Grace In the Form of a Cough Drop

Imagine you're sitting in a court room in support of a friend who is on trial. You've been ordered to remain in complete silence. Then, it attacks you.


A cough.


Simple and quiet at first. Then, unable to stifle the cough it emerges as an uncontrollable force. This happened to my friend Clare a few months ago as we stood in solidarity with Beto, a young man who was awaiting his deportation judgment.


As we sat in the unfriendly courtroom, Clare desperately tried to cover up the disruptive cough. The harder she tried, the more aggressive it became.


Something you need to know about Clare, she hasn't had the best experiences with those enforcing immigration laws. ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officers once detained her during a humanitarian aid trip in Mexico. We also toured a Border Patrol center together where the officer referred to migrants as "stuff" and "things" she liked to catch.


Clare + Border Patrol/ICE = Don't play nice


However, she was about to experience a moment of pure, unadulterated grace. One of the guards, a strong, burly man who was maintaining order and control in the detention center, quietly walked towards her.


I thought he was going to ask her to leave because her cough was so loud and disruptive. As he approached, I could sense my body stiffen. My pulse quickened. My heart raced.


Then I saw it. A cough drop.


His hand extended towards Clare as he offered her a small, yet effective, remedy for her cough.


I witnessed grace first-hand. An officer whose job was to hold immigrants inside four sterile, white walls also held out grace, in the form of a cough drop.