Walking Both Sides of the Border with Michael DeBruhl
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What comes to mind when you hear the words the border? Maybe it’s walls, barbed wire, Border Patrol agents, or families waiting to be processed. But behind those familiar images are human beings on every side, and a reality that's much more complicated than the slogans we hear about securing, closing, or opening the border.
In this episode, we’re joined by Michael DeBruhl, who spent 26 years as a U.S. Border Patrol Agent before eventually becoming director of the migrant shelter at Sacred Heart Church in El Paso. Michael takes us inside the day-to-day reality of Border Patrol, shares what decades of encounters with migrants taught him about the people crossing the border and the officers enforcing the law, and explains what “secure the border” actually means from someone who spent his career doing that work.
Tune in this week to learn why border security and compassion do not have to be opposing ideas, what Michael wishes more people understood about both migrants and Border Patrol agents, and why political labels rarely tell us everything we need to know about another human being. We also explore justice, mercy, and what it means to care for our neighbors without pretending the complicated questions around immigration and border policy have simple answers.
Have an immigration question you’ve always wanted answered? Send it our way on Facebook or Instagram for a chance to have it included in our live Conversations for Curious Christians episode at the end of the season!
What You’ll Learn from this Episode about U.S. Border Security:
What a typical day could look like for a Border Patrol agent and how much discretion agents actually have.
Why Michael describes migrants as ordinary people living through extraordinary circumstances.
The acts of kindness Michael witnessed from Border Patrol agents that rarely become part of the public conversation.
How Michael went from a 26-year Border Patrol career to volunteering with and eventually directing a migrant shelter.
What “secure the border” means from the perspective of someone who spent decades working there.
How Michael thinks about the relationship between enforcing immigration law, compassion, and human dignity.
Why his faith journey became clearer to him only after he began serving migrants.
How replacing labels with actual people can change the way we approach immigration conversations.
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