Austin City Department Taps Public Funds for ‘Jesus Was a Migrant’ Event With CAIR
The City of Austin’s Equity and Inclusion department is hosting an event next month that that portrays Jesus Christ as a migrant.
The department is hosting the event in partnership with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Faithworks, and other partner organizations to screen a documentary called ‘Jesus Was a Migrant.’
The film, released in April 2026, follows Dr. Jemar Tisby as he crosses the U.S.-Mexico border to talk with immigrants and ask: “How did a faith built on the story of a displaced, migrant Savior become associated with turning vulnerable people away?”
According to the event’s registration page, after the screening, organizers will host an interfaith panel to “shed light on other immigrant communities from all faiths and no faith, their experience, and their shared struggles as humans.”
The interfaith panel will include Stephen Reeves, who is featured in the film, along with representatives from Asian Texans for Justice, American Gateways, and CAIR-Austin.
In November 2025, Gov. Greg Abbott designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations under Texas law.
Despite the designation, the City of Austin is still partnering with CAIR-Austin and using public funds for events involving the organization.
The Dallas Express confirmed with Austin Public Information Specialist Natalie Hulsey that public funds are being used to screen the movie and hold the panel.
“The referenced event is directly tied to the City of Austin’s We All Belong initiative, dedicated to strengthening belonging, celebrating diversity, and addressing hate, discrimination and bias through community engagement, education, partnerships, transparency, and coordinated action,” Hulsey told The Dallas Express.
“The only investment for this programming is the $1,500 grant provided to host the event through the City’s We All Belong program sponsorship initiative,” she added.
In August 2025, the Austin City Council approved a $6.3 billion city budget. Of that amount, $150,000 was allocated to the ‘We All Belong’ campaign, which aims to prevent and address hate crimes and bias incidents in the city.
This isn’t the first time the city has partnered with CAIR through the ‘We All Belong campaign.’
Last month, the Austin Equity and Inclusion department also held a training session called ‘Stop Muslim Hate.’
The event was for a “Bystander Intervention Training,” session designed to introduce participants to the “experiences and challenges faced by Muslim communities, explores real case reports received by CAIR-Austin and teaches practical de-escalation and advocacy tools for supporting victims of hate.”
In addition to the documentary screening, the department will also hold citizenship clinics throughout September. According to the city’s website, attendees will receive information about the naturalization process, and the first 50 participants will receive a free one-on-one assistance completing the N-400 application for naturalization.
The ‘Jesus Was a Migrant’ screening is scheduled for Sept. 10 at the Asian American Resource Center.
