This paper examines how scripture — from Leviticus and Exodus to the teachings of Jesus — provides a theological foundation for a just immigration policy in contemporary North America. It argues that both economic fears and xenophobia drive anti-immigration sentiment among Christians, despite clear Biblical mandates to welcome the stranger. Drawing on Ramachandra's Subverting Global Myths and Sider and Snippers' Toward an Evangelical Public Policy, the paper contends that authentic evangelical belief demands extending equal rights and protections to all immigrants. It also critiques American immigration history as economically self-serving and biased against the poor, and calls for a balanced, humanistic policy grounded in Biblical truth.
How to respond to the immigration "problem" is a question that can certainly be answered by seeking truth in scripture. The Bible is clear when it comes to the moral issues relating to immigration. Both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament contain ample references to how to treat strangers righteously. "When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God" (Leviticus 19:33–34). How to apply Biblical law to contemporary North America is a more difficult proposition. The cultural and historical context of the Bible does not necessarily or always apply to modern situations and contingencies. Furthermore, as Sider and Snippers point out, "the complex and evolving issue of the church's role in public policy is among the most challenging for twenty-first century American evangelical leaders" (5).
If the Bible is clear on matters related to how to properly care for our fellow human beings, then why is immigration a contentious political issue in the United States? The politics of immigration policy are divisive. Immigration policy is an issue that has caused many Christians to politically fight one another in the quest for an answer. The United States is a nation founded firmly on an immigration policy that reflects Biblical truths. Even some of the more insidious chapters in American immigration history — such as the decimation of the native population by the original settlers, and the forced immigration of countless enslaved people — have been underwritten by misguided Christians. The time is ripe for a new, theologically informed immigration policy that transcends differences and unites Americans. Even those who, like the author, are temporary residents or guests of this nation are in a position to offer guidance and support rooted in religion.
One of the main reasons why immigration is a controversial issue in both Western Europe and the United States is economics. In a stagnant economy, immigrants are viewed as potential threats. Likewise, many Americans have vocally expressed fear and concern that immigrants are draining public services. Another reason why immigration is a controversial issue is xenophobia. Xenophobic reactions to immigration are paradoxical in a nation founded by immigrants, but the fact remains that the dominant culture is white, Christian, and European. Non-whites, non-Europeans, and non-Christians are viewed as outsiders by a substantial enough portion of the American population to fuel political controversy. The dominant culture is not necessarily the majority culture, either; dominant culture simply refers to the culture that possesses the greatest amount of political power. As the United States stands poised for a massive demographic shift in which whites may become the literal minority, discourse on the topic of immigration is likely to change significantly.
Ramachandra notes that opposition to immigration is "generally far more prominent than support for it" (157). It is no small mystery why this is true, given that anti-immigration policy is linked to the conservative political agenda, which is in turn linked to the evangelical mission. It would seem more logical for Christians to avidly support open borders in keeping with scripture. Americans pride themselves on being a nation of tolerance, equality, liberty, and justice for all. Yet the current immigration debate presents Americans in a poor light and makes American consciousness seem woefully hypocritical. "And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others?" (Matthew 5:47). When walls and fences are built along the border, Americans are not "doing more than others" as they often profess to do.
The same was true during World War Two. As Ramachandra points out, American immigration policy at that time placed quotas on Eastern Europeans and denied entry to countless Holocaust refugees. Then, as now, Americans risk losing their moral character by "greeting only their own people." The dissonance between professed Christian values and actual immigration policy is one of the central tensions this paper seeks to address.
"Scripture demands equal rights for all immigrants"
"U.S. policy has favored wealth over humanity"
"Humanistic, viable reform rooted in scripture"
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