The Kind of Man We Want in Our Neighborhoods: Miguel’s Story

A Different Story Than the One We’ve Been Told

We’ve heard the narrative before: Single men who come to the border are dangerous, likely criminals. They bring crime to our neighborhoods.”. 

But what if we told you about Miguel? Bri Stensrud, Director of Women of Welcome, met Miguel in a shelter in Ciudad Juarez and he graciously shared his story with her and a group who spent the afternoon at the shelter. That story changed her perspective. “We’re told that men coming to our border are rapists and criminals,” she says. Miguel’s story reminds us to look past the narratives we hear and meet people. Their stories should change us.

A Father’s Belief in Doing the Right Thing

On a quiet street in Honduras, Miguel and his brother ran a modest barber shop. They shared an apartment with their families and, like any other father, were simply trying to provide a better life. But the walls were thin. And what they heard coming from the apartment next door broke their hearts, and eventually upended their lives.

They heard a child being harmed every day when her mother left for work.

One day, it became too much. Miguel and his brother kicked down the door, subdued the abusive father, and ran for the police. That father? They didn’t know he was a gang member until the death threats started to come. 

They knew they had done the right thing, but they never could have anticipated how high the cost would be. First, there were threats. Then, came the drive-by shootings. Miguel’s brother was shot in the neck while Miguel was just around the corner buying lunch. He returned to find his brother bleeding out on the floor of their shop. His brother slipped into a coma. Bills piled up. Safety disappeared. But Miguel didn’t.

He stepped up. He protected. He prayed. He did what fathers do. He took a job working with a local politician. When new threats came, this time with photos of his wife and daughter, his boss told him he should flee. To keep his family safe, he set out to seek asylum at the U.S. border in hopes of sending for his family to join him later.

A Father’s Sacrifice to Keep His Family Safe

He crossed borders with the hope of finding safety. He waited in cartel-run towns. He encountered policies that treated him as disposable. Previously, people could present themselves at the U.S.-Mexico border and present themselves to plead their case. But by the time Miguel arrived, the Trump administration had implemented metering policies along the border that only allowed for a small number of individuals to cross each day. By the time Bri met him, he’d been waiting three months at the shelter. He shared that his money was gone and if it weren’t for the shelter, he would probably be dead.

“He teared up as he spoke of how hard the entire situation had been on his marriage,” Bri shared. “His wife had given birth to their second child while he was here waiting for entry.”

He shared with the Women of Welcome ladies visiting the shelter: “I believe God wanted me to save that girl. But doing so has made things so very hard. I’m not with my wife and kids. I’ve never held my new baby daughter. I’ve lost my brother. Why? We were just doing the right thing.”

A Father’s Hope for His Family

He fled in hope and believed he would be able to find a safe place and send for his family. He left the only home he’d ever known. 

Why?

Because Miguel is a man of faith. A man who rescued a little girl and paid a brutal price. A man who risked everything, not for gain, but for good. And still, he’s the kind of man some say doesn’t belong.

This Father’s Day, we remember dads like Miguel,  who shoulder burdens in silence away from any national news and narratives. We pray for men who act with courage, whose strength is shaped not by aggression, but by sacrifice. These fathers remind us of our Heavenly Father’s relentless pursuit of justice and mercy.

The next time you hear a headline meant to paint immigrant men at the border all as threats, ask yourself: What if your neighbor was Miguel? Wouldn’t you feel safer with him in your community? 

The truth is, our neighborhoods need more Miguels.

This Father’s Day, we honor fathers who flee danger, carry hope and sometimes their children thousands of miles to give their families a better life. Men like Miguel are not strangers to courage. They’re living proof of it.

Let’s not let false narratives define who belongs, who is a contributor, or a criminal Let’s be wise and discerning, but let’s start with welcome.

Pray With Us:

Heavenly Father,
We lift up the fathers who bear impossible burdens. We pray for men like Miguel, who choose justice even when it costs them everything. May we not overlook their courage or dismiss their sacrifice.
We pray for protection over the fathers waiting at borders and shelters today. Be their refuge, their provider, their peace. Strengthen them as they carry hope for their families across uncertain lands.
Help us, Lord, to see your image in them, to trade fear for compassion. Help us to replace suspicion with honor and to welcome as You welcome.
Amen.