We, the clergy, officers, and members of Owen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Alamogordo, New Mexico, rise with holy boldness to condemn the inhumane and unjust actions taken by the current President of the United States and his administration. The deployment of the U.S. military on American soil against civilians and migrants alike is not only unprecedented in modern history but is a gross misuse of federal power that echoes the darkest chapters of our nation’s past. We are reminded that in 1962, when federal troops were deployed, it was to protect the rights of those fighting for freedom – not to suppress them. Today’s actions distort that legacy and weaponized the government against the very people it is sworn to serve.
Scripture is not to be brandished as a prop or twisted for political theater. The Word of God speaks clearly and prophetically against the mistreatment of the vulnerable. As it is written in Leviticus 19:33-34, “If a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I a the Lord your God.” These holy words do not permit selective compassion. They command just treatment and radical love for all – regardless of citizenship, status, or nationality.
In just the first 140 days of this administration’s second act, the cruelty inflicted has already surpassed the damage of the previous term. From family separations and mass deportations to threats of military action against peaceful protesters, these policies betray the foundational principles of human dignity. They violate the heart of the gospel. Jesus declared the greatest commandments: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind…and love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:36-40). The actions of this administration are in direct opposition to that love.
As a church committed to serving the least, the less, and the lost, and with members who have served honorably in every branch of the United States Armed Forces, we are both morally outraged and spiritually compelled to speak truth to power. We call upon elected officials – from city councils to the U.S. Senate – to resist this administration’s tyranny. We demand that government leaders provide protection, legal aid, and sanctuary for those targeted by these harmful policies. We further call on Governors across the country to reject any unauthorized
mobilization of their National Guard units that would violate the Posse Comitatus Act, and we call upon members of Congress to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Donald John Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. In addition, we demand federal criminal charges be brought against “Border Czar” Thomas Homan for state-sanctioned kidnapping and human rights violations.
We do not condone violence or destruction in any form. We mourn the damage done to our communities. But we also recognize that unchecked oppression and systemic abuse produce righteous anger. The people cry out, and that cry is rooted in generations of pain – mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical. Let it be known: protest is not the problem. Silence is. Complicity is. Injustice is. Therefore, we call upon all who value human dignity – whether native-born or immigrant, citizen or undocumented – to rise, to march, to speak, to resist. Let us shout with one prophetic voice: WE WILL NOT BE SILENT, AND WE WILL NOT STAND BY!!!
We believe, just as in Jericho, that when God’s people march in unity, the unjust walls built by hatred and fear will come tumbling down. This is our declaration. This is our demand. This is our prayer. May God stretch forth His mighty hand that we will “…do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8).
In His Service,
//s// Eve-Lynn Hopkins_______________ //s// Michael E. Hopkins______________
Rev. Eve-Lynn Hopkins Rev. Michael Hopkins
Pastor | Senior Minister Executive Minister | Social Action Chair
Owen Chapel AMEC – Alamogordo, NM Owen Chapel AMEC – Alamogordo, NM
