Posted on 07/14/2014 10:07:43 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The National Latino Evangelical Coalition will be working with faith-based organizations across the country to open up 600 beds to Central American children who have crossed into the country without their parents.
President of the NaLEC Gabe Salguero explained that over a period of 18 months, starting in August, churches and camps will likely receive thousands of children the majority of whom are from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador while they are waiting to be placed with their parents who are already in the United States or family members in the countries they are from.
"We have 15 partners on the ground where we're housing the kids, we're receiving them, feeding them, providing them with education," Salguero told The Christian Post, noting that the sites are located in Texas, Florida, Illinois, New York and California.
NaLEC applied for grant funds earlier in 2014.
This new program falls under NaLEC's larger Refugio initiative, a short-term and long-term response to the thousands of unaccompanied minors who have dominated headlines in recent weeks. In addition to hosting children and attending to the needs of those already here, Salguero's organization will also look to legally "address the root causes of this crisis" by partnering with "the Alianza Evangélica Latina and other allies in Latin America to call for governments in Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua to provide better security against the increased gang-violence while providing better promises of education for these children."
It also seeks to influence domestic foreign policy to create a more effective aid policy and intends to lobby for "stronger laws against human-trafficking and exploitive practices of 'coyotes' in the most adversely sending countries."
Salguero, a longtime advocate for immigration reform has met with both President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in recent weeks to discuss these issues. On Wednesday, he will head to Texas where he intends to visit a detention center and host a press conference with other Christian leaders.
The Nazarene pastor said that his message to politicians is one that is deeply personal to Latino Evangelicals.
"The church is ready, especially Hispanic Evangelicals, because we speak the language of these children, we know their realities, we're culturally sensitive, many of us have lived in these countries, we served in those countries," he said.
Because of these connections to both sides, Salguero said he and those in his network have been working with Christian media in these countries to set the record straight about the realities of American immigration policy. Lack of clarity about what one's legal status may look like upon crossing the border is only one of the forces driving children up North, suggested Salguero, also pointing to the rampant violence and economic deprivation in the countries, along with the fact that many have parents in the States whom they have been separated from for years.
"One mother told me she paid $7,000 to bring two of her kids. I mean this woman is barely making it. She had to borrow," said Salguero. "But she had been away from her child for 11 years."
"There's a really, really, really strong push by these coyotes in those countries. They're really lapping up, and promoting messaging saying 'Come, now is the time,'" he added. "It's a major industry. It's a lot of money."
In an op-ed for Time Magazine last week, Salguero acknowledged there were "no easy answers."
"If we are to move forward, we must work together in hope. Hope requires sacrifice and courage. This hour in American history will tell how strongly the evangelical church in America holds to these virtues," he wrote. "Will evangelicals step forward and asked for increased resources for security, education and sustainable development in Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua? Will we refuse to allow people to blame children for the broken immigration systems? The church cannot be silent as angry groups of people stoking the flames of fear yell at buses filled with helpless immigrant children and women."
Grappling hook children.
As always FOLLOW the money
how much will they get in ‘boama money”?
The Catholic Diocese of Galveston Tx for 15 MILLION.
and guess who it is helping to find homes etc?
:: One mother told me she paid $7,000 to bring two of her kids. ::
One woman bought $7K in lottery tickets, and wouldn’t you know it, every one of those tickets paid out.
Funny, huh?
RE: how much will they get in boama money?
I thought Obama did not have money? That’s why he’s asking for $3.7 Billion...
Aiding and abetting Mexico's criminal alien invasion of these United States is itself criminal. It's also a violation of Christian charity with respect to those who have immigrated legally, and those who are born here.
Corrupt Doctrine ==> Corrupt Action.
And there ya have it. As we now already know, the Obama Regime has been funneling funds for some years now into these religious charities so that as they began this invasion of the US by these "refugees", there would be agencies with ready cash, food, supplies and etc. to take care of these invaders.
All you organizations...If you want to do good....go to those countries and teach them.
**”The church is ready, especially Hispanic Evangelicals**
**The Nazarene pastor said that his message to politicians is one that is deeply personal to Latino Evangelicals. **
sorry for the misspell
ah WE know he has no money but the people who benefit from his giving away of OUR money think it is BO’s money and he is helping them out
Does The National Latino Evangelical Coalition have a very good Health Plan ? They will need it
These so called churches are grifters, receiving tax monies under the rubric of being altruistic.
The National Latino Evangelical Coalition is a for profit group operating as a Non-Prophet.
They can’t, straight faced, lie and collect these monies, while claiming to do this in Christ’s name.
Where is the sacrifice on behalf of the parishoners?
Gimme a break...
I have never seen a country so eager to commit suicide as this one.
“Does The National Latino Evangelical Coalition have a very good Health Plan ? They will need it”
The illegals are on Medicaid. Catholic Charities does this, forcing taxpayers to pay for the charity case they are feining support for. They probably also get food stamps, welfare, who knows what other free handouts at our expense.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.