Immigration policy divides us. Whether to show up for people hurt by it shouldn’t.

(RNS) — At 3 a.m., my daughter shook me awake. She had a nightmare and needed snuggles and reassurances she was safe. I held her until the dark no longer seemed so scary.

Hundreds of miles away, in Springfield, Ohio, Pastor Carl Ruby was holding someone too — not a frightened child, but a grieving father. Pierre Ronal Bel’s son, Pierre Damas Bel, a 20-year-old neuroscience student, had walked into traffic and died on Aug. 31. His family believes it was a suicide and says Pierre Damas Bel grew increasingly despondent after ICE fitted him with an ankle monitor.  “Everything was fine with him before this happened,” his father told “The New York Times .”

This is not the only tragedy impacting the Haitian immigrant communities in Ohio. Since the U.S. government removed temporary protected status for Haitians a few weeks ago, ICE has stepped up enforcement.   Local advocates have raised concerns  about potential family separations for over 1,200 U.S.-born children in Springfield who have Haitian parents.

My organization’s work is bringing people together across religious divides — and in the face of a humanitarian crisis like this, it’s fair to ask whether cooperation…