Editor’s Note: Politically Pastoral will do its best to track the current administration’s despicable acts while offering stories of hope and resilience, training, and resources for resistance.

Beloved, we find ourselves in a season where political winds blow cold against the backs of the most vulnerable. This past week, the Trump administration escalated its assault on human dignity, enacting and advancing policies that burden the weary, erase the marginalized, and prioritize power over people.

Let us name these harms—clearly and without equivocation—because silence is complicity in the face of injustice.

Weaponization of History: Deportation of Venezuelan MigrantsOn April 7, the U.S. Supreme Court gave its blessing—for now—for the administration to deport Venezuelan migrants accused of gang affiliation using the Alien Enemies Act, a law from the 1700s, born in a time when human rights were a distant dream for many. This ruling, though it includes a requirement for court hearings in Texas, raises red flags about fairness, racial profiling, and due process. Courts cannot be justice’s only gatekeeper when the law is misused as a cudgel.

Schools Under Siege: Threats to DEI ProgramsThe Department of Education has drawn a troubling line in the sand: public schools must abandon diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs—or risk losing critical federal funds. This ultimatum, with a chilling 10-day deadline, jeopardizes Title I funding—lifelines for schools serving low-income communities. The message is unmistakable: inclusion is punishable. It’s an affront to every student who’s ever needed to see themselves reflected in the curriculum, the classroom, or the care of an educator.

Foreign Soil, Domestic Fear: Considering Drone Strikes on MexicoThe administration’s contemplation of drone strikes against Mexican drug cartels dangerously blurs the sacred boundary between national security and international aggression. Drone warfare on sovereign soil isn’t just a legal grey area—it’s a moral one. Such moves risk civilian lives, inflame tensions with our neighbors, and mirror the kind of empire Jesus consistently challenged in word and deed.

Erasing Identity: Executive Orders Against LGBTQ+ CommunitiesIn a series of executive orders, President Trump has stripped federal recognition from transgender individuals, banned funding for programs that support gender-diverse people, and re-imposed a rigid gender binary onto federal agencies. These actions are not just bureaucratic but theological errors and human rights violations. They deny the imago Dei—the divine image—in all God's children.

In Matthew 25:40, Jesus reminds us, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these siblings of mine, you did for me.” That sacred charge doesn’t expire. When government policies persecute immigrants, silence the voices of LGBTQ+ folks, penalize Black and Brown students striving for equity, and militarize borders with drones rather than diplomacy—we are witnessing a profound spiritual crisis, not just a political one.

This isn’t just about policies—it’s about a posture of heart and nation. It’s about whether we bow to fear and authoritarianism or rise in holy defiance rooted in love.

Let us not simply mourn—let us move.

Here are faithful and fierce ways to resist these injustices:

🕊 Support Legal Aid for ImmigrantsStand with those facing deportation. Support groups like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and National Immigration Law Center (NILC) as they fight for justice in courts and detention centers.

🏫 Defend DEI in EducationShow up at your local school board meetings. Speak truth in love. Let educators know they are not alone in striving for classrooms that honor every child’s story.

📞 Call Your LegislatorsRemind elected officials that their moral accountability does not stop at the ballot box. Lift your voice on behalf of those whose voices are being silenced.

✊🏽 Take to the Streets in Peaceful ProtestLet your feet speak where words fall short. Public protest is a sacred act of witness—an embodied declaration that justice is still delayed and is demanded.

🌈 Support LGBTQ+ Advocacy GroupsOrganizations like The Trevor Project and Human Rights Campaign are doing holy work. Donate, volunteer, share resources, and affirm that every identity is beloved.

📚 Educate Your CommunityHost conversations in your faith spaces, community centers, and homes. Resistance begins with awareness and grows through courageous conversation.

Beloved, the arc of the moral universe may bend toward justice—but only if we bend with it. Let us be the hands, the hearts, and the voices that keep it moving forward. Let us be stubborn in love and unyielding in compassion.

As Micah 6:8 reminds us: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Let us walk on—together.

Amen and Ashe.—Rev. Father Jason Carson Wilson