As a Republican legislator, who is also a Christian, I strive to follow Micah 6:8, “… to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly.”

Justice demands that those who break the law face consequences. For guests in our country, that consequence should be deportation. However, it is unfair that immigrants who have complied with the immigration process established in law have been arrested in Maine. Suddenly changing the rules is neither just nor merciful. We are a nation of laws, not men, and due process must be followed. 

I’m grateful that many in my party are pro-life. We should remember that if we say we are pro-life, that means we cherish all lives, not just those who look like us. I was encouraged to read President Trump’s message on International Holocaust Remembrance Day: “… we recommit to the sacred truth that every human being is made in the holy image of God.”

What a wonderful reminder of how much we are to value each other.

Now is the time to walk humbly. Federal and state elected officials must work together to correct the present course of immigration law enforcement. Precious lives are being harmed and this injustice cannot continue. Unfettered immigration, without properly screening out criminals or a plan for how immigrants would support themselves, was absolutely absurd, and led to our present crisis. Congress and the president must enact immigration reforms that are both just and merciful. We are America, and we can do both.

Rep. Amy Arata
New Gloucester