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Cultural Sunday - Immigration

Brian Messerli
06/22/25 - Sun Bible Study

Why this Matters:

• A) The way we view how America treats immigrants can directly impact our relationships with immigrants we come across in our lives.
  • Some Christians may not be sure if they can even have a relationship with them since they came here illegally.
  • Some may be afraid of them because American leaders call them criminals.
  • If they have friends or acquaintances that are either illegal OR legal immigrants and they see Christians posting things on social media or talking around the “water cooler” at work about getting illegals out of our country, it can hurt our influence with them.
• B) Some treat America like it’s God’s chosen Christian nation.  We’ve certainly been blessed by God, no doubt, and I’m grateful for the Christian principles upon which our country was founded.  But it doesn’t mean everything America does is based on Christian principles.  Anytime we can use the Bible to challenge what America is doing and to remind people where their true citizenship lies, it’s great spiritually.  We need to be reminded that America’s will is not always in line with God’s will, because those two can easily get conflated.
• C) MLK once said, “The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state.” I love this quote because it provides such a good balance as Christians.  We submit to the state yes, but we’re not their servants in the sense of serving them unquestioningly regardless of what they tell us to do.  We’re also not masters of the state and we don’t have the authority to tell the government what to do, nor did God give us the responsibility as the church to give the government orders.
  • However, Christians absolutely should speak out against evil in the government.  I’m NOT saying deporting illegal immigrants is evil in every case, but it might be in some cases, and it might be in the WAY we’re deporting them, or in the way our leaders talk about them, and we should be willing to call that out.
• D) I believe one of the main causes of division comes when people think an issue is simple and the other side is dumb or evil for not seeing that.  Just plug in any controversial and divisive issue over the years.  Second serving of the Lord’s Supper?  It’s just so simple!  Of COURSE it’s okay or of COURSE it’s not okay.  Why can’t people just see how obviously sinful or not sinful this is?  During COVID, do we keep going to worship in person?  It’s just so simple!  God says to put faith over fear, so OF COURSE we should keep worshipping in person.  Or, God tells us to use wisdom and to love our neighbor by not giving them a deadly disease, so OF COURSE we shouldn’t worship in person.  Why can’t people just see how obviously sinful or not sinful this is?
  • If we can learn not to oversimplify complex issues that have multiple sides to them, it can go a long way in preventing division by promoting what Paul calls in Ephesians 4:2, “Tolerance for one another in love.”
• E) It’s important to be reminded the Bible is our ultimate authority for absolutely everything we think, believe, say, and do.  There are SO many voices clamoring for our attention today and clamoring to be our authority.  Satan wants so desperately for the media to be our authority, for the President to be our authority, for political parties and pundits to be our authority.  Hopefully this class helps us see that in the end, it doesn’t matter what ANYONE else says on a subject, only what God says.

In preparation for this, I’ve listened to about 6 hours of debates, 4 hours of sermons, I’ve read 600 pages worth of books and articles from sources on all sides of the debate because I wanted to leave no stone unturned, but what I’ve found is that under every stone I turn, there’s another stone under that one too.  I’ve never been so torn on a subject, and I’ve never seen one so complex, but one of the reasons this subject is so divisive is because each side says the issue is simple, and the people on the other side are either dumb or evil for not seeing it their way.      

The Issue in a Nutshell

• In the US, we have between 11-18 million undocumented immigrants living among us (3-5% of the overall population).  58% of them entered the country illegally and the other 42% came in legally on temporary visas, but overstayed their limit.
  • Now, depending on which poll you look at, anywhere from 80-97% of Americans support arrest and/or deportation if they commit crimes while they’re here.  I think most Christians agree as well, so this isn’t really the main debate.
  • The main debate is should we deport ALL undocumented immigrants, regardless of whether or not they’ve committed crimes here.  And while it sounds simple to say, “Of course deport them because they committed a crime by crossing illegally or overstaying their Visa,” only 33%-50% of Americans believe we should do this, so it’s not as clear cut, and this is the main debate for Christians too.
    • And if you answer on either side, you can be immediately demonized.  If you say, “Well, they broke the law, therefore we should deport them all back to their home country,” you’re accused of being a racist.  If you say, “We should let them stay,” you’re accused of wanting to destroy America by crime and the importation of 3rd world values and of wanting to rig future elections.
  • And this opens up other debates whether it’s good or bad for the economy to keep or deport them, whether immigrants pose national security risks, whether they’re taking our jobs and draining our resources, and whether a failure to assimilate means the destruction of American values.
    • Now, for us as Christians, NONE of those things should be our primary concern, even though the media tells us they should be.  Our primary concern should be, “How would God want us to think about and handle this situation?”
      • That’s why this morning, I don’t want to focus on what right wing, left wing, moderate, or libertarian politicians or podcasters say on the subject, I just want us to focus on principles from God’s word, and honestly I think God makes everyone on all sides of the debate uncomfortable.  So if you feel discomfort this morning, that’s a good thing, because God doesn’t want us to oversimplify things and pick sides without deep thought and struggle.  I want to share 3 Biblical principles with you right up front because I think it’ll help to properly frame the issue and why it’s complex even for Christians.

1. We’re Commanded to Love Immigrants

• Leviticus 19:33-34 - This is the same chapter Jesus quoted from when asked what the greatest command in the law was.  He said the first was to love God, and the second, to love your neighbor as yourself.
  • Leviticus 19:18 - God says to love your neighbor as yourself and to love the stranger or foreigner as yourself.  Which means loving immigrants is the second greatest command in all of Scripture!  Now, the Jews had a hard time with this because they defined their neighbor as only fellow Jews, but in the Parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus showed that our neighbors include foreigners too!  They were part of what one writer called, “The quartet of the vulnerable,” in Scripture - widows, orphans, immigrants, and the poor.  And God stresses over and over again in dozens of verses how important it is to care for the needy, the displaced, and the vulnerable.
    • And there’s a RICH history of immigrants in the Bible that were pleasing to God and that God used to accomplish His purposes.  Abraham was an immigrant, Ruth was an immigrant, the Israelites were immigrants who were enslaved and mistreated in Egypt, the Jews of the Dispersion were immigrants and God used their influence to bring monotheism to the world and prepare people for Jesus, Jesus was an immigrant from Heaven to earth.  God is EXTREMELY pro-immigration (at least in times of dire need) and pro-immigrant and when people denied justice to immigrants or wronged in any way, God’s prophets preached fire and brimstone to them!
      • So any discussion for Christians about immigration has to start with this foundation.  We MUST empathize with their plight, put ourselves in their shoes, and ask ourselves, “How does God expect us to treat them and how does He expect us to think and feel about the way our country treats them?”

2.  Immigrants Should be Subject to the Law

• Exodus 12:49 - Now, I understand ancient Israel was a theocracy and I’m not binding the Law of Moses on the United States, but I do believe it teaches us a timeless principle that you shouldn’t tell your own citizens not to steal, murder or defraud people, but then not hold immigrants to the same standard.  We can’t have cops pulling immigrants over for a crime, and saying, “Oh you’re not from here?  Okay, the crime doesn’t matter then.”  No, if I immigrate to France, I need to submit to France’s laws.  It’s common sense, human courtesy, and if I get busted for violating their laws, I should face the consequences.
  • God is both a God of love AND a God of justice.  And herein lies the debate among Christians about whether to be pro-deportation or anti-deportation.  Those who are pro-deportation say, 1) they’ve broken the Law, and our law says they’re subject to deportation.  2) It’s not fair or right for those who are coming here legally to be cut in line.  3) If we don’t enforce the law, it’ll only encourage more immigration which is dangerous for immigrants making that trip, especially if they get involved with coyotes.  4) There’s all kinds of human trafficking and sex and drug trafficking, and we want to stop all that.  5) It’s not right to overburden our city’s taxpayer funded welfare resources, and put the welfare of other citizens before our own.
    • Anti-deportations Christians say, 1) Our laws are unjust and against God’s will.  We need to obey God when the government conflicts with His Word.  2) We’ve made legal immigration almost impossible in this country, so for most people, there is no line to wait in.  Type “Green Card Game” into Google and play the game at the Cato Institute and you’ll see how absurdly difficult it is to get a green card legally in the US.  You can also click “Legal Flowchart” on Cato’s site and you’ll be blown away at how complex our system is.  Apparently, the immigration is second in complexity only to the tax system.  3) Most people who enter illegally do so out of desperation, not out of malice.  They can’t find any work and are starving to death, or they may be facing gang violence or persecution.
      • 4) Many of them have lived here for 10 to 20 years with no criminal record, worked hard, paid taxes, bought homes, and even raised children here, and deporting them is too severe a punishment.  It doesn’t seem just to destroy their livelihood for a nonviolent offense.  It’s way too harsh of a punishment because it separates them from their families, destroys the lives they’ve built, and sends them back to dangerous and unstable conditions.
      • 5) Justice in the Bible isn’t just about enforcing laws; it’s about doing right by the vulnerable (Isaiah 1:17; Zechariah 7:9-10).  We tend to think of justice as strict law and order, but it’s also about showing compassion and care toward “the quartet of the vulnerable.”

3.  Respect Each Other’s Convictions

• Romans 14:10, 12 - God’s principles are indisputable, but how exactly to implement those principles is a matter of judgment and opinion.  And our temptation might be to be to classify some Christians as on the side of love and others on the side of justice.  Then the lovers look down their noses at the lawyers as unloving and the lawyers look down their noses at the lovers as lawless.  It’s also tempting for the lovers to label the lawyers as right wing Republicans, and lawyers to label the lovers as left wing Democrats.  But neither label is fair, even the lover/lawyer distinction isn’t fair, because people who love care about law and people who advocate for law care about love.
• But it’s important that we treat each other as coming from a good place no matter what view we take on this because we’re all trying to balance the two principles above and honor God, and we need to be willing to really listen and hear the other side because we may be wrong and need to adjust our attitude.  Maybe the reason we’re on the side we’re on is because we don’t have our facts straight or because there are things we haven’t even considered.
  • • Honestly, it frustrates me to say this because I love to have firm convictions, but I’m not 100% convicted either way.  I will confess that I used to lean more towards pro-deportation, but now I lean more towards anti-deportation.  That shift happened for me when I saw the absolute wall to wall coverage in the Bible about how pro-immigration God is and how sacrificial and loving He wants us to be towards them, and it makes me nervous to see our country becoming anti-something that God is for, BUT I also respect the other side too because God is not a God of chaos, but of law and order.  What I AM convinced of is that if this issue is ever going to be solved in this country, all sides are going to have to make some compromises, and so far we haven’t been willing to do that.

Question:  What other Biblical principles can we apply to the current immigration situation?  And we’ll try to classify these principles as either pro deportation, anti deportation, or neutral.

4.  The Majority Population is Tempted to Demonize Immigrants

• I pointed that out before the Lord’s Supper.  It’s always our tendency.  And while it’s absolutely true some illegal immigrants do commit crimes here and they SHOULD be demonized for that, especially because some of the crimes have been truly demonic and too brutal to even talk about.  But we should be very careful thinking that’s representative of the whole population, and giving in to our fears that they’re going to destroy our country, because historically those fears haven’t been rooted in reality.  We can be wise yes, but not paranoid or living in fear.
  • Statistically, you are 800 times more likely to die from a lightning strike than at the hands of an undocumented immigrant.  The VAST majority of them are extremely averse to committing crimes because they came here to make a better life and they know if they step out of line even to so much as steal a candy bar, they can be deported.

5.  We’re Kingdom Citizens First, American Citizens Second

• Sometimes Christians get caught up in the demonization of immigrants because we’re viewing it through an American lens, not through a Christ lens.  Instead of looking at them as precious souls made in the image of God for whom Jesus died, we first look at them as criminals, drains on the economy, and corrupters of our culture.  America is not the church; it’s a nation so it’s primary concern is for its own safety, I get it.  But our primary concern as Christians is human flourishing through the gospel of Jesus Christ.  When immigrants cross into our country, they’re bringing the mission fields to us, and honestly some of them are already Christ followers, bringing Christian values that strengthen our country even more spiritually.
  • Revelation 7:9 - We need to be so careful not to approach this conversation from a tribalistic mindset, an us vs. them mindset, and instead see it as an opportunity to meet and build relationships with more of God’s people from around the world.
  • Isaiah 11:15 - God envisions a day when there are no longer any national borders.  He describes it as destroying the Red Sea in Egypt so people can cross freely over it, destroying the Euphrates River as the boundary of Assyria, and allowing people to cross freely to and fro.  The idea is that borders are necessary to keep nations safe from invading forces, but in the church we won’t need protection from people who do us harm because in 11:9, “They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain.”  Now, I get that this is God’s vision for the church and wouldn’t be realistic for America, but I’m making the point because as Christians we need to see our foreign neighbors NOT first and foremost as threats, but as potential brothers and sisters in Christ!  We don’t want to be naive and welcome everyone without any border security or vetting, but our default position as Christians toward foreigners should not be hostility and fear, but love and acceptance.

6.  Immigrants are Humans Made in God’s Image

• Genesis 1:26-27 - We need to be very careful not to use dehumanizing language about them.  While I don’t think it’s wrong to call them illegal immigrants, I’d be careful calling them, “Illegals.”  That’s like branding them with a scarlet I as if their crime is their identity.  Certainly we need to avoid using any sort of racial slurs, or overgeneralizing labels by calling them all criminals.  Yes it’s a crime to cross the border illegally, but it’s also a crime to speed, so we’re all criminals too if that’s our metric.  And we’ve all committed crimes against God, yet in His grace He doesn’t define us by our sins, He loved us enough to send Jesus to die for us (as He did for illegal, undocumented immigrants).

7.  Immigrants Should be Measured by the Same Standard of Justice as Citizens

• Exodus 12:49 - This means if Americans have a right to a fair trial, so should immigrants.  This is what the 5th and 14th Amendments to our Constitution support, that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.  Now, our Supreme Court has ruled that due process doesn’t apply to people who have illegally crossed the border within 14 days because it’s so obvious they’re here illegally they don’t need a trial to prove it.  But one of the major debates right now revolves around how ICE is handling deportations.  From what I’ve researched, ICE is applying expedited removal procedures to deny people of due process.   For instance, immigrants can lawfully apply for asylum, but it takes time for the courts to approve asylum status.  In some cases, ICE is not waiting for that process to be finished; they’re waiting at courthouses for immigrants to show up for their appointed court dates and arresting and deporting them.  They’re showing up to Home Depots, to restaurants, farms, hotels, and stadiums and arresting and deporting illegal immigrants without due process, and these aren’t even people who have committed crimes here.  While it’s true the government has a right to enforce laws, the government needs to respect its own laws and not show partiality by applying a different standard of justice to immigrants than to citizens.
  • Numbers 35:15 - If you committed manslaughter, you could flee to a city of refuge for due process and a fair hearing to distinguish between manslaughter and an intentional killing.  Notice foreigners/strangers were afforded the same right to flee there and wait for trial.

8.  Nations have the Right to Protect their Borders

• Numbers 20:17 - Israel asked permission before crossing into Edom’s territory.  Earlier, Joseph’s brothers asked Pharaoh permission to settle in Egypt.  People in the Bible built walls and fortified cities along borders.  In fact, God is the one who gave those nations borders.
  • Acts 17:26 - I don’t think it’s a wise position for Christians to promote open borders with absolutely no vetting or no security whatsoever.  And the Bible doesn’t teach that everyone has a right to everyone else’s land; usually people came in by invitation or were vetted at city gates.  This is why when you come to America’s border or ports of entry at airports, Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents are asking for identification, reason for your visit, how long you plan to stay, and they’re getting your biometrics like fingerprints, photographs, retinal scans, and they’re running their names through criminal and terrorism databases.  I don’t see anything Unbiblical about that, it’s just wise to know who’s coming in and why.
    • Note:  While this verse could be used to say it’s generally God’s will that people reside in their own countries, it doesn’t mean God is opposed to migration under difficult circumstances.  When the Israelites moved to Egypt, they did so in part because of a worldwide famine and also for the purpose of family reunification with Joseph.  It certainly wouldn’t be good or right for ALL of Mexico (131 million people) to migrate to the US because then Mexico is no longer Mexico and it’s going to be hard to call the US the US.
      • But even when immigration numbers were really high in 2024, there were 1 million Mexican immigrants in total (legal and illegal), which is less than 1% of their population.  So it’s not like all of Mexico is crossing over.
      • And even if we take the high estimate of 18 million total illegal immigrants in the US (not just from Mexico but other countries as well), that’s still only 5% of our population.  So we should be careful saying our country has been “totally overrun” by illegal immigrants.

9.  Crimes Should be Punished No Matter the Reason

• Proverbs 6:30-31 - We can have total compassion on someone for committing a crime, and understand why they did it, but it doesn’t mean they don’t have to face consequences for it.  Likewise, we can sympathize with immigrants crossing the border illegally, but it doesn’t mean there should be no consequences at all.
  • Now again, this is where the debate comes in on what punishment is just and matches the crime, and many Christians have proposed issuing a fine.  The fine could be hefty enough to discourage others from entering illegally, while also allowing the offenders to make restitution without destroying their lives.
  • I understand some could argue deportation does fit the crime of entering illegally, I just don’t believe it does.  It would perhaps if one entered illegally last week, but if one has spent 10-20 years contributing to our society, working hard, staying out of trouble, being good neighbors, owning a home, deportation causing them to lose everything now seems way out of proportion to what they did.  But I acknowledge that’s just an opinion.

10.  Immigrants Don’t Get the Same Perks as Citizens

• Deuteronomy 17:15 - Again, we’re not under the Law of Moses, but we find a principle that it’s okay with God for not every privilege of citizens to be extended to foreigners.  Foreigners couldn’t be king, they didn’t have land inheritance rights, and they couldn’t serve as priests or judges.  Likewise, American citizens have certain perks immigrants don’t like the right to vote, to run for office, and full access to federal benefits because the perks of US citizenship are a privilege, not a right.  That’s perfectly Biblical.

11.  Immigrants Should not be Exploited

• Deuteronomy 24:14-15 - This means employers should not be taking advantage of an immigrant’s desperation by paying them unfair wages.  Now, this opens up the question of whether employers should hire undocumented immigrants at all, and this is going to be a conscience issue for sure.  I do believe it’s sinful to pay them under the table.  It’s not only dishonest, you’re both cheating the government out of taxes, and it makes the possibility of exploitation much easier.  Instead, the IRS will give them an ITIN so they can pay taxes, and what’s fascinating is that the IRS is not legally allowed to tell the Immigration authorities about their status.  Which means our own government is perfectly fine with collecting taxes from illegal immigrants, so to me if they’re fine with that, I don’t see how it’s sinful to provide them with employment and help facilitate those tax payments.  It also shows us there is no legal requirement for Christians to report them to authorities either.  The laws about deportation gives the government the right to enforce those laws, but the government doesn’t mandate that the public start calling tip lines and handing them over.  It IS illegal to harbor them if ICE comes to your door looking for them, but not illegal not to report them.

12.  Some Assimilation Required

• Deuteronomy 31:12 - Foreigners in Israel were expected to assimilate to Israel’s way of life.  Now, they didn’t have to FULLY assimilate in every way, they weren’t required to be circumcised for instance, but they did need to learn God’s laws, and presumably part of that was learning the Hebrew language.
  • Some of the demonization of immigrants throughout history in America is that we’re afraid they’re going to destroy our culture by bringing anti-American values with them.  And honestly, multiculturalism is hard to pull off if there are no unifying values.  So it’s not unreasonable for Americans to expect immigrants to learn English.  That makes life easier for everyone, including immigrants.  It’s reasonable to expect them to learn about our history, and while I can’t say how many American values they need to adopt, at least the most basic ones like respect for democracy and the rule of law, free speech, all people are endowed by our creator with inalienable rights, hard work pays off, and other basic American ideals.
    • We should embrace the richness brought to America by foreign art, literature, clothing, and food, but it makes sense to expect them to be on board with what America stands for.  Though in fairness, we have US citizens that hate our country, and one of the core tenets of free speech is that you’re allowed to hold those views here, whether native born or not.

13.  Israelites Were Forbidden from Returning Runaway Slaves

• Deuteronomy 23:15-16 - The rationale behind this is that the slave was likely being mistreated somehow, and God was much more concerned about protecting the livelihood of that slave than He was about whether the slave had the legal right to run away.  Now, this isn’t a perfect 1:1 comparison, but often the reason people come here illegally is because they’re fleeing desperate situations economically and they can’t find work and their families are starving.  We could send them back for breaking in to the country, or we could just let them stay here as a way to protect them from brutal conditions back home.

14.  Prioritize Life Over the Letter of the Law

• Mark 3:4 - There are so many verses that emphasize the protection of life over strict adherence to law.  Like Jesus’ teachings about working to life an animal out of a pit on the Sabbath day, or how David ate the unlawful bread when he and his men were starving, how Jesus spared the woman caught in adultery from the death penalty and showed her mercy instead, or how Rahab lied to protect the spies, or when the midwives lied and disobeyed Pharaoh to save babies.
  • Now, I realize deportations aren’t necessarily a death sentence for everyone, but for some it may be…
    • A) Some may have serious health problems they won’t be able to get care for back in their home country.
    • B) Sometimes deportees are targeted by gangs when they get back because they’ve been to America and are assumed to have a lot of money.  They can be extorted, forced to be recruited, murdered, or kidnapped.
    • C) Some may be torn away from their families so children are left without their mothers and/or fathers.  You could say, “Well can’t they take their families with them?”  But it’s not that simple.  If their children were born in the US, they are US citizens.  If they leave, they lose access to education, healthcare, and legal protections.  If they leave, they can be barred from re-entry permanently.  While you can say, “Well they can just go live together in their home country and never come back,” their parents are NOT going to want their kids to lose their citizenship.  Their parents may even tell their kids to stay in the US so they can have the life and protections they never had, so they may be separated forever at that point.  It may not be a physical life or death situation to be separated from your parents, but it’s certainly NOT God’s will for families to be separated.  You can argue, “But if someone commits murder and goes to jail, they’re separated from their families as a result.”  Very true, but does crossing into the country illegally with no malice and a desire to provide for one’s family merit family separation as punishment?
    • D) Based on my research, the Trump administration and ICE are currently breaking our commitment to Afghani’s who were promised permanent protection in our country for helping us in the war in Afghanistan.  They were to be offered SIV’s (Special Immigrant Visas) which allowed them a pathway to a green card and eventually citizenship.  These were interpreters and others who offered direct support to our military in the war, and they were told by Congress and multiple presidential administrations that they could come back to America and have a future here.  Unfortunately, in many cases their protection is being revoked and Afghani’s are being detained and receiving deportation notices.  Aside from the injustice of going back on our word to them, their people back home will NOT take kindly to the fact that they aided the US against their own country, they’ll be viewed as traitors, and their lives will absolutely be in danger.

15.  God Prioritizes our Loves

• 1 Timothy 5:8 - The truth is, we can’t take care of everyone on the planet, and God doesn’t expect us to.  He seems to give us concentric circles of care and an order of prioritization for our loves.  Obviously 1) We love God first.  2) We love our families.  3) We love our neighbor.  4) We love our enemies and the broader world.  Our primary responsibility is to our own families first, then the natural extension of that would be our local neighborhood and church, then the larger community/city, then the country, then other countries.
  • It can be argued that America has a responsibility to itself first, to take care of its own problems before trying to help other countries with theirs.  There’s an argument to be made that America is on life support because of our crazy level of debt.
    • But I just want to mention a few challenges to this view:
      • A) It may be a false choice to say America can’t help immigrants while also helping itself.  This point about the order of loves is built on the premise that immigrants are bad for the economy, and while studies show there may be short term drains on the economy, they offer us long term gains.  It’s certainly true, if they all get funneled to one city like New York and put up in 5 star hotels (like has been happening), that’s a drain on NY city's resources and it’s going to prevent them from focusing on their own problems.  But perhaps we just need a different strategy for helping them get integrated in a way that’s less burdensome on local cities.  Like host families and transitional shelters to help with job placement.  It’s not Biblical or responsible to put them up in luxury hotels that cost $500 a night, or put them on welfare programs that disincentivize them from working.
      • B) When exactly will America take care of its own problems?  At what point could we finally say, “Okay, we’ve got our own house in order, now we can take care of immigrants”?  We’ve been trying to get our house in order forever, and when will that be enough?
      • C) While I realize we can’t help everyone in the world who’s starving, these aren’t total strangers; they’re people who have settled in communities and helped our country for 10-20 years through hard work and taxes toward a government that has made no serious attempt to remove them.  It’s honestly odd even to continue calling them strangers/foreigners/immigrants at this point since they’ve been integrated into American life for so long.  It seems oddly unjust for someone to live here 20 years, and for us to say, “Sorry, you’re not one of us, we need you to get out so we can take care of America first.”

16.  They Should Pay their Fair Share in Taxes

• Matthew 22:21 - It’s a common misperception that illegal immigrants don’t pay any taxes and make all their money under the table.  The truth is, the IRS will issue them an ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) which allows them to pay taxes without fear of deportation.  Note: In class, I said the amount of taxes paid by illegal immigrants federally each year is 11.34 billion.
  • And if you do the math and there are 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US and they’re paying 11.34 billion in federal taxes, that’s only 1,000 per immigrant, which is still very low (and even lower if we take the 18 million number).
    • However, I didn’t realize that number A) was outdated, from way back in 2017 and B) didn’t count the total amount of taxes paid, including federal, local taxes, sales tax, property tax (if they own property, or if they rent they pay for it because the landlord works it into the cost of rent), and excise tax combined.
      • According to newer figures from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), the total number of taxes paid per year by undocumented immigrants is 96.7 billion.
      • That’s roughly 9,000 per person with the 11 million population figure, less if we’re counting 18 million people.
    • But it’s also helpful to remember many of the 11-18 million are not wage earners; they’re kids, elderly people, and stay at home wives/mothers, so a “per person” average isn’t the fairest calculation.  Plus those who do earn wages don’t earn very much so their taxes are lower than most.
      • When you take those things into account, it seems like most are indeed paying their fair share.  I’m sure there are many still taking money under the table and that’s not right, but is it fair for us to kick people out who’ve been paying their fair share of taxes for 10-20 years?

17.  We Need to use Both our Minds and Hearts

• Matthew 10:16
• Matthew 9:13 - One of the things that bothers me the most about this subject is that Christians tend to be either headless or heartless.  Some want to remove ALL emotion from the subject and say, “They broke the law, it’s not personal, they’ve got to go.”  And others want to remove ALL thought from the subject and say, “We shouldn’t even have borders, everyone should be welcome in because we’re all God’s children.”
  • Jesus tells us to be wise as serpents, He tells us not to be naive and leave our brains at the door.  BUT He also tells us to be merciful and compassionate, to be empathetic and put ourselves in people’s shoes.
  • When we’re only using our heads, undocumented immigrants tend to just be numbers and statistics to us, not people with feelings, hopes, dreams, families they love and are trying so hard to provide for.  When we only use our hearts, we don’t think about the logistics of how we can function as a country if we let everyone in and let everyone stay.
    • We have to balance the heart and the head if we’re going to please God on this issue (and ANY issue for that matter).    

18.  Remember Your Ancestors were Immigrants

• Exodus 22:21 - It’s been estimated that between 33-40% of America’s population today can trace their ancestry back to immigrants who came here in the late 1800’s through Ellis Island.  And it’s easy to say, “Yea but my ancestors did it legally!” because there were very few restrictions on them!  In those days, 98% of immigrants who arrived were admitted to the US, and usually within just a few hours.  Now we tell immigrants to wait their turn in line, but there is no line and it’s almost impossible to get in.  If that’s how things were back in the late 1800-1900’s most of us wouldn’t be here.

19.  Enforcement of Laws Should be Consistent and not Hypocritical

• John 7:22-24 - In this passage, it was hard for Jesus to take the laws of the Pharisees seriously because they were so inconsistent.  They believed it was sinful to perform a medical procedure on the Sabbath day, even if it’s to save someone’s life.  Yet they were perfectly fine performing circumcisions on the Sabbath?
  • It makes it really hard to enforce that law on Jesus when their own practices betrayed that they didn’t take their own laws seriously.  Instead their inconsistency just sends mixed signals.
    • And that’s what the immigration laws in the US have been; incredibly inconsistent.  For instance…
      • A) We’ll call you an illegal immigrant and deport you if we find you, BUT if you want to pay taxes while you’re here, we’ll give you an ITIN number and we’ll not only take your money, we won’t report you to Immigration authorities for being undocumented.  We’ll label you as a drain on our economy, but we’ll accept your contributions.
      • B) You can even use your ITIN to buy a home!  You can go through the whole mortgage process to own your own land in our country, and the bank/mortgage lender will NOT report you, but also we don’t want you here and if we find you we’ll deport you.
      • C) What’s more, our immigration laws change, sometimes every few years.  For instance, there are immigrants who did absolutely everything right and came to the US legally under the Biden administration.  They filled out all the paperwork, and followed all the instructions.  Then the Trump administration came in and changed the rules and now those very same people considered legal under Biden are now considered illegal under Trump and are subject to deportation.  How is that just or right?
      • D) I have a preacher friend in Tampa who knows many illegal immigrants, and he’s told me about several cases where they were pulled over by the cops, and even though they didn’t have their papers, the cops let them go.  He even told me about court appearances where the judge let them go.  Now, someone could say, “The cops and judges are failing to do their job and enforce the law,” and that’s true, but this is my point.  In the current administration we’re suddenly treating illegal immigration as one of the most serious crimes one could commit, but for decades that’s not been the message we’ve sent at all.  And even today, we’re still sending mixed messages by offering them ITI numbers and homes.
      • E) Children of undocumented parents are forced to attend public school.  Now, I think assimilation is a good thing, but it’s a mixed message to say to the parents, “You’re not welcome here, but your kids are welcome in our schools.”
      • F) They’re officially banned from the labor market, but unofficially needed and hired.  I saw a humorous meme of two signs along the US border.  “Help Wanted” and “Keep Out.”
      • G) They’re encouraged to come in legally, but then legal immigration is nearly impossible.
      • H) They’re told to self-deport to avoid being deported and to have a chance to come back in legally, but if they self-deport they face a minimum 10 year ban, and most will never be allowed back in legally.
      • I) States, and even certain cities, can’t agree on immigration policy, and so depending on where you live, it might be considered a “sanctuary city,” where local law enforcement isn’t going to bust you for being here illegally.  It’s confusing that our country isn’t unified on whether or not to deport undocumented immigrants and it sends a mixed message that “This is not okay, but we’ll still protect you in certain parts of the country.”
        • Now, someone could rightly say, “We just need to get rid of the mixed messaging, and that’s part of what Trump’s administration is trying to do.”  Fair enough, and if we want our messaging to be clearer in the future, we can start right now.  But to deport people who have been living under this confusing messaging for 10-20 years, I’m not sure it’s just or right to deport them when we’ve been so wishy washy and inconsistent for so long.

Bottom Line:  There are principles in God’s word that one could use to argue for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, even of those who haven’t committed crimes since they’ve been here.  However, there are also principles in God’s word that argue against it.  My goal isn’t necessarily to change anyone’s mind, but only to bring awareness that there are two sides to this, and it’s not an easy issue at all.  Any attempt to simplify this on either side doesn’t seem fair to the other side.  We should not take this issue lightly, and we should most importantly consider how our view of this issue will affect our relationships with undocumented immigrants we might be able to reach for Christ.

Which leads to this final question:  what are some practical ways, as an individual Christian, to show love towards immigrants, even undocumented ones?

• A) Treat them with kindness.  Use their language.  Sometimes even as Christians, we’re too quick to be angry about undocumented immigrants not knowing English.  We’re frustrated we have to push #1 for English on phone calls, and annoyed when their English is broken and hard to understand.  I absolutely believe they should learn English because it makes life better for them and for everyone, but English is hard and takes time.  So why not be patient?  Why not dust off some of our old high school Spanish and use their language to make them feel welcome?  Or we could use Google Translate to communicate.  The point is not to write them off as dumb foreigners who aren’t worth our time because they can’t speak our language, because God’s kingdom welcomes those of “all tribes and tongues.”
• B) Get to know them personally and learn their stories.  I’ve known Christians who were super strict on deportation policy and believed undocumented immigrants should all be removed from the country, but their hearts softened when they actually met real undocumented immigrants and heard what they had been through to come here and to get established here.  This doesn’t mean we have to check our brains at the door and be led solely by emotion, but it helps us not check our hearts at the door either.  These are real people made in God’s image who have real feelings, fears, and dreams for their families, they aren’t just statistics.
• C) As you get to know them better, you may even offer them temporary lodging if they need it.  They may be asylum seekers still awaiting court approval for official asylum status.  If they’re undocumented, you may be able to help walk with them through the process of filing for asylum or seeking legal status.  You can also help them work on their English while they stay with you.
• D) Help them with transportation.  Even immigrants here legally may be struggling financially and forced to take the bus, and they could carpool with you to work.
• E) Help them fill out paperwork for work, immigration status, school enrollment for their kids.  If their English isn’t very good, it can be a great help for you to make sure they’re following instructions and signing things properly.
• F) Help them understand our culture.  When Olaitan was with us on a temporary visa from Nigeria, he stayed with me in my house for a few months, and I was able to explain things to him about American culture that made it easier for him to navigate life here.  Truth be told, he was a great guy, but he was doing things that annoyed people and made them suspicious of his motives, and he was so confused why people treated him with such suspicion.  But when I explained to him how certain actions for us in America set off alarm bells for people and raise our suspicion in ways it may not in Nigeria, he found it extremely helpful so he could stop doing those things.
• G) If you’re an employer, you can sponsor immigrants.  It can be expensive and a little complicated, but it can give them a great opportunity to make a better life for themselves here.
• H) Invite them to worship.  Pray with them and for them.  Unless ICE is knocking on the door of the church building demanding we send them out, having undocumented immigrants worshipping with us is not the same under our laws as harboring fugitives.
• I) Donate to and/or volunteer for immigration relief organizations.  There are organizations like RAICES, CLINIC, HIAS, IRC, KIND, etc. dedicated to helping immigrants file applications with the government, they may help with legal fees for court hearings, guidance for filling out paperwork, helping with family reunification, offering food, clothing, education, job placement, medical care and shelter.
• J) If you know an immigrant in need, you can offer them more direct help financially.
• K) You can help them through political advocacy, by voting for representatives who will be fair and balanced on the immigration issue, or by contacting present representatives to help influence legislation, or by signing petitions.

-  We can debate policy all we want, but where the rubber meets the road is how we treat our neighbor.  “The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself…” (Leviticus 19:34a)