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The Bible's Response to
Illegal Immigration
truth about foreigners
By
Daniel Rendelman ~ ravemet@comcast.net
Though the Bible was written thousands of years ago, it speaks with vivid
clarity about many of the modern issues that face America like abortion,
welfare, and illegal immigration. The United States was founded upon the
millions of immigrants who came to this land looking for hope, and today
is indeed sustained by immigrants who work, pay taxes, and contribute
to the whole.
The Bible explains that these foreigners should not be mistreated or forsaken.
To make this point, the Almighty spoke to the nation of Israel to remember
that they were once aliens and sojourners in a foreign land. Leviticus
19:33-34, “And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye
shall not vex him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto
you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye
were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am YHWH your Elohim / the LORD
your God.” This verse is complemented with the Deuteronomy 10:19
passage, “Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers
in the land of Egypt.” These verses are not taken out of context
of the Bible, nor are they applicable only to the Jewish people. Instead,
they reinforce the Biblical message of love and acceptance of those who
are less fortunate.
The plaque on Ellis Island that reads “give me your tired, your
poor” should be remembered as the beckon call of our nation. Immigrants
should simply not be blamed for social and economic problems, as everyone’s
ancestors were an immigrant at one time or another. Immigrants who agree
to cooperate with civil laws should be allowed to become part of America.
This is not just a governmental issue that should be solved by secular
humanistic thinkers in the legislature. Bible believers should express
love and concern for their neighbors (legal citizens or not) and therefore
create a tidal wave of care that reaches to the steps of the White House.
One section of scripture that must be discussed is Romans 13:1-7 that
insists that believers should obey the laws of the government. While illegal
immigration may be the law of the land of the USA, it is also a set of
laws that have become almost impossible to enforce. It is true that while
in Egypt, the Hebrew people had to obey and respect the commands of Pharaoh.
Today, the American law books are full of antiquated rules about this
subject that provide little funding or clarity for enforcement, resulting
in states choosing to take up their own laws as Arizona has recently done.
The cost of removing those in America illegally would be insurmountable
to a country trying to climb its way out of recession. It has been estimated
that the cost of deporting 12 million people, housing them in camps, processing
and shipping them overseas or across a border would be in the billions
of dollars. Wouldn’t this same money be better used a stimulus to
the economy by providing tax cuts on gasoline or income?
Perhaps illegal immigrants should be granted citizen status if they obey
the principles of American law by living at peace and contributing to
society. Conservative Christian leader Chuck Colson recently wrote that
“we ought to remind our fellow citizens who are so angry about immigration
that it is our desire for cheap labor that has contributed to the problem.
It’s bad enough that illegal immigration is a “no-win”
issue; it should not be a “no-truth” issue, as well. And in
the end, we must, as Christians, treat everyone in our midst with godly
compassion.”
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