On being detained in the airport

Last updated on: January 28, 2017 at 9:59 pm by Brad Roth

On being detained in the airport 2017-01-28T21:59:22-05:00 Brad Roth

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

hand and bars - 2

Once, when my wife and I were returning to the U.S. after a visit to her home country of Peru, we were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the airport. They never told us why. As far as we could tell, the man who reviewed her passport on entering looked at the wrong page and saw the wrong visa and registered the wrong validity dates. He must have pressed some hidden button while we stood there unsuspecting, all the while talking soothingly to us before uniformed agents came to collect us and take us to the detention room. My wife was seven months pregnant, so it wasn’t long before she needed to use the bathroom, which turned out to be a stark metal stool with no removable parts that might be re-purposed as a weapon.

I’m remembering our time in the airport detention center today in light of President Trump’s precipitous ban on people traveling from certain Muslim-majority nations, including people already bearing “green cards.” My wife had a green card. I’m thinking about our experience, seated in that room, surrounded by that micro-mosaic of humanity from every continent, wondering when the officers would tell us what the problem with her papers was.

I’m having a hard time following the rationale of President Trump’s actions. It feels ill-conceived, off-the-cuff. It feels shameful, a betrayal of people who put their lives on the line to act as translators for the U.S. military operation in Iraq, but also of regular folks who have followed the rules and gone through the processes and are now stuck far from their families holding papers issued by a government that suddenly isn’t playing by its own rules.

Perhaps more importantly, President Trump’s executive order is also a betrayal of the biblical calling to show mercy to immigrants and refugees (Matthew 25:44) and treat foreigners justly (Ex. 23:9). Jesus was a refugee (Matthew 2:14). The church does well to remember that fact.

My wife and I were no refugees in that immigration holding room. Far from it. After waiting around for a while, we said a prayer, and I approached the officer at the desk. I politely asked for an explanation. “There’s nothing I can do,” he said. “The system’s down.”

“We’re going to miss our flight,” I responded. “You know there’s nothing wrong with her papers.”

“The system’s down.”

“We’re going to miss our flight,” I repeated.

And then something strange happened. The officer looked at me. He looked at my wife’s passport. And he stamped it three times hard and said, “Here. Go. Just go.”

And we did, catching our flight home where we collapsed in relief.

If only those unjustly detained could do the same. We say a prayer tonight.

Uncategorized

Donald Trump executive order

immigration

refugees

Previous Post

December 25, 2016

Christmas lightning

Next Post

February 2, 2017 Always breaking bread, always giving thanks

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month January 2023 November 2022 May 2022 April 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 April 2021 March 2021 December 2020 November 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What kind of animal did Jesus ride into Jerusalem?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Camel Horse Ox Donkey

Books by This Author Books by Brad Roth

See All Titles »