by Monalisa S. Tu’itahi, Interim Immigration Ministries Coordinator
This past week, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration, allowing immigration agents to resume “roving patrols” in Los Angeles. These patrols give federal immigration authorities broader discretion to stop and question individuals without prior suspicion. For immigrant communities—especially families who already live with daily fear—this decision represents yet another layer of uncertainty and vulnerability.
For us, the people of the California-Pacific Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, this news is not just a headline. It touches the lives of our neighbors, our congregants, and in many cases, our own families. It challenges us once again to embody our baptismal vows: to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.
The prospect of roving immigration patrols creates an environment of suspicion, racial profiling, and intimidation—particularly in our diverse communities of Southern California, Hawaii, and Micronesia. Yet, as people of faith, we are not called to live in fear. We are called to live in hope grounded in God’s promises of justice and liberation. The psalmist reminds us: “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble” (Psalm 9:9). This stronghold is not only spiritual—it is lived out through the power of faith and the strength of community.
As the California-Pacific Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, we reaffirm our commitment to stand with our immigrant siblings. This ruling does not change our calling. Instead, it underscores the urgency of our work: Resist, Accompany, Advocate, and develop Relationship through it all. Below, you will find a list of possible avenues for doing this important work. The Conference Immigration Coordinator with the support of the Conference Immigration Strategy Group is prepared to offer direct training and guidance to local churches and members, and/or to make the necessary connections to allies and partners who are fervently doing this work.
May we continue to be a conference that resists injustice and embodies Christ’s radical love, as we seek to end spiritual and physical hunger.
