Immigration and the Bible, pt. 3

This is the third Sunday school lesson in a three part series on immigration. Click here for part one and here for part two.

Immigration by the Numbers

In raw numbers, the U.S. has far more immigrants than any other country in the world, about 50 million. This, in a population of 325 million. The number is five times higher than the immigrant population of Germany, which at 12 million has the second highest number.

Legal Immigration

The United States also welcomes more legal immigrants on a yearly basis than any other country in the world, and has done so for many years. In 2016 we received just shy of 1.2 million Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs). This is the highest number in at least the last ten years. Since 2000, the number has hovered between 1 and 1.1 million. Here are the figures provided by the Department of Homeland Security.[1]

Year	LPR
2007	1,052,415
2008	1,107,126
2009	1,130,818
2010	1,042,625
2011	1,062,040
2012	1,031,631
2013	990,553
2014	1,016,518
2015	1,051,031
2016	1,183,505

In 2016, 68% of LPRs were either immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (47.9%) or family-sponsored immigrants (20.1%). Where do they all come from? The top ten countries of origin were:[2]

Rank	Country	FY 2016
1	Mexico	174,534
2	China	81,772
3	Cuba	66,516
4	India	64,687
5	Dominican Republic	61,161
6	Philippines	53,287
7	Vietnam	41,451
8	Haiti	23,584
9	El Salvador	23,449
10	Jamaica	23,350

Mexico far and away leads the list, sending more than twice the number of second place China. The top ten are Latin American, Asian, or Caribbean. Consequently, none are European or majority white. This is hard to explain if the U.S. is, as some insist is the case, a systemically racist nation.

Illegal Immigration

Illegal immigrants can be divided into two broad categories:  those who entered the country illegally and those who entered legally but overstayed their visas. A travel visa, of course, is a document granting a foreigner permission to enter a country. There are many different types of visas, each specifying the reason its holder is in the country and how long he is authorized to stay. A few of the more common types of visas include:

(B-1) Business visitor

(B-2) Pleasure tourist

(F) Student

(H) Temporary worker

(K) Spouse or fiancé of a U.S. citizen

(P) Athlete or entertainer

(R) Religious worker

The number of illegal aliens living in the U.S. is notoriously difficult to calculate. Most estimates put the number somewhere between 11-12 million. It’s estimated that about 40-45 percent of these are visa overstays. Of the rest, most illegally crossed our southern border. This chart shows the number of illegal immigrants apprehended at the border over the last five years.

Keep in mind that these are just the illegal immigrants who have been apprehended. It’s difficult to know how many crossed the border each month without being apprehended and how many each month overstayed their visas.

Immigration and the Rule of Law

Scripture teaches that civil government is ordained by God (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 3:13-17). From these two passages we learn a number of important lessons:

God has ordained civil government

§ There is no authority except from God (Rom. 13:1)

§ The [authorities] that exist have been instituted by God (Rom. 13:1)

Civil magistrates are God’s servants

§ They are “God’s servant for your good” (Rom. 13:4)

§ They are “servants of God” (Rom. 13:4)

§ They are “ministers of God” (Rom. 13:6)

§ This includes the “emperor, as supreme, or to governors as sent by him” (1 Pet. 2:14)

Those living under their jurisdiction are to obey their rulers

§ “Let every person be subject to governing authorities” (Rom. 13:1)

§ “One must be in subjection” to them (Rom. 13:5)

§ “Be subject…to every human institution” (1 Pet. 2:13)

Subjection is to be rendered to civil magistrates as to the Lord

§ We are to obey the existing authorities for conscience sake (Rom. 13:5)

§ We are to obey “for the Lord’s sake” (2 Pet. 2:13)

Resistance to lawful authority is resistance to God

§ Whoever resists authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment (Rom. 13:2)

Undoubtedly, many of those who cross our borders illegally are looking for better economic opportunity and a better life for themselves, and are willing to work hard and be productive, law-abiding members of society. But they’re not off to a good start in convincing us that this is the case when they’re willing to enter the country contrary to our laws.

We must briefly mention a caveat about submission to authority. Submission has its limits. Disobedience is justified whenever a magistrate commands what God forbids or forbids what God commands (Acts 4:19; 5:29). Our immigration laws are not unreasonable and there is nothing in them that is inherently unethical or unjust and so it is difficult to make the case that crossing the border contrary to our laws is justified.

The Responsibility of Governments to their Citizens

What is a government’s responsibility to its citizens? Jefferson wasn’t far off the mark when he wrote, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men…”

The role of government is to secure God-given human rights. In Peter’s words, civil magistrates are appointed “to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good” (1 Pet. 2:14). They do this by enforcing just laws, including laws concerning immigration.

Immigration can be a source of great blessing or great woe. The U.S. has certainly benefitted enormously from immigration. We began as a nation of immigrants. When we declared our independence from Great Britain there were very few people in the country who were not first, second, or third generation Americans. And there have been significant periods in our history when the majority of our numerical growth came through immigration. Some of our brightest and most talented people have been immigrants.

There are also risks in allowing aliens to enter the country, whether as LPRs or with a temporary visa. We found this out on 9-11. The residents of Boston got a reminder of the risks on April 15, 2013, when the Tsarnaev brothers bombed the Boston marathon. The residents of San Bernardino got a reminder on December 2, 2015. A nation’s government is certainly within its rights and is, in fact, fulfilling its sacred duty to it citizens to limit travel into its country to only those individuals who it can reasonably guarantee pose no threat to its people. The U.S. recently banned entry to people from seven countries:  North Korea, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. These are nations whose governments are either hostile to the United States or are in such disarray they’re unable provide proper documentation for its citizens to obtain a U.S. visa so that they can be properly vetted. 

The concern is not only acts of terror, but also crime. The drug cartels of Mexico pose a very real threat to Americans along the southern border, as does the growing presence of MS-13 gang members throughout the country.

Governments must also protect the economic interests of their citizens. A flood of immigrants, especially illegal immigrants who tend to be unskilled, keeps wages down for our own poor, unskilled workers. A part of the economic equation is the burden imposed on our social service system, which of course means upon the American tax-payer.

Immigration and Asylum

A legitimate concern that everyone of good will wishes to handle properly is the issue of those seeking asylum—those wishing to come here to escape religious or political persecution. They should be put on the fastest possible track to have their application processed.

Asylum, however, ought to be sought in a lawful manner, i.e., not by crossing the border illegally, but by going to one of the nine U.S. consulates in Mexico or to the embassy in Mexico City.

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CORRECTION: (August 6, 2018)

In what I wrote above about seeking asylum, it seems I was confusing the process for refugees and asylees. 

“The distinction between a refugee and an asylee (asylum applicant) is easy to confuse. Both are considered persons who are subject to persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Consequently, both types apply for humanitarian relief with the U.S. government. The main difference in processing, however, is where the individual is located. Refugees are located outside of the U.S and outside of their native country. Asylees are already within the U.S. or a port of entry of the U.S. This distinction is important because it affects how and where you can apply for relief. "If you are an asylee, you can apply for affirmative or defensive asylum processing within the United States…"If you are a refugee, you may contact the American embassy for assistance in submitting an application for resettlement to the United States. They will assist you in completing your application and gathering your supporting documentation… (see: https://immigration-law.freeadvice.com/.../filing...) Manage

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Steps to Solving Illegal Immigration

Securing our southern border must be a priority if we wish to solve the crisis of illegal immigration. This will require a wall, a fence, or some other kind of physical barrier (in some places mountains form a natural barrier). But this should be supplemented with electronic surveillance and increased manpower in Border Patrol and ICE. There must also be some kind of federal pushback against sanctuary cities and an increase of the number and efficiency of immigration courts. We must also find better ways to keep track of visa holders to ensure they don’t overstay their visa and get lost in the system.

Nothing I’ve said here is new. But something I’ve not heard mentioned before is the possibility of gaining Mexico’s support by reducing economic aid for every unauthorized border crossing (the U.S. currently gives $320 million in aid to Mexico each year). Perhaps this will motivate them to increase efforts on its side of the border.

After securing the border, we must decide how to deal with our current illegal alien population. This is the most difficult question of all. Many argue for amnesty. Others argue for deportation. I agree with Kenny Xu that amnesty would be a slap in the face of legal immigrants and only further incentivize illegal immigration. On the other hand, the deportation of 11-12 million people doesn’t seem feasible, not to mention desirable or compassionate.

It seems to me that some kind of middle ground should be pursued, the outlines of which might look something like this. Those who can prove they have been in the country for ten years or more without any criminal offense, having been gainfully employed during that time, and not dependent on welfare, should be given legal status, but should pay a fine at least equal to amount of what the legal process would have cost; but while enjoying all the protection of the laws, they should not be eligible to become citizens, only LPRs.

Family Separation at the Border

The issue of family separation has been controversial, but it has been shown to be a more complicated issue than many people seem to be willing to acknowledge. Some of the complications are noted in a recent statement by the DHS:

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Under order of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, the departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Homeland Security (DHS), and Justice (DOJ) have been reunifying alien minors under 5 years old who are currently in the custody of HHS with adults who have been in the custody of DHS.

There are 103 children under age 5 covered by the court case. Of the 103 children:

·         57 children have been reunified as of 7 a.m. EST on July 12.

·         46 children were acknowledged by the court to be ineligible for reunification or determined by HHS, DHS, and DOJ to be ineligible under court-approved criteria. Of these 46:

o    22 children have been found ineligible due to safety concerns posed by the adults in question:

§  1 adult is being treated for a communicable disease.

§  1 adult planned to house the child with an adult charged with sexually abusing a child.

§  1 adult was alleged to have abused the child.

§  1 adult had a falsified birth certificate (parentage is being examined).

§  7 adults were determined not to be a parent.

§  11 adults have a serious criminal history (charges or convictions for child cruelty, kidnapping, murder, human smuggling, domestic violence, etc.).

o    24 children are not currently eligible for reunification due to circumstances of the adults in question:

§  12 adults have been deported and are being contacted.

§  9 adults are in custody of the U.S. Marshals Service for other offenses.

§  2 adults are in custody of state jails for other offenses.

§  1 adult’s location has been unknown for over a year

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Conclusion

Immigration policy, as much as any other policy of a nation’s government, ought to be guided by the just and compassionate principles of Scripture. Finding the proper balance between justice and mercy towards all involved (native citizens, legal and illegal immigrant, and asylum seekers) requires wisdom. Let us pray that our nation's leaders will seek this wisdom from God in genuine humility. Let us also pray for an end to the political posturing that too often characterizes public discussions of the issue.  

Also, regardless of the status of the immigrants living among us, let us recognize that we have been given a remarkable opportunity for evangelism and discipleship, and let’s make the most of it. 

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[1] Source:  Annual Flow Report, Department of Homeland Security https://www.dhs.gov/immigration-statistics/lawful-permanent-residents#

[2] Ibid