Poster Idea
The Rev. Jim Burklo proposes that posters of the Virgin of Guadalupe -- a beloved religious figure to many Latin Americans -- can make a moral statement against oppresive ICE raids. (Photo Courtesy of Jim Burklo)
Special to United Methodist Insight | July 14, 2025
The image of the Virgin of Guadalupe has comforted and inspired the people of the Americas since 1531. More than ever, millions of people in the United States of America need her watchful, loving presence in their lives, as fascism takes hold in this country and mass deportation is underway.
There is no moral nor practical justification for deporting people who have lived in this country for years without documentation. It is outrageous and cruel to punish them for the failure of this country to enact sensible, humane immigration laws over the past decades. They are our precious neighbors, working hard to take care of their families, contributing to our country. They are no more criminals for crossing the border long ago without papers than the rest of us are outlaws for driving 75 mph on freeways posted with a 65 mph speed limit. Mass, indiscriminate deportation of people is itself a crime against humanity. The majority of the American people want bipartisan, reasonable immigration reform that secures the border, gives a pathway to citizenship to long-term undocumented people, and allows an orderly process of immigration and refugee resettlement. All that stands in the way of it is MAGA extremism.
With your church or community group, take this image of La Virgen and print it out in large format on sturdy paper, and post it as close as possible to sites where ICE has conducted raids or apprehensions in your neighborhood. Sign up for your local Rapid Response Network to be notified about where raids are happening in real time. If enough of these images go up, people will catch on to what they imply. Her visage inspires calm and courage - which terrified immigrants need more than ever today. (Whatever kind of activism we engage on their behalf must be done in a way that does not inspire even more fear among them - so we must be very careful about our rhetoric, to avoid hurting the people we want to help.) Let's see if we can make this go "viral" - and spread across the country.
ICE is watching us. We must let ICE know that La Virgen - and the rest of us - are watching ICE!
(I am working with progressive faith groups and other organizations on crafting this poster campaign. If you and your church or other organization want to be part of this effort, please let me know right away!)