By Tony Beam, posted September 27, 2024
Almost all the polling data monitoring people’s top concerns connected to the 2024 race for the White House lists three issues rising to the top in every poll. They are the economy (inflation), the border, and crime. In some polls, chaos at the border (including the steep rise in illegal crossings) tops the list. In other polls, the economy and inflation are the top priorities, with illegal immigration not far behind. Regardless of the order, Americans are worried that an unsecured border means higher crime rates and violence, a greater threat of terrorism, a rise in deaths from fentanyl, and many other consequences that are related to an open border.
How big is the problem? According to data released by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), 2023 was the worst year ever for illegal encounters at our southern border. Illegal encounters have risen 40 percent since 2021. Since 2021, there have been 7.5 million encounters nationwide, with 6.2 million of those encounters occurring at the southwest border.
People who would like to hurt us (terrorists, drug and human traffickers) are taking advantage of our lack of border security. In 2023, at least 169 individuals whose names appear on the terrorist watch list were stopped, attempting to cross the U.S./Mexico border between ports of entry. Nationwide, 35,433 illegal aliens with criminal convictions or outstanding warrants were arrested, including 598 known gang members — with 178 of those being members of MS-13.
When you combine these numbers with the estimated 1.7 million known “got aways” since 2021 — and the chaos that has been created in some of our largest cities that once bragged about being “sanctuary cities” but are now being overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of illegal immigrants — we can certainly understand why so many Americans rate our open southern border as one of our country’s most urgent problems.
It is a problem that must be addressed politically and legally, but like any problem the solution can only be found when we think and act biblically. Many Americans are so frustrated by how long we have dealt with the problems associated with illegal immigration, they lash out in anger and speak harshly about people who are created in the image of God. As followers of Jesus Christ, we need to find a better way.
Solving our illegal immigration problem begins with a secure border and an orderly system of legal immigration that follows the rule of law. But while we are moving toward a solution, we need to remember the Bible speaks often about the sojourner or stranger who is in the land. Leviticus 19:33-34 says, “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
This command was given in the context of Israel as a nation set apart by God. While I realize it doesn’t apply directly to our broken immigration system, I believe it reveals how God would have us treat individuals who are caught up in that system.
God is a God of mercy and justice. We must begin upholding justice by securing the border. Our broken system can’t be fixed until the border is secure. When we think about the people who are caught up in a broken immigration system, we should be witnesses of His mercy and share with them the story of redemption and how salvation can be found in Jesus. We should also expect and encourage them to immigrate legally and follow our laws. Because we have refused to enforce our laws, we have created a tragic situation for many illegal immigrants and an unsustainable situation for our social systems that are overextended by the sheer number of those attempting to access them.
We should show compassion and encourage everyone who comes here to follow a legal path to immigrate. Those who come with evil intent, with criminal records, or refuse to enter legally should be detained, arrested and deported.
As Christians, we should advocate for just laws that are applied and enforced equally to everyone. As a nation, when we enforce those laws, we remember they are being applied to people whom God loved so much, He sent His Son that they might be saved.
This article originally appeared in the Baptist Courier.
Almost all the polling data monitoring people’s top concerns connected to the 2024 race for the White House lists three issues rising to the top in every poll. They are the economy (inflation), the border, and crime. In some polls, chaos at the border (including the steep rise in illegal crossings) tops the list. In other polls, the economy and inflation are the top priorities, with illegal immigration not far behind. Regardless of the order, Americans are worried that an unsecured border means higher crime rates and violence, a greater threat of terrorism, a rise in deaths from fentanyl, and many other consequences that are related to an open border.
How big is the problem? According to data released by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), 2023 was the worst year ever for illegal encounters at our southern border. Illegal encounters have risen 40 percent since 2021. Since 2021, there have been 7.5 million encounters nationwide, with 6.2 million of those encounters occurring at the southwest border.
People who would like to hurt us (terrorists, drug and human traffickers) are taking advantage of our lack of border security. In 2023, at least 169 individuals whose names appear on the terrorist watch list were stopped, attempting to cross the U.S./Mexico border between ports of entry. Nationwide, 35,433 illegal aliens with criminal convictions or outstanding warrants were arrested, including 598 known gang members — with 178 of those being members of MS-13.
When you combine these numbers with the estimated 1.7 million known “got aways” since 2021 — and the chaos that has been created in some of our largest cities that once bragged about being “sanctuary cities” but are now being overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of illegal immigrants — we can certainly understand why so many Americans rate our open southern border as one of our country’s most urgent problems.
It is a problem that must be addressed politically and legally, but like any problem the solution can only be found when we think and act biblically. Many Americans are so frustrated by how long we have dealt with the problems associated with illegal immigration, they lash out in anger and speak harshly about people who are created in the image of God. As followers of Jesus Christ, we need to find a better way.
Solving our illegal immigration problem begins with a secure border and an orderly system of legal immigration that follows the rule of law. But while we are moving toward a solution, we need to remember the Bible speaks often about the sojourner or stranger who is in the land. Leviticus 19:33-34 says, “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
This command was given in the context of Israel as a nation set apart by God. While I realize it doesn’t apply directly to our broken immigration system, I believe it reveals how God would have us treat individuals who are caught up in that system.
God is a God of mercy and justice. We must begin upholding justice by securing the border. Our broken system can’t be fixed until the border is secure. When we think about the people who are caught up in a broken immigration system, we should be witnesses of His mercy and share with them the story of redemption and how salvation can be found in Jesus. We should also expect and encourage them to immigrate legally and follow our laws. Because we have refused to enforce our laws, we have created a tragic situation for many illegal immigrants and an unsustainable situation for our social systems that are overextended by the sheer number of those attempting to access them.
We should show compassion and encourage everyone who comes here to follow a legal path to immigrate. Those who come with evil intent, with criminal records, or refuse to enter legally should be detained, arrested and deported.
As Christians, we should advocate for just laws that are applied and enforced equally to everyone. As a nation, when we enforce those laws, we remember they are being applied to people whom God loved so much, He sent His Son that they might be saved.
This article originally appeared in the Baptist Courier.
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