My Letter to Secretary Noem

Hello everyone! I do write politicians or political appointees, especially as a matter of conscience as I have done with President Trump three times. Below is my open letter to Secretary Noem. I speak on behalf of those who can't speak for themselves. My prayers are that she hears the heart of the Father through me.

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The Honorable Kristi Noem

Secretary of Homeland Security

Washington, DC 20528

Dear Madame Secretary,

Greetings and blessings to you and yours in the name of Jesus Christ, the one true King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

This letter has been stirring in my heart for quite some time. I did not know how to address my concerns to you until now. Thank you for your time in reading this letter as it is lengthy.

 I am writing to you today because I am heartbroken for this nation. I am heartbroken at what I see in our cities. I am heartbroken for citizens and non-citizens alike. That said, I am now addressing someone who can change the atmosphere. The fact that you have been given directives by those you are accountable to, President Trump, is not lost on me. I do understand that you are trying to do the task set before you and so are the ICE agents who report to you. I also know FEMA needs change and must function better. I have also written the President two letters addressing the current state of the nation as well because he too can change the atmosphere. You both have been given authority by God to be where you are today. Are you using that authority well and to the benefit of all? I asked him the same question.

I will ask you a few more questions I hope you will consider over the coming days and years as you make decisions. I pray you will choose compassion over anything or anyone else.

Is it Godly or compassionate to slow FEMA funding to states after disasters? Can a budget be trimmed too severely? Aren't people more important than money? I would ask and encourage you and the new FEMA Administrator to look again at FEMA cuts and reorganization for the good of all Americans and especially the poor and those with disabilities.

Is it Godly or compassionate to pull people off our streets and out of their homes whose only crime is not following through in immigration court? And some who have followed through are being arrested. What does this accomplish? Many of these people are poor and a trip using gas to go to court vs using gas to go to work are real struggles for them. Is there a better way to ensure people are here legally by working on the system itself and making this easier for them to attain citizenship and be the productive citizens we all want?

Let me be clear. I realize you all have also arrested true criminals who are here illegally and who have done terrible things. I am thankful for this. We do not need more criminals. We do need nuance. Separating parents from children, children from parents, and spouses from one another whose only crime is not coming to an immigration appointment or in some cases coming to the immigration appointment and facing arrest is not in our best interest or theirs. I must be frank; this is not compassionate or Godly.

Are the detention centers good places to keep families? Are they compassionate places, and can you ensure those who are there are treated well? Is there room for more transparency here while also keeping the safety of detainees and ICE agents in mind? I ask because I do not know how these places work. I am not accusing anyone of any wrongdoing either. Again, let me be clear, when the ICE detention center in Georgia was attacked, I was thankful the agents acted quickly to save lives of both colleagues and detainees. I condemn these attacks on ICE agents, detainees, and ICE colleagues. Violence of any kind is reprehensible and evil. Any kind.

Lastly, I want to address ICE agent face masks, detainees’ ability to practice their faith, and protests at ICE facilities. I never thought I would see any of this in my lifetime. At times it seems dystopian.

I understand there are ICE agents and their families who have been doxed and that is childish, foolish, and cowardly on the part of the people involved in doing such things. It is also wrong to so such things to people. I do not know how to fix this, no one does. I do believe that masked law enforcement leads to a lot of fear and unease among the average citizen and non-citizen alike and may be provoking less stable or simply frightened people. People will do many things they would not normally do when they are afraid. However, people throwing Molotov cocktails or any other harmful object at any law enforcement is not fear, it is provocation and pre-meditated and should be dealt with accordingly. I want to be honest with you and tell you that seeing ICE agents like this on television is disturbing to me, and I have no reason to fear them at all. All I see are frightened families, children, and spouses. I believe this practice has also given rise to fake ICE agents. These are unstable people who no more represent DHS or ICE than my wall does. They prey on others in the government’s name. I do not believe that is what you want or any of your agents want. I genuinely believe masked law enforcement is not in our nation's best interest. I would ask all of you not to give into fear. Do not give evil what it wants.

When it comes to practicing our Christian faith, even non-citizens have a human right to practice their faith. I would ask and encourage you to allow Catholic churches to provide mass and allow other churches to minister to detainees. This would encourage detainees in their faith and encourage them to follow the law. I understand there needs to be standards for allowing outsiders into facilities to see detainees to ensure visitor safety, detainee safety, and law enforcement safety. I would like to see both standards and more transparency. The standards must be fair, feasible, and safe. Members of Congress must also follow said standards. If detainees see our govt as compassionate and respectful yet also having clear expectations of them that we expect them to follow through on, this will go a long way to combat illegal immigration.

I do not agree with everything I see at ICE facility protests and some are out of line on both sides. I believe that representatives of our govt should be above reproach when it comes to dealing with such things. What I mean is do not meet protesters who are intentionally provoking your agents with the same energy. That is what they want, do not give it to them. Rise above them, do the unexpected, be compassionate. Defend life and property if forced, and do not give them what they want. As for the priest who was shot with pepper balls, I do not know what his motives where, I do not know him, nor was I there. I heard him praying from what I have seen by all video accounts. I do know you asked ICE agents not to tear gas peaceful protestors, and I am thankful and acknowledge that order. These actions I would say from one or two ICE agents disturbed me. It is also my understanding that the man in charge there will be at a hearing or has already been to a hearing based on what happened there. I will ask two questions, and I hope he and/or they will be asked the same: 1) Were those actions necessary, and 2) Were those actions compassionate?

I keep circling back around to compassion because if not for the compassion and love of God, none of us would be here. Compassion will be here long after strength has faded. I do not ask you to agree with everything I have written to you, I simply ask you to consider, meditate, and pray about these things as I have. If there is anything as a citizen, I would benefit from knowing, please make that information available.

I will leave with you some words from God to his people Israel both from the Torah and one of the Prophets. The Israelites were contending with many of the same things we do today. If this was good enough for them, it is good enough for America today.

Deuteronomy 10:18-19 NIV; He (God) defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners....

Zechariah 7:10 NIV; Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor…

You can change the atmosphere.

Sincerely and respectfully,

Elizabeth