Evangelical leaders challenge Trump's immigration and foreign aid policies amid calls for unity
While the president has had broad support among evangelicals, one pastor was trying "to seek clarity," taking issue with policies targeting missionary aid and non-violent immigrants.
President Donald Trump called for unity in his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday morning — largely steering clear of addressing controversies around his actions cracking down on immigration and paralyzing federal efforts to distribute international aid.
But some evangelical leaders are speaking out against both policies, even though Trump has enjoyed broad support from the evangelical community.
The Rev. Gabriel Salguero, who is the president of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition, was among the faith leaders at the breakfast. He had been meeting with senators and government leaders since Wednesday, he told NBC News, explaining to them how the pause on international aid and the gutting of the U.S. Agency for International Development, which distributes those funds, jeopardize their missionary work abroad.
“We know the collective impact this has on saving lives and on vulnerable children and families,” said Salguero, who has done missionary work in Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Guatemala.
Salguero has also seen how international aid plays a role in preventing migration to the United States. “If we’re concerned with immigration, shouldn’t we also be concerned about how foreign aid helps people stay in their country and flourish?” he said.
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