If it weren’t for illegal immigration, I wouldn’t be married to Penny. When my late mother-in-law (pictured) was a child, her mother brought her family from Mexico to Texas illegally 3 times. She was dirt poor, & wanted to escape the rule of corrupt officials, & have her children grow up in a free country. Who could blame her? While they were made to return the first 2 times, the 3rd time they were allowed to stay because they went through the proper channels, got green cards, & did everything they were supposed to legally.
Penny’s mom taught herself English, got married, & studied a book about American history & law in order to pass a citizenship test. She was also adamant that illegal immigration is a bad thing. She said it’s unfair to those who wait their turn to come here legally by undergoing background checks, interviews, & medical exams. Those who bypass those things are cheating & cutting in line at the expense of those who follow the rules & spend money, time, & effort to assimilate properly.
In the U.S., limiting & pausing immigration to allow for cultural, logistical, & economic absorption is nothing new, & all modern-day presidents of both parties have supported & enforced deportation laws. But what I want to focus on is immigration from a biblical perspective that applies generally in all times & places, not just the current cultural crisis when some have been using the Bible to justify illegal immigration. What needs to be understood foundationally is God’s purpose for government as His servant to provide justice, maintain orderly peace, & protect citizens’ God-given rights from threats (Rom. 13:1-5, 1 Pet. 2:13-14, 1 Tim. 2:1-2). Consequently, it is just to punish wrongdoers, & doing so deters further wrong.
Allowing unvetted people into a nation leaves the citizens vulnerable to harm. Government then has the duty to protect its borders & enact laws to keep citizens safe by criminalizing such immigration itself, regardless of any other criminal activity. If trespassing on private property is a crime, surely so is trespassing on an entire nation. Such trespassing makes them invaders, whether their intent is good or evil. Since this is the case, to restrict or even bar immigration & sanctuary cities, while deporting illegal immigrants, becomes a moral good. It’s not unjust punishment for seeking a better life & prosperity; it’s just punishment for breaking the law.
Christians are commanded to obey laws unless those laws demand breaking God’s laws (Acts 5:29). And God nowhere commands us to shield or harbor illegal immigrants to prevent them from being returned to their homelands or to another nation. While some activists fancy themselves to be like those who hid Jews from the Nazis during World War 2, immigration laws do not remotely share the same purposes as Nazi laws.
Ever since the Tower of Babel, God intended for humans to be dispersed & divided into different people groups with different languages (Gen. 11:9). Controlling borders is the defining mark of a nation (Acts 17:26, Deut. 32:8). God even delineated ancient Israel’s borders & directed them to fortify cities (Num. 34:1-2, Josh. 1:4, 6:20, Deut. 3:5). Nehemiah later rebuilds Jerusalem’s walls to restore security.
However, those who attempt to invoke the uniquely theocratic state of Old Testament Israel as support for unrestricted migration are off-base. Israel’s call to “love the foreigner among you” doesn’t mean it’s wrong to enforce immigration laws (Lev. 19:34). The Israelites were told not to oppress aliens, but aliens were expected to integrate & obey the same laws as the native citizens (Ex. 23:9, Lev. 24:22, Num. 15:15).
This requires the same assimilation my mother-in-law undertook, who adopted the history, laws & language, as well as certain values, of the host nation. We also see this example in Ruth, a Moabitess who moved to Israel with her mother-in-law, & said to her: “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). Assimilation is crucial because it fosters social cohesion, economic integration, & mutual respect. Jesus noted, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand” (Matt. 12:25).
Those who also invoke Jesus for political purposes are off base. His kingdom was spiritual, & His purpose was not to make political pronouncements. His family registered legally in their hometown of Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-5). They were not refugees as some try to claim, nor did they break immigration laws. They fled from King Herod in one province of the Roman Empire (Israel) to another (Egypt). They never sought permanent resettlement or asylum from a foreign state. When they were able to safely return to Nazareth, they did.
Encouraging & incentivizing self-deportation is ideal. While it may seem harsh to forcibly deport those who refuse, no one should say it’s unjust. Whatever the practical or logistical merits of enforcing such laws are, it cannot be said that it’s evil or fascistic. Illegal immigrants should not be rewarded for breaking laws with asylum or amnesty. Doing so further incentivizes such lawless behavior & shows scorn to law-abiding citizens. Yes, it’s heartwrenching that minor children become the innocent ones affected, but the fault lies not with the government carrying out its laws; it lies with the parents who defiantly broke those laws.
No one has the right to enter another country without permission in the same way that no one has a right to enter your home without permission. This is why walls, gates, fences, & locks are legitimate. We have those not because we hate the people on the outside, but because we love the people on the inside. Individuals can love other individuals, but they rightfully prioritize loving their own families over outsiders. A nation likewise rightfully prioritizes its own citizens over outsiders. “Loving your neighbor” doesn’t mean allowing that which can be detrimental to the protection, provision, or peace of your neighbors.