, your familiar food - in short, everything - to come to South Dakota if you could avoid it? 

More to the point: Would you make Mary give birth in your barn or your garage?  I understand why you're concerned about jobs and about enforcing our laws.  We have a great country, and we should work to keep it great.  But we will not make our country greater by making our hearts harder.

Meanwhile, as for me and my family, we would rather stand with Mary and Joseph.  And we will continue to say, as Christians and Jews have said for millennia, that an unjust law is no law at all. 

María y José, bienvenidos en nuestro pueblo.