What Does The Bible Say About Illegal Immigrants?

The issue of immigration and what to do with illegal immigrants is one that I have avoided for years. I am a Mexican-American (though I would prefer it if you would just call me an American) living in Southern California, and I feel like most people expect an opinion about the issue from me. I don't have one, and I really don't want one. Expecting something of me based on that makes me uncomfortable. Unfortunately, I now see the issue as an unavoidable one, and since people have started asking me about it again, I have begun to put some serious thought into it. The following letter I think provides an adequate enough foundation. The question was asked to me, Do I think God sees illegal immigrants as being in sin? This is how I responded. 

Is it a sin to be an illegal immigrant? In short, yes. It is a sin, and a very serious one. The issue is not a favorable one for me to talk about. I've talked about it before, and I've basically been called a lot of names for the positions I hold, which I believe to be Biblical positions. I've been called a racist by your brother for some of the things I’m about to tell you. Of course, that’s an emotional response, and don’t we all respond emotionally when we hear things we don’t like? So, let’s start off with some background. 

How does the Bible view the immigrant? Actually, very favorably! There is a Biblical requirement to take care of those living away from home. A sojourner or alien is a person who is person is temporarily living away from their permanent home. In 1st Peter 1:1, Christians are called sojourners (the NIV says strangers, but many other translations say sojourners or aliens). Verse two says that we are essentially members of the Kingdom, but so long as we are in this world, this is not permanent. This is why the NIV says strangers. In the Old Testament, we are told to not to, “mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt” (Exodus 22:21) and “Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt” (Exodus 23:9). The same idea of treating an alien is repeated in Leviticus 19:33 and Deuteronomy 10:19. So, we are to treat aliens in a very loving and favorable manner. If God tells us to do this, I doubt it is sin. 

However, the Bible does have a term for illegal immigrants: spy. Moses sent illegal immigrants to Canaan and Joshua sent out illegal immigrants to Jericho. Contrast this with the stories of Joseph or Abram. Joseph was a legal immigrant and so the citizens of Egypt interacted with him freely. However, spies stay away. The sending of spies assumes that a government would know who is in their own country, which is just basic immigration policy. It did exist back then. Also considering the wars that were waged, border security was a real issue. In short, the legal immigrant is someone who ought to be welcomed, but the illegal immigrant was not because he poses a threat. I do not think anything significant has changed since. 

With that background in mind, lets look at the New Testament and what it has to say about the legitimacy of government. Romans 13:1-7 tells us that government is an agent of God and therefore has a legitimate authority. Jesus even says to give to Cesar’s what is his and to give God’s what is His. This means that Cesar does have authority, though it is limited. Even Jesus recognized this government more explicitly when he acknowledged the power over him when he told Pilate that Pilate only has authority because it was given to him by God. So, while government does has limits, it does also have authority. When it comes to the issue of immigration, I don’t think there’s any doubt that this lies in the authority of Cesar, or government. 

Unless a law is unjust, we must obey. Government has no unjust laws concerning immigration. There may be some unwise policies, and I do think the immigration policies of the US is one of the worst in the world, but that’s not the same as saying it is wrong or immoral. 

Now we know that government is in place for our good. This is said in Romans 13:4 and echoed in 1st Peter 2. If the US says that illegal immigration is bad (and by definition it is because it’s illegal), then illegal immigrants are setting themselves up against a God-ordained institution, and that’s sin. The illegal immigrant, though benefiting himself, is hindering the job of God’s servant, which is to provide for the good of it’s own people. 

So, this is where we bring the ends together and conclude that yes, it is a sin to be an illegal immigrant. The illegal immigrant, like the Old Testament spy is harmful to the country. First, they are breaking the law. Secondly, they don’t pay taxes, which Jesus says belongs to Cesar. Thirdly, they don’t assimilate as well. I told your brother that your mother should learn English, and he did not hesitate to call me a racist. The purpose, I repeat, of government is to benefit it’s own people, therefore, it should bring in immigrants who are helpful to the country. People who don’t learn English are not of much use to the US. And because they don’t assimilate well, they tend to form little communities, where more non-English speakers get together, which even further discourages learning English. And in communities like these, you see a lot of loyalty to the country of origin, like Cambodia or Mexico. This is just the modern day spy. Fourthly, they cannot engage in activities where authority is involved. This means that illegal immigrants cannot start businesses which is what a country looking to take in immigrants who benefit the country should take in, and so they serve no purpose. There is also incentive to grow business that are illegitimate anyways, like dealing drugs. Any good choice that will benefit the country, like joining the military, is not an option. There is no respect for the law. And this is what it all comes down to, respect for the law, which brings me to my final point. Romans 13:1 says we must submit to the governing authorities. We must. MUST. That is not an option. An illegal immigrant is not subject to or obeying an authority. That is what it means to be an illegal immigrant. The next verse declares, “Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do will bring judgment on themselves.” 

Now this is very serious not only because of what Romans 13:2 says, but because of the nature of the illegal immigrant. The illegal immigrant is not sinning just once, but multiple times. Each day that the illegal immigrant remains present, they are disobeying Romans 13:1. That is a continual sin, a sin committed every single day. If we found out someone was masturbating every single day, we would tell them to repent or else leave. Illegal immigration is like that. It isn’t something that you did only once, like someone who masturbated only once. It is something you do repeatedly. Being an illegal immigrant is a very grave sin, and should be repented of.