Pondering

Growing up in San Diego County, living among immigrants was normal. On our block alone we had Japanese, German, and Mexican immigrants, all of whom came to the U.S. for better socio-economic opportunities and freedoms. Thousands came legally from Mexico and Central America for work opportunities in the agricultural sector, and in the mid-70s there was a mass migration of Vietnamese to our shores because of the conflict in Vietnam. We also knew where the “immigrant houses” were (dozens packed into unremarkable track houses waiting for jobs) but didn’t think much about it.

We knew some immigrants came illegally. There were plenty of immigration checkpoints throughout the county, and I saw a number of folks detained. But things changed dramatically in the 1980s with the increase of illegal drugs coming across the border, and today we have a relative tsunami of illegal immigration over which we seem to have no control.

Fundamentally ALL of us (including “native Americans” who came from the northwest region of Asia), are the result of relocation from somewhere else. We are a “nation of immigrants,” but only in the sense that we have ancestral roots elsewhere. Barely 14% of current U.S. citizens today are first-generation immigrants.

Thus, we have a conundrum. We possess the philosophy of a nation built upon immigration yet are now and have been for some time unable to manage that immigration.

Like some of you, I’ve heard “Our immigration system is broken” my entire life, which means politicians either don’t know what to do, or do and don’t care to fix the problem. According to the U.S. Border Patrol, in 1969 there were 137,968 illegal alien encounter/apprehensions along our southern border—.00068% of the U.S. population at the time (202,319,000). In 2023 there were 2.5 million illegal alien encounters/apprehensions—.0073% of the U.S. population (339,996,563).

While our population increased 68%, illegal immigration increased 974%

as a percentage of that population.

Moreover, things have changed greatly since 9/11. It’s not simply the economic burden of millions of illegal immigrants on the average American taxpayer, particularly when state and federal legislation offers them “free” food, housing, medical care, college tuition, etc. It’s also not simply having a “heart” for those who are truly escaping war, persecution, or extreme poverty—a sentiment we should all possess. Rather, it’s all this AND the fact that we can’t properly manage the practicalities of those who desire to be part of the “American Dream,” nor the ideology and resulting behavior of those who want to do us harm.

The reason why people are seeking entry into the U.S. hasn’t changed much. According to usafacts.org, they still come largely to experience that “American Dream” —the opportunity to be free, work hard, raise a family, and live a peaceful life (the very aspirations so vilified and hypocritically enjoyed, by Leftists). If America is that bad, why are so many people trying to get here? It could in their minds be the lesser of two evils, which is for another discussion.

So, what’s a biblical Christian to do?

Fundamentally we are to be compassionate toward and care for those who are legitimately fleeing war, persecution, or extreme poverty (Exodus 22:21; Leviticus 19:33–34; Matthew 25:35). At the same time, aside from laws that compel us to reject God’s word, we are to support and be subject to the laws of the land (Romans 13:1–7). These are two sides of the same coin. So, are we simply barking about illegal immigration or seeking ways to help?

Maybe we just need to give ourselves permission to follow a biblical path without fear of our actions being labeled political? Being concerned about illegal immigration does not mean we’re xenophobes, but rather wanting to help people in real need the best we can while support laws that protect the very environment most immigrants desire.