Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Letter to editor: County's claims seem disingenous

Billboards promote Portales and Roosevelt County as the “Warm Heart of the Sunbelt.”

This tagline is used to market our community to newcomers, businesses and students.

Portales prides itself on being a friendly, Christian small town with strong family values.

However, recent events call into question just how warm and welcoming our community really is.

With asylum seekers, mostly children and families, unlawfully jailed within 300 miles, in overcrowded, unsanitary and traumatic conditions, the county commissioners in May decided to not allow asylum seekers to come to Roosevelt County while waiting for processing and transport to sponsors.

The majority of asylum seekers and immigrants share our community’s family values — they are coming to the U.S. fleeing violence, seeking safety, dignity and a better life. Many are Christians.

If all human life matters, why does the county shut the doors to those needing refuge and safety? Do their lives and the lives of their children matter less just because they come from another country?

It appears we’ve lost sight of what the Bible says about welcoming strangers — that we will all be strangers in a strange land at some time.

Matthew 25:31-40 speaks of the final judgment when Christ says to those at his right hand that they are blessed because: “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”

The righteous ask, “When did we see you, a stranger, and welcome you?”

Christ replies, “Truly I say to you, as you did to one of the least of these, my brothers, you did it to me.”

It seems disingenuous and dishonest to claim this is a welcoming community while the county enacts policies that act otherwise.

Valerie SW Pacini

Portales

 
 
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