EDITORIAL NOTE: The “Cross Examinations” series asks prominent Christian pastors, professors and writers to comment on matters of common concern. The question for the present installment is:
“Immigration and illegal immigration are matters of grave ethical concern. Does the Bible give principles or insights that should guide Christian thinking on this issue? Is there a ‘Christian position’ on illegal immigration? Would it be un-Christian to expel illegal immigrants who have built their lives in the United States?“
Dr. Juan Martinez (see his blog here) teaches at Fuller Theological Seminary and directs its Center for the Study of Hispanic Church and Community. He graciously responded to our invitation to comment:
Undocumented immigration has become something of “grave ethical concern” in the United States over the last few years. It did not used to be considered a problem in the past. Immigration laws and their enforcement have changed over the years, depending on the economy and the national sense of security. Not many years ago people crossed the border fairly freely. But today the rich and the educated can easily obtain visas, but there is no way that the poor can obtain visas. In spite of the complaints about people going to the “front of the line” there is currently no line in which most of the undocumented could ever obtain legal status, no matter how long they waited.
We complain about the undocumented, but not about the fact that the undocumented come because there is work for them. Our economy depends on their labor, the social security system takes advantage of the contributions they will never claim, and for the most part they are paid unjust wages because they have no legal recourse. Because of NAFTA, US companies are drawing more profits from Mexico than ever before and US-subsidized agricultural products have put many Mexican farm workers out of work. The Mexican drug problem exists mostly because of US consumption and US arms. Most people recognize that the new law in Arizona will likely lead to racial profiling, but most of them are still in favor of the law. Yet none of these things create a “grave ethical concern” among US Christians.
I do not want to belittle the issue of undocumented migration. But as Christians we need to look at the log in our eye, before we can remove the mote in the eyes of the undocumented. The undocumented desperately need fair and just immigration reform. But this will not solve the problem of undocumented migration into the US, no matter how much is used for border enforcement. As Christians we need to ask difficult ethical questions about the immigration issue. But let’s address the issues we have created, not only those raised by the weakest members of our society, the undocumented.
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Cross Examinations: Immigration Reform – Seeing the Logs in Our Own Eyes http://bit.ly/aqknnt
I admire the author’s obvious koinonian love of his flock. A love I share. But I disagree with his ill-reasoned conclusions in this post and challenge him to become a little more “real”.
Regarding “undocumented immigration”, if the author doesn’t like the word “illegal” lets use “unauthorized”. His word implies the existence of a laissez faire situation, which – because the US congress decided otherwise, does not legally exist.
He has “grave ethical concerns”. Politics is not ethics. Unauthorized immigration is a recognized political concern. If ethical issues are involved, they need to be identified and spelled out.
He thinks “it” was “not a problem in the past”. How far in the past does he want to go? Fifty five years ago the “Bracero Program” [guest worker] spelled out the nation’s intent. Eighty nine years ago the “quota law” established the process.
He justifies unauthorized immigration because of “the nations’s concerns changing with the economy”. Doesn’t this type of thinking lead to the wide acceptance of a non-biblical “rationalization theology” mind set?
He says not long ago people crossed the border “fairly freely”. I challenge the truthfulness of this claim. My first crossing was in 1948 and it was anything but “free”. Are there creditable sources dated before that showing a porous border? Please list them.
He says there is “no way” the poor can afford to immigrate. The presence throughout the US of hundreds of thousands of legally immigrated and now naturalized citizens formerly of Mexico prove the falsity of that claim. Actually, itinerant workers can jump some lines but if this is still an issue – and it may well be – it should be corrected via legislation, not benevolent neglect.
The author says there is now “no line” for the poor. INS says they are currently processing at least 12,800 applications from rural Mexico. This is a “line”. It may need to be bigger and faster, but it is a line.
He says we don’t complain when they come because of the work “we” have for them. Well, yes, before the financial mess there was work. Companies, small and large, that hire unauthorized immigrants to perform work should be fined and their owners punished, including, if appropriate, imprisonment.
And our economy “depends” on them, he says. Actually, our “bloated, unrealistic” economy depended on them. Past tense. If the border had been secured twenty five years or more ago the likelihood of the housing crisis occurring would have been negligible. They obviously didn’t cause it, but they did contribute to and enable it, in my view.
The author complains the Social Security program will never pay them the monies submitted in their stead during their employment. Which over the years has served to artificially discourage that system from being fixed by congress.
And he says employers take advantage of them. I couldn’t agree more. This is totally unfair. If only there were a way to “fix it”. Oh, there is. Authorized” workers are protected by Labor Boards.
Next he complains about the unfairness of NAFTA, et sequel. And this is not the fault of the nation of Mexico because…….?
And now the drug trade. So our unhealthy and illegal appetites have created a reason to do what? Be compassionate? Take over a portion of the country? Administer their justice system? Look the other way? Suggest solutions, please.
And arms smuggling. Here he’s fallen for a false narrative. Recent studies proved less than 2% of illegal – oops – unauthorized firearms in Mexico entered from the US. The vast number were stolen from Mexican and other Latin American nations’ armories, or purchased from international arms dealers – most from the middle east.
And he thinks we “know” the AZ law “will lead” to racial profiling. No, I think the proper term is “could lead”. If so I would hold the officers involved responsible. What hasn’t been said, though, is that the AZ law is quite similar to an OK law that went into effect a few years ago and has turned their “unauthorized immigrant” problem around.
Now he presumes something negative about my “concerns”. I reject his capacity to form a reasonable judgment as to my concerns, unless he allows me the same freedom to judge the depth of his spiritual commitment to our Lord and Savior.
And finally he wants me to “look at the log” in my own eye. Well, here’s where we stand now, in my view. We need dedicated spirit-driven thinkers to expose each “log” as it floats into view. Those of us Christians who are older than dirt have been in this place before. Twice, as a matter of fact. Both times we fell for the line that said, “Let’s give them ‘fair and just immigration reform’ now while we fix the border situation in the next few months” only to discover the next few months never came. So I say, “Fix the borders and we will support a ‘fair and just immigration reform’ afterward”. We are saying to the nation and the administration, “This time, put your money where your mouth is”. I am anxious to be a Good Samaritan, but not a foolish one again.
I agree that the immigration issue is a very difficult one to deal with.
Since I can not have the skills nor the knowledge to build an argument in many facets of it, I think I can only share my point of view of the ethical aspect of it all.
I want “to point and spell”(from Dwight’s comment) the fact that the people with money and education are able to obtain a resident visa. For someone who has obtain a professional diploma in their country( like medical Doctor,Architect, or any other similar accreditation) or Entrepreneurial persons whom can be able to invest $150,000.00 and up. The field workers ( unskilled an uneducated) have no option, because,there is no more “Bracero Program”(the guest worker program) or at least something similar.
If we give preference to those with a higher financial status over those less fortunate I perceive an ethical problem.