Caring, Limits, and the Law

We are called to be people of compassion, and we are equipped with the love of Christ and the ability to hear from God in order to do what is right, to accomplish His will. Deuteronomy 10 states:
17 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.
18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.
19 And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.

There are three verses there: we see that God is a God of absolute law: not showing partiality and accepting no bribes. But, the Bible tells us to love the "foreigners," reminding His people they were foreigners in Egypt.  Yes, foreigners who were originally invited in by a high-ranking official who was their own offspring, Joseph. 

With recent revelations by the Department of Government Efficiency that Christian ministries were not only accepting donor funds, but also accepting federal funding for the purpose of resettling refugees, it is a reminder that there is legal immigration, with legal channels that people should ideally leverage in order to come to the U.S. from other countries.  Unfortunately, with an open border, illegal immigration has become an increasing problem, with a variety of harmful elements mixed in with the flow of traffic at our border, including human trafficking and those who mean to do America harm.  There is concern, and that is why immigration was a leading issue in the 2024 Presidential election. 

A few years ago, with the influence of left-leaning organizations and the financing of George Soros, who supports open borders - unfettered immigration - a group called the Evangelical Immigration Table was formed, consisting of a variety of "Christian" organizations.  The Table is still set, if you will, to promote this open borders philosophy and just used a Christian research firm to promote its own counterproductive agenda.  Baptist Press states that a recent poll was "The study was sponsored by the Evangelical Immigration Table, World Relief, National Latino Evangelical Coalition, and the National Association of Evangelicals."  In addition to the Table, I am familiar with World Relief, which is one of those organizations taking taxpayer funds for the purpose of refugee resettlement.  The National Association of Evangelicals has become quite the progressive organization.  And, I don't know who the National Latino Evangelical Coalition is - I am more inclined to support the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, led by Samuel Rodriguez.  Clearly, the study sponsors have an agenda to push, and I am sure are more than delighted with the numbers that have emerged.

And, please don't interpret this to mean that I don't support people who are facing oppression in other countries coming into the U.S. The survey tends to agree, saying: "...most evangelicals voice support for refugees. Seven in 10 (70 percent) say the U.S. has a moral responsibility to accept refugees, including 34 percent who strongly agree. Around a quarter (23 percent) disagree. That number is statistically unchanged from a January 2024 Lifeway Research study."

Regarding deportation of immigrants, the survey summary at Baptist Press states that the majority of evangelicals...

...want deportations to focus on individuals who have been convicted of violent crimes (67 percent) or those reasonably suspected of presenting a threat to national security (63 percent). Fewer believe enforcement should prioritize those who are unwilling or unable to pay a monetary fine as restitution for violating the law (30 percent) or those who entered the country in the last five years (25 percent).

The summary also includes these data points:

Thinking about moral responsibilities, about 2 in 3 evangelicals (64 percent) believe Christians have a responsibility to sacrificially care for refugees and other foreigners. Asked specifically about refugees and others who are forcibly displaced in other countries, beyond the United States, 73 percent said Christians have a responsibility to care. Most (55 percent) also say Christians have a responsibility to assist immigrants even if they are here illegally.

But, believers must think of the long-term implications of this issue.  We have been conditioned to virtue-signal by those who claim that, well, Jesus was a refugee.  At the Center for Baptist Leadership website, Alex Kocman writes:

Settings aside the dubious claim that Jesus violated the civil law of his day as a temporary asylum-seeker in Egypt, and refraining from delineating what constitutes a “gospel issue” these days—though it seems that everything from Taylor Swift and plastic straws to Oxford commas all qualifies as of late—what remains is precisely what we have come to anticipate from a particular faction of progressive-adjacent evangelical leaders.

He chides progressive evangelicals for "conflating spiritual ideals with earthly politics, using Scripture’s promises concerning the eternal state of the Kingdom of God to subvert (in a manner that is often counter-biblical) the right exercise of prudence in the civil sphere today."

There was a question on the Lifeway survey about what is known as "family separation."  The Baptist Press article notes:

Evangelicals are more split over reintroducing a “zero tolerance” policy along the U.S.-Mexico border that led to the separation of children from parents. The policy was terminated by the first Trump administration in June 2018. Currently, 45 percent of evangelicals would support reintroducing the policy, while 43 percent oppose such a move and 12 percent are not sure.

The Washington Post, in an article quoting "border czar" Tom Homan, stated:

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will look to hold parents with children in “soft-sided” tent structures similar to those used by U.S. border officials to handle immigration surges, Homan said. The government will not hesitate to deport parents who are in the country illegally, even if they have young U.S.-born children, he added, leaving it to those families to decide whether to exit together or be split up.

“Here’s the issue,” Homan said in a wide-ranging interview that included some of his most extensive comments to date on Trump’s plans for mass deportations. “You knew you were in the country illegally and chose to have a child. So you put your family in that position.”

So, a "straw man" argument has been exposed.

We have to make sure that we are people who not only exercise compassion but who have a healthy respect for the laws of our land and the role of government.  I'm not saying that the numbers are skewed, but when you have an agenda-driven consortium sponsoring a survey, they certainly will use those numbers to show how they want the public to think evangelicals stand on the immigration issue. 

Writing for the Standing for Freedom Center at Liberty University, Virgil Walker says:

It’s clear that while politicians may often use the complexities of immigration policy to position themselves as bearers of solutions, the Christian perspective calls for a biblical approach. It is incumbent upon believers to sift through political rhetoric and align with those genuinely striving for reform that reflects both moral integrity and respect for human dignity. As believers who value justice and mercy, it is our responsibility to recognize that policies have tangible effects on individuals and families, especially those in the United States who bear the heavy burden of mass immigration.

Moreover, as we acknowledge that illegal immigration is a violation of the law, we must not lose sight of the humanity inherent in others. They are individuals — men, women, and children — who possess an intrinsic value and worth bestowed upon them by God. This necessitates a form of response from both the government and its citizens that safeguards the rights of all, upholds the rule of law, and embodies compassion and grace.

Walker notes that at the Tower of Babel, "This divine intervention by God was intended to foster separation among people and establish distinct boundaries for their dwelling places. By delving into these Scriptures, we gain valuable insights into the significance of borders." He also writes: "Alongside boundaries, God instituted governing authorities to safeguard people from wrongdoing and evil. These authorities serve as a protective shield, ensuring the well-being and security of the people."

So, borders are found throughout Scripture, and God's purpose can be found in keeping peoples separate.  Sound immigration policy has to recognize that immigrants in this country illegally are breaking the law, but perhaps should be offered an option that includes restitution and/or the ability to enter the U.S. the right way.  Because it's become so politicized, solutions are not necessarily clear.  It is unfair for illegal immigrants to be supported by services provided by taxpayers or even the Church, although Christian organizations can play a part in showing compassionate care for those who are in the process of making things right. We have to be clear-headed and depend on Godly wisdom.