by: Gabriel “Jay” Catanus
Recently, social media reports surfaced that the federal government was offering six-figure salaries to prospective ICE agents, along with signing bonuses as high as forty-five or fifty thousand dollars— with no educational requirement. The viral complaint tied to this discovery was that an ICE agent’s starting salary far exceeds the average teacher’s annual pay ($84,272), even though a teacher must have decades of experience and multiple graduate degrees in order to earn that much. Of course, the average teacher lasts only four or five years in the profession.
This kind of disparity is not only the fruit of Trump’s recently-passed economic megabill, but a reflection of our country’s priorities. As is often said, a budget is a moral document. It says much about the collective American conscience (and the weakness of the opposition) that Trump’s new bill allocates $170 billion towards increased detentions, deportations, and border security. Added to this travesty is the reality, reported by multiple sources, that the majority of detainees do not have criminal records. Only eight percent have been convicted of violent crimes.
As an immigrant myself and pastor with friends across the political spectrum, I hesitate to share publicly how lucrative it can be to work for ICE because I don’t want to inadvertently recruit for them. Many of my friends, including my Filipino American loved ones, hold racist and anti-immigrant views despite being immigrants themselves. A six-figure income would be life-changing for their families, even if it meant being complicit in injustice and possibly losing their souls. After all, the suffering of vulnerable communities has not changed their support of the current president and his policies.
Those of us who seek to love neighbors and welcome strangers (Mt. 25:35) must find moral clarity because apathy and injustice are not only getting easier— they are becoming more profitable. And as we read the news, we feel in our bodies that seeking justice and showing mercy are becoming more costly. This summer, I’m teaching a course on the Nazi-resister and martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer, whose words have been a source of strength for me. Shortly after Hitler’s rise to power he had the foresight to say, “The church has an unconditional obligation toward the victims of any societal order, even if they do not belong to the Christian community.” May we see our own obligations clearly and bear witness to a better world for all.
Gabriel J. Catanus is the Director of the Filipino American Ministry Initiative (FAMI) at Fuller Theological Seminary, where he teaches theology and ethics. He is also the pastor of Garden City Covenant Church, a congregation serving immigrant families and young professionals. He received his PhD from Loyola University in Chicago, where he lives with his wife and two children.
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