A Chilling Wakeup Call

When a conversation begins with words like “chilling,” “cruelty,” and “power,” you know it’s not business as usual. In a recent special episode of the Worthy podcast, Women of Welcome Director Bri Stensrud sat down with Elyse Fitzpatrick to unpack what’s really going on in U.S. immigration policy right now. It’s not about partisan politics. It’s about people, and the policies impacting them.

This conversation isn’t just timely. It’s urgent. With mass deportation efforts ramping up, the stories and stats Bri shared shed light on a system that, in her words, is displaying “power and cruelty—not compassion, not solutions, and definitely not a functioning legal pathway.”

What You Need to Know: The 3 Major Themes

In the episode, Bri highlighted three disturbing trends shaping our current immigration landscape:

1. Stripping People of Legal Status “They want to strip people of their legal status or… not take into consideration any kind of status or standing that you currently have in the country.”
2. Arresting Based on Convenience, Not Criminality “They’re arresting people based on convenience instead of those who pose public threats… They’re doing a lot of profiling.”
3. Deporting Without Due Process “The President has implemented expedited removals… you could be innocent.”

The Numbers Are Stark Bri shared statistics that underline just how off-target current enforcement actions are:

• “94% of those that they are taking off the streets right now have no violent criminal record.”
• “65%… have no convictions at all.”
• “71% who have been deported… have no criminal record whatsoever.”

These aren’t hardened criminals. They’re contributors: our neighbors, coworkers, and fellow church members.

Follow the Money: What the BBB Funds

Bri also breaks down the implications of the recently passed bill on immigration in the U.S., what others have dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill” (BBB):

• $145 billion allocated for immigration
• $70 billion of that for border security
• $75 billion for interior enforcement
• ICE’s budget increased 300%, jumping from $3 billion to $45 billion

While Bri acknowledges the need for safety and border infrastructure, she questions the scale and use of these funds: “Does the punishment fit the crime?”

Why This Matters to You

“This is your immigration system,” Bri reminds us. “This is what we are allowing the government to put people through.”

Even if immigration reform wasn’t your top voting issue, it’s happening in your name. And as Christians, we’re called to see the person behind the policy.

So, What Can We Do?

Bri offered three practical, nonpartisan ways to respond:

1. Use Your Voice Call your lawmakers. “If you got the president you wanted, but this isn’t what you voted for, you get to say: ‘This can’t be us.'”
2. Support Real Solutions Advocate for humane, bipartisan efforts like the Dignity Act: “It allows people to come out of the shadows… not with citizenship, but with legal permanent status.”
3. Get Local Support ministries and legal aid groups, join letter-writing campaigns to those in detention, and look for Women of Welcome local chapters launching this fall.

This conversation isn’t about guilt. It’s about gospel-centered responsibility. As Bri so beautifully put it: “I’m not a white savior in any way. What I am is I’m trying to act like my Savior in loving you well.”

Let that sink in. Take 45 minutes and listen to the full podcast here.

And visit womenofwelcome.com/latest-advocacy-needs to take your next faithful step.