What Does The Bible Say About Illegal Immigration

Bible Verses about illegal immigration

Thinking Biblicaly on Immigration - Bible Verses. A list of verses from the Bible on the immigration issue are provided at the bottom of this article.

What does the Bible say about Illegal Immigration

Honest citizens cannot ignore the immigration issue. In 1970, 203 million people lived in these United States. In 2008, that number had increased to 293 million. Natural growth from birthrate would have increased this number to 243 million, which means that 50 million in population increase came from immigration. A greater increase came from immigration than from birthrate.

• If Congress had kept the pre-1970 levels of immigration, the US population would rise to 308 million by 2050. However, with current rates, US population will rise to 451 million in 2050 and 459 million in 2060-200 million of which will come from immigration. Today, births of illegal aliens are 10% of all births in the US
• Prior to 1970, Legal immigration averaged 250,000 a year. Current levels of legal immigration have risen to 1,000,000. Add to this the 700,000 illegal immigrants who settle yearly and the US is adding a Philadelphia-sized population growth yearly.
• According to the Pew Hispanic Center, the number of illegal immigrants in Alabama increased from 100,000 in 2008 to 130,000 in 2009, accounting for 2.8% of the population and 5.1% of the state's work force.

I. Consider the impact of immigration :

• Unemploymentt: More than four million have lost jobs since the beginning of 2009. Yet, the US continues to import 125,000 foreign workers every month.
• The Public Treasury: Increased need for public services, especially care for indigents, point out that increased immigration will challenge our economy.
  The Congressional Budget Office says that each illegal family takes out of the economy $89,000 more than they contribute. Tenn Care (Tennessee Health Care system) spends $15 billion a year on emergency room care for illegals. Dozens of California hospitals have closed their emergency rooms.
• Education: 1982 Supreme Court ruling forced local school boards to provide education for illegals. Counting free breakfast and lunch programs, each student adds $7-10,000 in costs. Total costs for Alabama is $482 million.
• Crime and Prison Overcrowding: One in four prisoners today is an illegal alien. One in twelve who enter the US do so already with a criminal record .
  The MS-13 gang has come through illegal aliens, and is now an international crime syndicate. 85% of illegal drugs come over southern borders.
• Black Americans: Largest single reason for black unemployment is the influx of illegal immigration. Wages, for men with no high school diplomas, have declined $1,800-directly due to the influx of illegal immigrants.

II. The Issue of Immigration in the Public Arena:

• 2008 Kennedy-Kyl Amnesty Bill had almost universal support of influential groups: most religious denominations, Chamber of Commerce and business groups, then-President Bush, the Senate Democratic leadership, and Civil Rights groups. This bill would have provided amnesty to twelve million illegal immigrants. The day before the vote was cast in the US Senate, sixty-four Senators had announced their support for the legislation. But the phone lines began to burn, to the point that the phone system in the Senate Office Building actually shut down. Eighteen supporters (of both political parties) switched sides and the bill went down in defeat. Rasmussen's poll showed that only 22% supported this legislation.
• Arizona Legislation Arizona has an estimated 460,000 illegal immigrants-a number that has increased five-fold since 1990. Arizona is the leading area for border-crossings and arrests by US Border Police. This law is far more simple than you might imagine, as the effects are three-fold: a) state officials cannot hinder federal enforcement on immigration; b) making it a misdemeanor not to carry immigration papers, which are federally required, and c) crack down on employers who hire illegal aliens. Today, twenty states, including Alabama, have candidates who are proposing Arizona-style legislation on the issue of immigration.

• Leviticus 19:33-34 (Holman Christian Standard Bible) ³³ When a foreigner lives with you in your land, you must not oppress him.³⁴ You must regard the foreigner who lives with you as the native-born among you. You are to love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.
• Jewish scholar Dr Stephen Steinlight says that the word for lives is literally sojourns or a temporary stay. While the Old Testament does confer rights on immigrants who sojourn with Israel (Deut. 23:3; 24: 14-21: 25:5; 26:10-13), these were still temporary visitors who held residence but were not citizens (Lev. 22:10; Psalm 19:12)
• Take note that those foreigners who had immigrated to Israel were to keep the laws of Israel. The immigrants were to keep Sabbath laws (Deut. 16:9-15). And while restrictions were placed on requiring payment of debts from fellow Israelites, the payment of foreigners were not subject to those limits ( Deut. 15:3).
• Immigration of foreigners was used as a curse or punishment upon Israel. II Chronicles 36 describes the use of foreigners to exact judgment upon a disobedient Israel.
• The rising status of immigrants to a superior status was a curse upon Israel according to Deuteronomy 28: 43-44; ⁴³ The foreign resident among you will rise higher and higher above you, while you sink lower and lower. ⁴⁴ He will lend to you, but you won't lend to him. He will be the head, and you will be the tail.

IV. Principle of a Secure Border:

Bible and Illegal Immigration

Immigration and Christianity

In the Old Testament, borders were significant and meaningful

• Deut 32: 8 When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, When He separated the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples According to the number of the sons of Israel.
• Proverbs 22:8 and Proverbs 23:10 and 11 speak of the establishment of borders.
  We are not seeking to claim all aspects of promise nor application to the nation Israel. However, we do see that God's pattern for a nation included respect for their border.
• Jesus Himself affirmed the place of civil government in Christianit, in Matthew 21:22 render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's.
• Romans 13 establishes authority for civil government and defines the role thereof. One has to consider the fact of massive illegal immigration in light of the biblical teaching of the rule of law and the role of civil governments. The US traditionally has honored a level of immigration, with waves of immigration at various times. However, the illegal nature of much immigration should be a question of concern, in light of Romans 13.
• As recently as 2007, 12 million immigrants remained illegally in the US. Today, that number is down to 11.1 million illegal immigrants, due to intensifying of enforcement. At the beginning of the decade, 850,000 immigrants were entering the US illegally. Due to stronger enforcement, as a result of Congressional pressure, that number is down to 300,000 a year.

• While we have legitimate concerns about the effect on our culture, we should never let this issue become an issue founded on prejudice and national/race bias.
• While we have true problems with the social costs of immigration, we should never use this as an excuse not to care about the poor and needy.
• While we are seriously perturbed about national security issues resulting from immigration, we should never lose compassion for those who are fleeing persecution and tyranny.
• While we certainly respect the rule of law and the sacredness of our national borders, we should not miss an opportunity to evangelize the world at our doorsteps.
• While we respect the traditions of all nations, we should not freely forsake our own traditions. We must recognize that the traditions of many cultures are based on unbiblical approaches to family and ethics.
• While we appreciate the obligation of the individual Christian to care for the needy, the role of government is to protect justice within the nation. Justice is jeopardized when law is abandoned. An example for the abandonment of law is the failure to protect our borders and a failure to restrict those illegal immigrants who take advantage of the welfare state at the expense of taxpayers.

Additional Bible verses on Illegal Immigration

Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, read a quote from Romans 13:1-7 that crystallized the argument for enhanced border security and strict enforcement of existing federal immigration laws: “Let every person be subject to governing authorities.”

I suspect we will hear today that it is somehow immoral or unethical to enforce our nation’s laws, and that we should ignore our laws, Smith said. For those who want to take this approach, there is just one problem: the Bible contains numerous passages that support the rule of law.

From the L.A. Times:
1. 40% of all workers in L.A. County (L.A. County has 10.2 million people) are working for cash and not paying taxes. This is because they are predominantly illegal immigrants working without a green card.
2. 95% of warrants for murder in Los Angeles are for illegal aliens.
3. 75% of people on the most wanted list in Los Angeles are illegal aliens.
4. Over 2/3 of all births in Los Angeles County are to illegal alien Mexicans on Medi-Cal, whose births were paid for by taxpayers.
5. Nearly 35% of all inmates in California detention centers are Mexican nationals here illegally.
6. Over 300,000 illegal aliens in Los Angeles County are living in garages.
7. The FBI reports half of all gang members in Los Angeles are most likely illegal aliens from south of the border.
8 Nearly 60% of all occupants of HUD properties are illegal.
9. 21 radio stations in L. A. are Spanish speaking.
10. In L.A. County 5.1 million people speak English, 3.9 million speak Spanish. (There are 10.2 million people in L.A. County.)
(All 10 of the above facts were published in the Los Angeles Times)

There are many quotes in the Bible that CLEARLY define borders as priority for the Lord’s children:

Deuteronomy 27:17. Cursed be he that removeth thy neighbor’s landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deuteronomy 19:14, Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor’s landmark, which they of old time have set, in thine inheritance which thou shalt inherit, in the land that Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess it.

Proverbs 22:28, Remove not thy ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.

Numbers 34:12, And the border shall go down to the Jordan, and the goings out thereof shall be at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land according to the borders thereof round about.

Numbers 34:6 , Ad for the western border, ye shall have even the great sea for a border; this shall be your west border.

As we can see here, it is evident in scripture that borders are vital to the stability and order of a civil society. Do not attempt to preach to us unless you know what you’re talking about, liberal church idiots.

Liberal Churches stand up for illegal immigrants and encourage law breaking. They are silent and ignore the plight of murder of the unborn. Liberal churches do not think Biblically and ignore the verses in the Bible. More Information and Data atThe Bible and Immigration No to Illegals