People from all over the world live here in northern Michigan.
Traverse City alone includes Afghan refugees, including some who aided the United States military. There are Ukrainian refugees who came in two waves — first, seeking religious freedom in the 1990s and again to flee the war that started four years ago. And there are migrant laborers who work area farms and whose families have done so for generations.
The Rev. Julie Delezenne is senior of the Presbyterian Church of Traverse City. The Rev. Linda Stephan is lead pastor at Central United Methodist Church. And both traveled to Washington, D.C., to ask for changes in how the U.S. handles immigration.
They were part of a larger faith movement that marched on Washington last week and lobbied members of Congress.
Delezenne and Stephan said a larger group of Michigan ministers visited the offices of the state's two U.S. senators — Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin.
But it was just the two of them meeting with staff in U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman's office. The Watersmeet Republican represents most of northern lower Michigan and all of the Upper Peninsula.
They said the reception was kind and cordial and they had a good discussion with a staff member, but were dismayed by a social media post on the Congressman's campaign social media account that appeared the day after their meeting.
We reached out to Rep. Bergman's office, and sent questions via email. We did not hear back in time for this story.
TRANSCRIPT
This transcript begins with Stephan talking about what she and Delezenne were asking members of Congress to do. It has been edited for length and clarity.
The Rev. Linda Stephan: At Central United Methodist Church, we're home — through another nonprofit, Immigration Law & Justice — we’re home to the only free immigration legal aid organization in all of Bergman's district … through the U.P.
If you want and need help for free, with immigration legal aid, we've got your guy — one guy —and he's fantastic, but he's covering a huge geography of a lot of small family farms that barely make it. And so we asked Bergman to really think about true reform for the migrant labor work visas, so that this is such a streamlined process that our farmers and our workers do not need specialized attorneys.
The Rev. Julie Delezenne: As one of the branches of government, the branch that makes the laws, we were also asking Rep. Bergman to consider sponsoring a bill or working forwards with others on finding a pathway to citizenship for our Ukrainian neighbors as well. Right now, they're mostly on TPS (Temporary Protected Status) so to help find a way through legislative means.
Stephan: Yeah, I think people don't realize if you're Ukrainian and you came because of war, unlike those Ukrainians who came in the 90s, currently there is no path to citizenship or to permanent status in the United States.
"Hope comes when we are able to sit across the table from one another, instead of shooting off on social media and memes. I think we do share a lot of values that aren't captured in sound bites."THE REV. JULIE DELEZENNE | Presbyterian Church of Traverse City
IPR: And then I know one of the other things you were hoping for had to do with law enforcement. And I'm wondering if this is an outgrowth of what we've seen in other American cities.
Stephan: Yes. I think a lot of your listeners are probably aware of that moment where there was a lot of fear and hysteria. We see Border Patrol in our region quite frequently. We are a border state. But when there was a spotting of a vehicle — one vehicle in another town — all of a sudden there became a lot of concerns that the plan was next to come to Traverse City, and there was just this fear.
We simply asked Rep. Bergman to be aware that in his district, we're not seeing a lot of crime from people who are undocumented. We are not seeing a lot of immigrant crime. And what we want is to recognize the extreme professionalism of, for example, the Traverse City Police Department, and that we have a good working relationship with them. We want them to be in control of local law enforcement when it comes to any sort of crime.
IPR: Sometime after your meeting, Congressman Bergman posted this to social media: “The primary responsibility of Congress is to protect and defend American citizens.” I point that out because that is a line from President Trump's State of the Union address, which was also delivered last week.
Democrats stayed seated during that moment. The president ridiculed them from the rostrum. This was this very polarizing moment of the evening, and I guess it strikes me, because you're describing this cordial movement about Capitol Hill talking to representatives, and then there's this sort of fiery social media statement. And it feels like there's two different conversations happening here.
Delezenne: We saw that post on social media as we were on the train headed to the airport home, and it felt a little gutting after the conversation we had the day before. And you know, yes, of course, Congress's role is to protect and look out for American citizens, but our conversation, and what we shared with Rep. Bergman was that our immigrant neighbors, they are they are us, and protecting them is protecting us, and taking care of them is taking care of us.
IPR: Do you have hope — I mean, you're pastors. Of course, you have hope. That's your job, right? But do you have hope for a better future where regardless of what policy shifts happen, there's at least an ability to handle each other with civility and move forward in a way that is respectful for this country, for each other? Because it feels like right now, it sounds like the broader conversation — apart from these conversations on the Hill — does not have a lot of respect flying around in this debate.
Delezenne: I think the hope comes when we are able to sit across the table from one another, instead of shooting off on social media and memes. I think we do share a lot of values that aren't captured in sound bites. I think more conversation is what's necessary.
Stephan: I couldn't agree more, and I also just would say I think so many of us are disheartened, not only by the types of debates that we're having to have — which are really about personhood and rights, fundamental rights that many of us considered inalienable — but it’s also the caustic way in which we're treating each other.
My hope is that, yeah, let these protests be with singing. Let us stand up and say what we really need to say, but let's also do so in a way that changes the way the conversation is working. Because I think that love and truth and hope will not win out in this constant binary punching at one another. It will win out when we present an alternative world where there can be peace and justice for all.
Linda Stephan is the lead pastor of Central United Methodist Church in Traverse City. Julie Delezenne is the senior pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Traverse City.
Producer: Austin Rowlader
Editing: Steve Junker
Music: Blue Dot Sessions
