Strive for Justice and Mercy
To the editor:
I recently read the article “We Are Called to Love the Stranger.” I agree with much of what it says. As Christians, we are certainly called to treat immigrants, foreigners and strangers with compassion, dignity and fairness. But I don’t believe the Bible supports the conclusion that loving immigrants means opposing the enforcement of our immigration laws.
Leviticus 19:33–34 tells us, “You shall not oppress the alien,” and Deuteronomy 10:19 says, “You shall also love the stranger.” Those are clear instructions to God’s people. But neither passage says that a foreigner has an unrestricted right to enter or remain in a country regardless of its laws.
The Bible also recognizes the legitimate role of government. Romans 13:1–4 teaches that governing authorities have a responsibility to maintain order and punish wrongdoing. Christians should evaluate immigration laws morally, advocate for reforms when laws are unjust, and insist on humane enforcement—but compassion does not require us to reject the government’s legitimate authority to establish and enforce immigration laws.
The article quotes Jesus in Matthew 25:35: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” I don’t think Jesus was giving us an immigration policy. He was teaching His followers to care for people in need. Likewise, Joseph, Mary and Jesus fled to Egypt because Herod wanted to kill Jesus. These passages teach compassion toward people in need and those fleeing persecution, but they do not establish that modern nations cannot have immigration laws.
There is also a difference between loving someone and approving everything that person has done. A Christian can help an undocumented immigrant, provide food or shelter, oppose discrimination and care about a family’s welfare while still believing that immigration laws are legitimate.
The article correctly points out that immigration law is complicated. Some enter legally and later fall out of status. Some have pending applications or seek asylum. Some have temporary protections, while others entered unlawfully. That complexity is a legitimate reason to reform the immigration system, but it doesn’t establish that the underlying laws are immoral. A complicated tax code doesn’t mean people can simply stop paying taxes. Likewise, a complicated immigration system doesn’t mean immigration laws cease to exist.
This isn’t simply a political issue. For more than 135 years, the Supreme Court has recognized Congress’s broad authority over immigration. Federal law governs who may enter, remain and be removed. Improper entry is addressed by 8 U.S.C. §1325, while unlawful reentry after removal is addressed by §1326. Enforcing these laws is not necessarily “hunting for immigrants”; it is enforcing laws enacted by Congress.
That doesn’t mean every enforcement action is right. Racial profiling, cruelty, abuse of authority and denial of due process should never be acceptable. Immigration laws should be enforced fairly and humanely.
But I don’t believe Christians have to choose between compassion and the rule of law. Jesus himself identified justice and mercy as “the weightier matters of the law” (Matthew 23:23). Jesus did not make us choose between them.
We should love the stranger. We should care for people who are vulnerable. We should treat every person as someone created in God’s image. At the same time, we can believe that a nation has the right—and the responsibility—to establish and enforce reasonable immigration laws.
Love and law are not opposites. Christians should strive for both justice and mercy.