Love Thy Neighbor + US Immigration

 

I’m not an expert on immigration policy, and frankly, most political topics are very difficult for me to understand; our government systems are complicated and overwhelming. However, I have some thoughts and beliefs on immigration based on what I see in the scripture, based on conversations with personal friends and family that really made me stop and examine what I believe, and based on months of googling and reading until I felt like my eyes would melt and fall out of my head. If anyone would like to share a differing opinion with me, please send a message or leave a comment. I am genuinely open to hearing it and will consider what you have to say. If possible, please include links to your sources and any scripture you may be using to base your differences of opinion upon.

First up, a statement issued by World Relief. You can read the original statement here, if you like.

As I read their statement, my heart just welled in gratitude to see Christians taking an unapologetic stand for what is right. They do a good job of summing up how I feel about immigration, based on God’s Word- which carries far more weight for me than political debates (although there is a time for that as well).

I’m going to copy and paste directly from their website, but I have taken the liberty of adding the full text of each scripture they use because they had only the verse references. I love to see the whole thing together without needing to look up each verse separately.

California Evangelical Statement on Refugees & Immigration

“As evangelical Christians in California, our perspective on immigration is grounded in the authority of Scripture. While immigration is a political issue, we see it first as a biblical one—deeply connected to the mission of the Church both locally and globally. We affirm the need to clearly express the biblical principles that guide our views, so that immigrants—many of whom are fellowmembers of the same Body of Christ and all of whom are our neighbors (Luke 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.)— know we stand with them. We urge believers of all backgrounds to prayerfully live out these truths, and we pray that our elected leaders will be guided by this same wisdom.

Recognizing Human Dignity

Christians affirm that every human being is fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God (Psalm 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.), regardless of nationality, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, stage of development, legal status, or any other distinction. This foundational belief calls us to uphold the dignity of all people, reject dehumanizing rhetoric, and model Christlike compassion, even amid disagreement.  Immigrants, like all image-bearers, carry God-given potential to create, contribute, and flourish. We gratefully recognize the many ways immigrants enrich our churches, communities, and economy, including the estimated $168.1 billion in annual taxes paid by immigrants in California.  

Demonstrating Compassion and Hospitality

Throughout the Old Testament, immigrants are consistently grouped with orphans and widows as among the most vulnerable to injustice. God expresses His deep love for these individuals (Deuteronomy 10:18 He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. Psalm 146:9 The Lord preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.) and commands His people to do the same—to love, protect, and seek justice for them (Deuteronomy 10:19 Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Jeremiah 22:3 Thus saith the Lord; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place. Zechariah 7:9–10 Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

Malachi 3:5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts.).These commands carry both personal and societal implications, as seen in laws that promote compassion and provision for the marginalized (Deuteronomy 24:19–22 When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands. When thou beatest thine olive tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt: therefore I command thee to do this thing.). 

In the New Testament, this call to care for the vulnerable continues. Followers of Jesus are urged to “practice hospitality” (Romans 12:13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.)—literally, to love strangers.This radical welcome is portrayed as sacred: in doing so, we may unknowingly host angels (Hebrews 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.) or even Christ Himself (Matthew 25:31–45 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.). 

Respect for the Rule of Law and Governmental Authority

While the Church is clearly called to demonstrate love, compassion, and to proclaim the gospel, Scripture also affirms a distinct and vital role for government as a God-ordained institution (Romans 13:1–5 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.). We recognize the government’s responsibility to protect its citizens, which includes maintaining secure borders and removing individuals convicted of violent crimes who pose a threat to public safety. 

However, such enforcement must always uphold the principles of due process, ensuring that authorities remain “not a terror to good conduct, but to bad” (Romans 13:3, For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same.). At the same time, we affirm the constitutional right to peacefully protest policies we believe to be unjust. We reject all forms of violence—whether by civilians or by government officials acting beyond their rightful authority—and call for accountability and restraint in the pursuit of justice and order. 

Protecting Family Unity and the Wellbeing of Children

Even before God established governments, he instituted the family, at the very beginning of Creation (Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Matthew 19:4-6 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.), which is why nine out of ten evangelical Christians tell Lifeway Research that immigration policies should protect the unity of the immediate family. Except in rare cases involving public safety, our government should not separate spouses or children from their parents – those whom God has joined and entrusted with care. In California, about 960,000 U.S. citizen children live with at least one family member at risk of deportation. Unless these individuals pose a real threat, they should be allowed to remain with their families through humane restitution, such as paying a fine. 

Jesus emphasized the value of children in God’s kingdom (Mark 10:13–15 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

 Matthew 18:6,10 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.). Public policies should reflect that priority by protecting children’s well-being and ensuring they have access to education, opportunity, and family stability—regardless of legal status. 

Preserving Religious Liberty

For the Church to faithfully live out its biblical mission, the protection of religious liberty is essential. Government must not impose restrictions on churches, individuals, or faith-based organizations that offer spiritual or material support to immigrants—regardless of legal status. This freedom should extend to all people of faith, ensuring that the gospel can be proclaimed freely and received without coercion (Acts 28:31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.). Our commitment to religious freedom also calls us to welcome those fleeing persecution, including refugees and immigrants who have suffered for their faith in Jesus. We urge California and the broader United States to continue offering refuge and due process to asylum seekers seeking safety and freedom. 

Conclusion

We are grateful to live in a state and nation that allows us to live out our biblically rooted convictions, disciple those under our care, and engage our leaders with these values. We recognize that faithful Christians, equally committed to the authority of Scripture, may at times differ in how they apply these principles. Even so, we pray that our state will honor God as we navigate both the challenges and opportunities presented by immigration and the global movement of refugees.”

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Next, I want to broach a few political concerns about immigrants that have been mentioned to me by friends and family. I disagree with, but understand the worry behind these opinions, and understand the people forming them because I have formerly accepted it myself. There are countless resources out there with mind boggling amounts of information on each of these topics, and they’re worth researching to be able to make decisions for yourself rather than taking someone else’s word for it.

1)“Immigrants are a drain on our economy, take jobs away from real Americans, and we don’t have the infrastructure to support them.”

These are the biggest political debates on immigration that I see online and hear in person. They are legitimate concerns and dismissing them is unrealistic. I’m including three interesting and helpful links below; two refuting these concerns and one supporting them. Again, please search for answers on your own, too.

“Immigrants boost overall economic growth by expanding the labor force and increasing consumer spending.The foreign born also start new businesses at higher rates than U.S.-born individuals.”

Link here

“Undocumented immigrants pay substantial amounts toward the funding of public infrastructure, institutions, and services. Specifically, we find that in 2022, undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in taxes at the federal, state, and local levels. More than a third of that amount, $33.9 billion, went toward funding social insurance programs that these individuals are barred from accessing because of their immigration status.”

Link here

“Immigrant workers increase U.S. GPD, but the vast bulk of the gain goes to the immigrants themselves: only 2% goes to native born Americans.”

Link here

2)“They’re criminals, and criminals should be deported.”

I very, very strongly disagree with the idea that being undocumented immediately makes a criminal who needs to be deported. However, after due process which is their constitutional right, I believe firmly that dangerous criminals should be deported.

This next link does not address whether or not criminals should be deported, which I think the majority does agree with, but instead addresses the inaccurate stereotype that all or most immigrants are criminals in the first place.

“We find that undocumented immigrants have substantially lower crime rates than native-born citizens and legal immigrants across a range of felony offenses. Relative to undocumented immigrants, US-born citizens are over 2 times more likely to be arrested for violent crimes, 2.5 times more likely to be arrested for drug crimes, and over 4 times more likely to be arrested for property crimes.”

Link here

3)“They should come here the legal way. It’s a slap in the faces of those who have come legally.”

I agree that immigration should be done legally, when possible. However, legal processes are extremely drawn out and expensive for those with low incomes making it difficult for most immigrants to become legal citizens. Many undocumented immigrants in the US are taking legal steps to become citizens, but they wait years on red tape. Here is one example of this from last summer; the story of a Guatemalan Christian pastor in FL, detained after two decades of living here with his family. Stories like these should matter to us. Blanket deportations to fill quotas are wrong. Each case should be looked at individually, and I believe we should be finding ways to make that doable.

 I can’t help but wonder what things would look like if $75 billion, or even just part of $75 billion, was poured into immigration reforms, if some of the USCIS backlog was cleared (currently over 11 million cases), and legal pathways made more accessible. I would love to see politicians focus on reform(The Dignity Act, unfortunately, doesn’t offer a pathway to citizenship, but it’s a start toward some reform), and actually help decent humans become citizens and have better lives.

“In 1991, 31 percent of immigrants in the preference categories had no wait at all due to the quotas (Figure 2). In 2018, that share had fallen to just 2 percent. In 1991, just 3 percent of applicants waited a decade or more to apply for a green card. By 2018, 28 percent waited a decade or more, and 41 percent waited at least five years. Applicants with exceptionally long waits have become normal in America’s legal immigration system.”

Link here

“The label “unauthorized immigrants” captures a complex array of statuses, including immigrants who entered the U.S. legally. While the label is not perfect, it groups together immigrants living in the country with impermanent, precarious statuses. The term has been used for decades by researchers who develop estimates of the population and is generally used in this report.”

Link here

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Next, a couple of easy guidelines I’ve started to apply when it comes to politics in general, not only immigration.

First, one thing I’ve learned about myself in the past decade or so is that I will quickly believe things based on trust in my preferred political party, and based on things told to me by personal friends and family who I trust and respect. This is unwise. Blind party loyalty is a slippery slope into extremism and dishonesty, and even the wisest, kindest friend I have is capable of fallible, misguided opinions. To find some balance, I’ve tried very hard to find news sources that are somewhere in the middle. Finding moderate journalism has really helped give me some clarity while I currently feel so politically homeless and detached from both parties as they presently stand. Here are some of my favorite news sources and political commentators:

Tangle

Wake Up to Politics 

MoNews

Second, I ask myself a question to gauge whether or not I truly agree with and support what is happening in either political party: “If the other side’s administration was doing this exact same thing, would I be okay with it?”

Examples of times I’ve used this as a guideline (this swings both ways, but in this post, I’m sticking with one sided examples):

-If Biden encouraged rioters to attack the capital in an effort to overturn a Trump election, and then later issued blanket pardons for the rioters, would I be okay with it? As a side-note, I’ve been sloooowly working my way thru So Help Me God by Mike Pence. Although poorly written (in my opinion) it’s so interesting to see his perspective on Jan 6.

-Would I be okay with Biden saying  “Quiet, piggy” to a journalist?

-Would I be okay with Biden telling Denmark,”Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America.”?

-Would I be okay with it if AOC said “Separation of church and state is a myth”and “Once a week, we talk about why the Civil Rights Act was a mistake”?

-If Biden sent ICE to my street to deport the brown family living down the road, and I half blocked the road on my way home from work, and they shot and killed me, would my friends and family say,”Please let ICE do what they need to do, let them do their jobs.”? Would my friends and family believe Biden’s Truth Social post calling me a domestic terrorist in spite of video evidence showing otherwise? Would my community agree with Kamala Harris’ statement that ICE agents have absolute immunity when they needlessly kill people?

-Would we all offer ICE our support if 6-7 of them ganged up on Aaron and killed him, after physically beating him, and then use his legally carried firearm as an excuse for his murder? It helps me to ask what I would feel if the shoe were on the other foot in this way. If I would feel anger and indignation at one side for doing something wrong, then it’s wrong for either side to do it. A donkey and an elephant should not hide moral responsibility from our eyes. I believe strongly that in regards to immigration, we should set aside our fear and party loyalty, ask questions, read more, and most importantly we should be studying God’s Word to see what it says.

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I’m ending with an excerpt (and link) to a Substack essay written by Evan Wickham that really helped, convicted, and encouraged me. It discusses how we should behave toward each other, as Christians, when we disagree politically (and it’s really just how we should behave in general). I have substantial disagreement with many of my friends and family, both politically, biblically, and in personal standards. Sometimes that feels really discouraging to me. Sometimes I feel angry about it. Sometimes I feel hurt by it. Other times just genuinely confused and shocked. Nonetheless, we are the body of Christ, brothers and sisters, and this essay gave me a much needed kick in the pants to behave myself with humility in the midst of strong disagreement.

“So, can a person be a faithful Christian AND “all-in” on a political party?

No. 

Because “all-in” belongs to Jesus only.

But for those of us who are Christians with a conviction to vote, then we are called to do so out of a deep care for justice, dignity, and the common good of all our neighbors and enemies whom God calls his children to love fiercely and fearlessly.

Since Christians are citizens of heaven first, we can’t treat our earthly party or nation as ultimate without giving away allegiance that belongs to Jesus alone. So in our church, we pledge all our loyalty to him by joyfully worshiping as reds and blues who drink the same purple wine.

So if you feel politically homeless, it’s probably because you’ve found real security and belonging in your true home alongside the rest of us.”