Publié à l'origine dans orlandosentinel.com
The following is a story shared with the Faithful Witness Campaign with permission
Amid the Christmas season, Christians reflect on one of the most significant moments of the faith: the birth of Jesus. This sacred event reminds us that God, in an extraordinary act of humility and love, came to Earth to dwell among us as Emmanuel, “God with us.”
While many families across the country celebrate Christmas surrounded by loved ones, countless immigrant families are denied that same opportunity due to enforcement policies that separate them. Just last week, Central Florida news outlets shared the story of Noemí Alvarez, who was made to self-deport to Mexico during the holiday season after decades of living in the United States and complying with legal processes. Forced to buy her own ticket home under threat of being jailed and her two-year-old placed in state custody, she left behind two adult daughters and a special-needs grandson for whom she was the main provider. Noemí now faces Christmas separated from those she loves. Hers is not an isolated case, but one example of a system that has fractured families while provoking many others to live in fear, anxiety, and uncertainty about their future together.
Uncertainty is something the holy family knew well. They lived through an unexpected pregnancy and a long journey to a crowded Bethlehem with no adequate place to rest. They experienced the birth of a child lying in a feeding trough. Mary and Joseph were no strangers to fear, either. As refugees seeking safety, they fled to Egypt while King Herod terrorized Bethlehem, slaughtering children and shattering families in his violent pursuit of power.
These stories show us the love of a God who draws near to those who are oppressed. Scripture tells us that “the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalms 34:18). Christmas proclaims the astonishing truth that God entered our humanity and experienced suffering in solidarity with the most vulnerable. And Christians believe this was only the beginning. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus liberated humanity from captivity to sin. He fulfilled His promise to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives, sight to the blind, and freedom to the oppressed (Luke 4:18). He gave us hope for a future where all things will be made right (Revelations 21:4) and called His followers to live out the good news we proclaim by feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, and welcoming the stranger (Matthew 25:35–40).
For those who follow Jesus, Christmas is not merely a celebration, it is a call to solidarity with the vulnerable among us, including immigrants experiencing family separation. It calls us to lay aside the comfort of blissful unawareness and instead practice compassion, to literally “suffer with” our neighbors. Welcoming the stranger also requires speaking up on their behalf, especially when our elected leaders have the power to ease their burdens.
Faith leaders in Central Florida are joining concerned citizens to raise a unified moral voice. We are urging the County Board of Commissioners to seek legal clarity through a lawsuit examining agreements that compel collaboration in policies resulting in unjust family separation. We are asking our leaders to act within their legal authority to affirm that immigrants in our community are not alone, because we are standing with them, defending family unity, and insisting on fairness under the law.
This Christmas, will we choose to stand with marginalized people as Jesus did? Will we resist the temptation to look away from the pain of unjust harm? Will we surrender the comfort of our silence to speak up for those who cannot, out of fear of being separated from the ones they love?
May we follow the example of the Savior we celebrate, who left His heavenly throne to draw near to us and became a servant of all.
Socrates Perez Jr. is a pastor at Horizon West Church. He is also working with UNDIVIDED — a Christ-centered, non-profit organization committed to racial healing and reconciliation — to develop a network of church leaders in support of immigrants in the Orlando area.