What Happens When the System Forgets People

It started quietly. A few more ICE vans near the interstate. A handful of traffic stops in familiar neighborhoods. But within days, the tone in our city changed. Families stopped going out. Rumors swirled. School drop-offs were filled with tension.

As a pastor, I rarely write about immigration policy. But when enforcement becomes disruption, and when neighbors start disappearing without warning, we can’t pretend it’s not our concern. This isn’t about partisanship. It’s about people. And it’s time we speak with clarity and compassion.

The Human and Economic Costs of Disruption

A joint operation between the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently led to nearly 600 traffic stops and the detention of over 100 individuals across the state. South Nashville, home to many immigrant families, was a particular focus.

These events are not isolated. They ripple outward, disrupting far more than just those directly detained. Immigrant communities contribute meaningfully across every sector of our economy. From agriculture and construction to healthcare, education, and small business ownership, their presence strengthens local communities in ways both visible and unseen. Sudden enforcement actions do more than create labor gaps. They shake the foundations of neighborhoods, disrupt families, and send fear through schools, churches, and workplaces.

The ripple effects reach far beyond any one sector. Restaurants and small shops lose workers and loyal customers. Grocery spending slows. Rent payments are missed. Cities collect less in sales and property taxes. Public services absorb hidden costs. What starts as a targeted policy ends up weakening the broader economy and the social cohesion we all rely on.

These are not anecdotal observations. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, foreign-born workers made up more than 18 percent of the U.S. labor force in 2024. While that number is somewhat lower in Tennessee, the concentration of immigrants in high-demand sectors such as agriculture, elder care, and food services means the impact of their absence is immediately felt.

In economic terms, labor shocks of this nature increase costs, suppress supply, and reduce taxable activity. In relational terms, they generate isolation and distrust.

When Fear Replaces Trust

Another consequence, harder to quantify but just as damaging, is the erosion of trust. When local law enforcement is seen as participating in immigration raids, even indirectly, cooperation disappears. People stop reporting crimes. Witnesses stay silent. Fear replaces engagement.

And in our churches, we feel the weight of that fear. We pray with families who worry that a routine traffic stop could separate them forever. We comfort children struggling to focus in school because of what they saw the day before. We navigate the pastoral tension between offering spiritual peace and confronting real-world danger.

This type of fear does not stay in the margins. It spreads. And it affects the moral fabric of communities in ways that enforcement data will never show.

What a Better Path Might Look Like

A truly balanced approach to immigration must recognize three realities: national sovereignty, economic necessity, and human dignity.

National leaders have every right to protect borders and enforce laws. But when those efforts ignore the economic interdependence between immigrant workers and local businesses, we damage our own prosperity. And when enforcement forgets the human lives involved, we erode trust in the very institutions meant to protect our communities.

The partnership between federal immigration agencies and local law enforcement should be carefully reconsidered. Municipal and state patrol officers are tasked with keeping peace in diverse communities. Their effectiveness depends on trust, not fear. Deputizing them to assist in removals blurs jurisdiction, shifts public perception, and reduces safety for everyone.

Practical reforms are available. Work permits should be more accessible and responsive to real-time labor demand. Local nonprofits, churches, and legal aid organizations should be resourced to provide transitional support and accurate information. Streamlined asylum and residency processes, while politically unpopular in some circles, are economically and socially stabilizing in the long term.

In countries like Canada, for instance, immigration enforcement is more closely tied to employer sponsorships and community integration plans. Several European nations restrict the overlap between civil policing and immigration authority to preserve social cohesion. These models are not without flaws, but they demonstrate that compassion and order are not mutually exclusive.

A system built on reactive enforcement, rather than proactive integration, will always be costly financially and morally.

The Church Cannot Be Silent

To fellow believers, this moment is a test of our theology and our courage.

We don’t need more outrage. But we do need more clarity. More truth. More conviction spoken in the tone of love. Because policy debates may come and go, but the people affected by them are our neighbors, our coworkers, and often our brothers and sisters in Christ.

The Bible is unwaveringly clear about how we treat the stranger. Over and over again, God reminds His people: You were once foreigners in a land not your own. Do not forget what that felt like.

This is not about lawlessness. It is about leading with wisdom and compassion. It is about recognizing that when vulnerable people suffer, the whole community suffers. And it is about understanding that the Church does not have the luxury of silence when the marginalized are swept aside.

People, Not Just Policy

Immigration is one of the most emotionally and politically charged topics in public life. But for pastors and spiritual leaders, the primary lens must not be politics. It must be people.

People who are afraid to go to work. People who skip doctor appointments. People who drive their children to school while scanning the road for unmarked vans. These are not nameless policy challenges. They are families. They are image-bearers of God.

As laws continue to shift and political winds change, we must be unwavering in one thing: our commitment to speak with truth and act with love.

Because when systems forget people, the Church must remember.