Bishop Michael Hunn Responds to Department of Homeland Security: Defending Our Border Ministry

Bishop Michael Hunn Responds to Department of Homeland Security : Defending Our Border Ministry

In this video, Bishop Michael Hunn of the Diocese of the Rio Grande addresses the recent letter from the Department of Homeland Security insinuating the diocese's involvement in illegal activities, including human trafficking. Bishop Hunn outlines the diocese's longstanding ministry efforts along the U.S.-Mexico border, including the operation of a shelter for legal asylum seekers in partnership with Homeland Security's Border Patrol and ICE. He underscores the legality and moral grounding of their work, rooted in Christian teachings and constitutional rights. Despite the scrutiny and funding withdrawal from FEMA, he reaffirms their commitment to aiding asylum seekers and invites support through prayers and donations.

00:00 Introduction and Background

00:32 Insinuations from Homeland Security

00:43 Reading the Letter

01:33 Response to the Letter

02:03 Details of the Shelter Operations

03:49 Partnership with Government Agencies

04:21 Financial Reimbursements and Current Issues

05:06 Call to Action and Conclusion

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
This is Michael Hunn.
I'm the Bishop of the Diocese of the Rio Grande in the Episcopal Church, which incorporates the entire state of New Mexico and the far west part of Texas.
40 percent of the U.
S. 5 00:00:13,119.999 --> 00:00:19,590.001 Mexico border is in our diocese, and we have been active along that border doing ministry for decades.

(00:20):
A few years ago, we opened a shelter to shelter asylum seekers legally present in the United States and brought to us by ICE or the Border Patrol.
.999Today, I received a letter from the Department of Homeland Security, which insinuates that we in the Diocese of the Rio Grande have been involved in human trafficking.

(00:43):
.999Let me read to you from that letter. 9 00:00:47,109.999 --> 00:00:47,939.999 Findings.
.999The Department of Homeland Security has significant concerns that SSP funding is going to entities engaged in or facilitating illegal activities. 11 00:00:59,969.999 --> 00:01:15,760 The Department is concerned that entities receiving payment under this program may be guilty of encouraging or inducing an alien to come into, enter, or reside in the United States in violation of law, transporting or moving illegal aliens.

(01:16):
Harboring, concealing or shielding from detection, illegal aliens or applicable conspiracy aiding or abetting or attempt liability.
Respecting these statutes.
I'm insulted by the insinuation that we have been involved in anything illegal or immoral.

(01:39):
We in the Diocese of the Rio Grande, have been practicing our constitutionally guaranteed faith.
We are following Jesus Christ by welcoming the stranger.
and loving our neighbor.
And we have done so in partnership with the federal government.
You deserve to know the facts of what is actually going on. 20 00:02:03,694.999 --> 00:02:07,614.999 Let me explain to you what we have done and how this has worked. 21 00:02:08,849.999 --> 00:02:20,719.999 A number of years ago, we opened a shelter in El Paso as a part of a network of other shelters in partnership with Homeland Security, particularly the Border Patrol and ICE. 22 00:02:21,769.999 --> 00:02:29,489.999 Border Patrol and ICE would bring to us asylum seekers who were legally present in the United States of America. 23 00:02:30,349.999 --> 00:02:33,119.999 These are people who came to the United States. 24 00:02:33,849.999 --> 00:02:53,229.999 made a claim for asylum, passed a credible fear interview, after being interviewed by the federal government agents, the Border Patrol or ICE brought these asylum seekers, legally present in the United States, to us, to our shelter, which shelters about 25 people at a time. 25 00:02:53,859.999 --> 00:02:56,469.999 We would care for them for up to three days. 26 00:02:56,869.999 --> 00:03:02,49.999 and then take them to the bus station or to the airplane to get them to where they were going. 27 00:03:02,989.999 --> 00:03:06,609.999 Over the years, we have sheltered over 1700 people. 28 00:03:07,509.999 --> 00:03:12,529.999 The people that we sheltered were brought to us by the Border Patrol and by ICE. 29 00:03:13,189.998 --> 00:03:17,439.999 Occasionally, someone would transfer into our shelter from another shelter. 30 00:03:17,969.999 --> 00:03:23,479.999 For example, Our shelter was a good place for families and for LGBTQ people. 31 00:03:23,689.999 --> 00:03:32,819.999 So sometimes a mother and children would come to our shelter and then would find that their, their grandmother had been sent to another shelter for single women. 32 00:03:33,579.999 --> 00:03:48,889.999 The grandmother was sometimes transferred to our shelter, but we always check the documentation to make sure that we were complying with the law and responding to the requests of the border patrol and ICE to help with this work. 33 00:03:49,689.998 --> 00:03:52,579.998 Now, we are not a government agency and we never have been. 34 00:03:52,789.998 --> 00:03:57,389.999 The reason we're doing this work is we are following the command of Jesus Christ. 35 00:03:57,889.999 --> 00:04:02,979.999 We are practicing our religion, which is guaranteed under the constitution of the United States. 36 00:04:04,44.999 --> 00:04:20,374.998 And we are doing what our faith demands of us, following Jesus Christ's command that we welcome the stranger, that we love our neighbor, that we feed the hungry and clothe the naked and house those who have nowhere to go. 37 00:04:21,564.998 --> 00:04:23,344.999 FEMA invited us. 38 00:04:23,714.999 --> 00:04:30,884.999 to partner with them in a program by which they would reimburse some of our expenses for the work that we were doing. 39 00:04:31,524.999 --> 00:04:38,474.999 On some occasions, we submitted receipts to FEMA to help pay for the personnel needed to manage the shelter. 40 00:04:38,709.999 --> 00:04:42,459.999 for the food and clothing which we gave to the asylum seekers. 41 00:04:42,589.999 --> 00:04:46,584.999 When we submitted reimbursement forms to FEMA. 42 00:04:46,644.999 --> 00:04:53,164.999 They scrutinized every receipt and only refunded us some of the money for the work that we did. 43 00:04:54,914.999 --> 00:05:00,304.997 Now they're saying they're not going to pay us any more reimbursements for the work we've already done. 44 00:05:00,914.999 --> 00:05:05,294.998 And they have the gall to insinuate that we have been involved in human trafficking. 45 00:05:06,224.998 --> 00:05:12,494.998 If you'd like to learn more about our ministry along the borderlands, I invite you to go to RioGrandeBorderland. 46 00:05:12,524.998 --> 00:05:12,894.998 org. 47 00:05:13,124.998 --> 00:05:14,904.998 where you can learn all about what we're doing. 48 00:05:15,894.998 --> 00:05:22,14.998 I would ask for your prayers in this time, and if you'd like to help us out financially, there's a donate button on that website. 49 00:05:22,834.998 --> 00:05:26,14.998 May God bless you, and keep the faith, my friends.