My faith and social science are in agreement

I have a brief reflection up at the Ignatian Solidarity Network's Rise Up Lent series. Now they asked me to write about immigration in the context of today's Gospel reading. In that sense, I failed. There's no mention of immigration in the post.

However, the post draws from my research on Central America and immigration. My faith tells me that I should welcome the stranger. I should help those who are living on the margins of society, including those who have left their homes because of economic misery, violence, and family reunification.

As an academic and social scientist, I am also interested in discovering the underlying reasons why people leave their homes in Central America, Mexico, and elsewhere. Are the numbers increasing or decreasing? Why? I am interested in learning about what impact immigrants, undocumented and documented, have on our economy, schools, and criminal justice system. I am interested in evidence-based solutions to the challenges of displacement (comprehensive immigration reform, support for our partners in Mexico and Central America).

Fortunately, in the case of immigration, my faith and my social science are in agreement.

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