“In Minneapolis yesterday, federal agents killed Alex Pretti, as they had already killed Renee Good, during their unjustifiable militarized assault on a peaceful city.
“These innocents died because of our political failure. Our government has had a century to adopt common sense immigration policies. Undocumented people from Central America have been picking fruits and vegetables in the Central Valley of the state of California for 100 years. We couldn’t make a salad tonight without them and those from other countries.
“If politicians wanted to solve the problem, they could do it in a long weekend. They could adopt a policy that secures the border and exhibits empathy and humanity. But they won’t. And so Alex and Renee are dead, and immigrant workers of color all over our country are being hunted and harassed, detained and deported.
“I pray for any in this community who are at risk as well as for those you know and love who are at risk.
“Some people don’t want to hear about politics in church. But when the government leaves the system broken on purpose to keep politicians in power, that’s a sin — and we have to talk about sin in church.”
(From my Sunday sermon at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church in Van Nuys)