Christian Family from Syria Being Held in Detention Camp in U.S.

A Christian family who left Syria for the U.S. has been in a detention camp for more than a month.

According to Christian Today, Samer and his family left Syria to come to Texas just days after the Paris attacks. The family was taken to an immigration center near San Antonio. Samer has a wife and two sons, ages 2 and 5.

"My very small children are in prison," Samer told reporters. "I had no idea that the political climate was so against Syrian refugees. If I had known that it was so terrible here I wouldn't have brought my family."

Christian Today reports that the family has undergone a background check but are not security threats.

“They have followed every rule, completed every step in the process that results in asylum seekers being released to live with their families and told to report to court, but they are being treated differently ... the saddest thing about these cases is that these people fled from a government that singled them out because of who they were – Christians,” said Jonathan Ryan, their attorney. 

“They came to our country seeking protection only to find that we are doing the same thing because of their national origin.”

The debate over refugee immigration into the U.S. has continued to grow. About half of the governors in the U.S. have said they oppose settling Syrian refugees in their states.

U.S. evangelical leaders released a statement this week saying that “voices of fear” cannot dictate immigration policy.

"Moments like these are when Christians cannot remain silent and still. In light of this crisis, we commit ourselves and our churches to actively care for and minister to global refugees with mercy and compassion, both here and abroad, based on God's compelling concern for all people in need and especially refugees."

Publication date: December 18, 2015