Rev. Betty Rendon
Betty Rendon, a Lutheran minister, is a horrible person who is damaging the United States of America, and President Trump wants her out of the country ASAP.
It started with Rendon’s daughter, Paula, who was SUPPOSED to have been protected under DACA. Paula, 26, was driving her 5-year-old daughter, Layla, to school when ICE pulled her over, handcuffed her, and then took over the car.
They drove to Pastor Betty Rendon’s home. Betty was cooking breakfast in her pajamas when ICE burst in, guns drawn. They handcuffed Betty and her husband, Carlos, along with Paula’s cousin, who was present. Meanwhile, Layla screamed and cried. ICE wouldn’t let the pastor change out of her pajamas, but they did let her arrange childcare for her granddaughter. That was very pro-family of them, as they prepared to tear this family apart.
ICE took everyone to a field office, but didn’t bother securing the home. Thieves then entered and took everything of value–TVs, jewelry, wedding rings, money, Carlos’s tools.
Until 2004, Betty was principal of a school in Columbia. Rebels wanted to recruit students from her school. When she refused, they threatened her life. Betty and Carlos came to the US on tourist visas seeking asylum, but their petition was denied. A deporation order was issued in 2008, but was never executed. Under the Obama administration, ICE was told not to prioritize such families.
So, for the past 10 years, Betty Rendon has gone about raising a family, contributing to society, and ministering to God’s flock. She is a candidate for ordination in the Lutheran church, and has been accepted into the Doctor of Ministry program at Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. A good kind of person to have in our country.
But President Trump regularly speaks in the harshest ways about Hispanic immigrants–we’ve all heard his sweeping generalizations–and cannot tolerate their presence in America. Although Betty and Carlos are not a threat to anybody’s safety or livelihood, Republicans insist that they must be removed from the country. And it doesn’t matter that it will tear apart a family.
And so, early next week, ICE will deport Betty and Carlos to Columbia. Paula will lose her parents, and Layla, a US citizen, will lose her grandparents. The cousin has already been deported to Columbia. When DACA expires, the President can then deport Paula, and let her take her crying kid, too.
As always, every Trump supporter among my Facebook friends will agree with the President. It’s verboten to question his judgment.
I’m just really disgusted when families are torn apart for no good reason. This shouldn’t happen in my country, and certainly shouldn’t garner applause from Christians. It undoubtedly doesn’t set well in heaven.
“When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34)
“Do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.” (Zechariah 7:10)
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in.” (Matthew 25:41-43)
