Imagine, if you will, that after Joseph is warned in a dream to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt to elude Herod's plan to kill Jesus, that the holy family is stopped and forced to turn back by border patrol.

The United States is the Egypt of two millenniums ago in relation to our brothers and sisters who live south of us. Asylum or refugee status is not available to them, but many long to escape poverty and the violence of drug wars the Mexican government cannot control. Family and employer sponsorships for immigrants are limited and with lengthy waiting periods.

Over 11 million people live in the U.S. without documentation. Most are good and responsible. Research shows that the crime rate is lower for them than for the general population. They take jobs no one else wants, because it's better than what they can get back home.

In 2010, over 400,000 were deported. Border patrol is being increased. People are arrested for littering when they provide water for migrants crossing the Arizona desert. Some state legislators, including in Wyoming, sought to impose added restrictions. Building detention centers is being promoted by the private prison industry. There's a tremendous cost for a punitive approach without addressing the human needs.

The proposed bill in Wyoming failed during the 2011 legislative session with the Wyoming Association of Churches working with other organizations that also had concerns. But concerns still exist for those living in Wyoming, even for those with legal immigration status due to racial profiling and prejudice.

For more information, contact Chesie Lee at wychurches@wyoming.com.