Immigration: They Aren’t Just Coming—We Drove Them Here

Immigration: They Aren’t Just Coming—We Drove Them Here February 3, 2025

The US is a country of immigrants and slaves and some natives. Ironically, we herald ourselves as the home of liberty. Do you know what lies at the feet of the Statue of Liberty?

Today, thousands of people are living in fear of deportation. Native Americans, those whose rights to live here transcend all others, are being detained because they have no birth certificates or proof of US citizenship.

I recognize that the issue of immigration is not simple. I also realize that there is a role for the Church, and that role is not sitting on the sidelines quietly while those “illegals” are being rounded up.

In this post, we begin with the question, “Why are they coming here?”

Suppose two kids are left home while mom and dad enjoy a well-deserved night out. The older sibling is put in charge. The evening is going well until the younger sibling asks for a piece of cake before heading to bed. Having a snack before bed was a custom in their home, and Mom said they could finish the cake before bed.

The problem, however, is that Mom was unaware that Dad had eaten a piece of cake late in the afternoon that day. Consequently, there was only 1 piece left. So, who will get the last slice?

The answer is simple. The oldest child decides. They have all the power. Mom and Dad put them in charge. They are wiser. They are bigger. And if the younger sibling whines or throws a fit mom and dad will surely find out. Everything is in the hands of the oldest sibling.

This is the US. We have the power. If we want the cake, we will eat it. If we want to share it, we will (though we all know that ain’t gonna happen). And all of Central and South America knows it.

When I was young, it wasn’t uncommon for Mom to ask me to run next door for an egg or a cup of milk. When our neighbors came to us with a similar request, we were happy to oblige. Nowadays, we just run to the store or order on Instacart.

But what if your neighbor came asking for milk every day? At some point, you would get annoyed. Surely they can get their own milk.

But what if they couldn’t? What if you repeatedly stole their Instacart order every time it was delivered?

Or, what if your neighbors began asking to eat with your family? Asking for milk is one thing, but asking for a meal is another.

Wouldn’t you begin to wonder: surely they can find their own food? Why don’t they get a job and work for themselves? After all, you work hard for what you have.

But what if you made it so that they couldn’t work? What if the source of their impoverishment was you?

In such a hypothetical scenario, we might suspect your neighbor would run to the police.

But what if you were the police? What if you controlled the city, the state, the country? What recourse would your neighbor have then?

Why are they coming here?

Immigration is an immensely complex subject. And I suspect that most Americans have little to no understanding of why thousands and tens of thousands of people are ending up on our border.

We might suspect that they are simply in search of a better life. After all, America is the land of the free. It is the land of opportunity. They must be coming here to get a little of what we got.

While it seems simple to say that we would love to those who are coming to our country, we know we can’t take them. They will take our jobs. They will take our privileges. There isn’t enough to go around.

Besides, many of them are terrorists, criminals, drug lords, and who knows what else.

But have we asked, “Why are they coming here?”

Most people don’t want to leave their home

Most people don’t want to leave their homes, families, or lives. This isn’t easily understood by many Americans.

I was born in Boston. My family moved to California when I was three. I lived in 6 different houses before I graduated high school. My wife and I have lived in 10 homes in the past 35 years (do I need to tell you I hate moving). I don’t have a “home.” I never had a place to show my kids: “This is where Daddy grew up.”

I now live in Arizona. I have two brothers. One lives in Texas, and the other in Massachusetts. My wife and I have 4 kids. Each of them lives in a different time zone in the US.

In many parts of the world, families have lived in the same village for generations, centuries, and perhaps longer. They don’t want to leave. They have brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, and grandparents. This is to say nothing about their friends and the rest of the community.

Why, then, would they leave? To chase the American dream? The American dream is for Americans. They have their own dreams, and for most people, that dream occurs where they live.

Why, then, would they leave? Sure, there are many reasons.

What if I were to say that one of the most significant causes for the mass of people showing up at our southern border is US foreign policy?

Why, then, are they coming here?

What if we were one of the leading reasons people flee here? What if we made their lives so hellish that they decided they had no choice but to leave?

In 1994, The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was established. This agreement between the US, Canada, and Mexico was intended to boost trade and economic growth.

NAFTA proved to be quite profitable for US companies—especially multinational corporations and some wealthy investors. It was not so for others. Millions of farmers and workers in Mexico were devastated.

The US subsidizes its farmers. This meant that US corporations could flood Mexico with artificially low prices on corn, wheat, and other crops. Corn, a staple of Mexico’s culture, saw prices fall as much as 70% throughout Mexico. As a result, many Mexican farmers and workers were put out of work. The unnaturally low corn prices meant Mexican farmers could no longer bring in the revenue needed to cover their costs. Over 2 million Mexican farmers lost everything.

Many of the migrants coming to the US’s southern border in the 1990’s-2000’s were Mexican farmers and workers who could no longer find a sustainable life at home. They were driven out because US-backed multinational corporations drove them out.

Does that make it okay for them to enter our country illegally? No. But it doesn’t absolve us from responsibility either.

Sure, the issue is complicated. But we must begin by recognizing that our hands are not clean.

The Beast

This, my friends, is what the book of Revelation calls the Beast.

I will begin a series of livestreams on the Book of Revelation and the Beast on Wednesday, Feb 12, 2025.

NB: If you are reading this post sometime after Feb 2025, you can find the series of livestreams on the Determinetruth YouTube page under the playlist “Revelation and the Beast” (Be sure to subscribe, like the channel, and leave a comment)

I assure you that we MUST pay attention. I say this with all earnestness. The Church must be the Church today more than ever. We live in a world dominated by the Beast, and our country, culture, wealth, and privileges are more beastly than those of Rome! And, I fear that much of the Church is in bed with the Beast.

. . . to be continued

 

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About Rob Dalrymple
Rob Dalrymple is married to his wife Toni and is the father of four fabulous children, and two grandchildren. He has been teaching and pastoring for over 34 years at colleges, seminaries, and the local church. He has a PhD in biblical interpretation. He is the author of six books (including Follow the Lamb: A Guide to Reading, Understanding, and Applying the Book of Revelation & Understanding the New Testament and the End Times: Why it Matters) as well as numerous articles and other publications. His commentary on the book of Revelation titled, “Revelation: a Love Story” (Cascade Books, July 2024) is making waves in the scholarly world. His latest book, Land of Contention: Biblical Narratives and the Struggle for the Holy Land discussed the role of the church in peacemaking in the light of the war on Gaza and the struggles in the West Bank and is available now on Amazon or wherever you get your books (hopefully somewhere besides Amazon!) You can read more about the author here.

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