“We don’t want their kind here.”

“We don’t want their kind here,” Indigenous people said when Spanish and English speakers invaded their land.

The residents of Tsenacommacah shot arrows at strangers, killing Ustis Clovill, the first Englishman buried in the ground the colonizers named Virginia.

“We don’t want their kind here,” Colonial America said as it became owned and operated by white men, with laws and systems designed to benefit white men and marginalize everyone else.

For 375 years white men said, “we don’t want their kind here,” to anyone with different faith traditions, languages, nationalities, identities, or orientations.

“We don’t want their kind here,” Germany’s Nazi Party said about Jews, gays, unionists, artists, intellectuals, and anyone who wasn’t their kind of white man. In 1932, they took control with 37% of the vote.

In his third run for president in 2024, Donald Trump won by 1.5% after campaigning against gays, unionists, artists, intellectuals, people of color, Spanish speakers, and anyone who wasn’t his kind of white man.

In 1933, Otto Frank moved his family from Frankfurt to Amsterdam as Nazi persecution spread across Europe, because the Nazis didn’t want their kind.

Frank tried to move his family to the United States. Americans said, “We don’t want their kind here.”

In 1939, 937 people aboard the German liner St. Louis fled Nazi persecution to North America.

“We don’t want their kind here,” said Canada.

“We don’t want their kind here,” Cuba said.

“We don’t want their kind here,” said the United States.

The refugees were denied entry and forced to return to Europe, where many were murdered by the German government.

After the Franks’ oldest daughter was legally summoned to report to a labor camp, Otto Frank and his family illegally went into hiding on July 6, 1942.

They broke the law. So did the people who helped them.

“We don’t want their kind here,” someone said—obeying the law and reporting the criminals.

Arrested on Aug. 4, 1944, the government legally deported them and then murdered them.

“Terrible things are happening outside. At any time of night and day, poor helpless people are being dragged out of their homes,” wrote Anne Frank on Jan. 13, 1943. “Families are torn apart; men, women and children are separated. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared. Women return from shopping to find their houses sealed, their families gone.”

On Jan. 7, 2026, Federal agent Jonathan Ross shot Renee Good in the face through her open car window.

“Fucking Bitch,” the government agent said, as the unarmed mother died.

The President, Vice President and Homeland Security Secretary immediately lied and justified the murder, because “we don’t want their kind here.”

What does the law tell us to do? Turn in criminals like Anne Frank.

What does the Lord command us to do? Welcome the stranger. Demand justice and defend the helpless.

As Christians our charge is clear.

As Americans our responsibility is obvious. We must oppose authoritarianism and the lawlessness of the Trump administration because ultimately, “we don’t want their kind here.”

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For other articles by Jim, visit:

Was Jesus a refugee? Of course he was.

Why can’t Trump supporters hear the truth?

Do Christians need to be reminded that racism is immoral?

Three lessons from the early Celtic church.

Pastor Jim Meisner, Jr. is the author of the novel Faith, Hope, and Baseball, available on Amazon, or follow this link to order an autographed copy. He created and manages the Facebook page Faith on the Fringe.