Illegal Immigration
I came across an interesting article at the Out of Ur blog regarding ministry to illegal immigrants. I left a brief comment there, the third of the day, and the first one not nodding in complete agreement. Two comments later the Nazi trump card was played. I really don't think my comments regarding civil disobedience that compelling to draw the nuclear weapon of internet debate. Two other commenters, a minority, also questioned the illegal means of assistance to illegal immigrants. Since I've learned to bite on my tongue and hold my replies for awhile, I let it go until this morning where I saw someone else making points I thought needed to be made.
I surfed around to get some more perspective on the issue and found a great series at the blog, Another Think. I haven't read everything, and I don't know if I'll agree with the conclusions, but I fully appreciate the attempt to shine a light on all the angles.
I have a friend who is not a believer. He is a home contractor who employs an illegal immigrant. The laborer works hard and he costs less than any legal worker, not only in wages but also in the legal/moral incidentals such as taxes and social security and workers compensation, etc. The worker rents a house with 16 other illegals. They are living illegally in this residence which is not permitted to have so many unrelated adults there. They have to sleep on blankets so that when the police come, the house will look no messier than a normal family. The worker can't open a bank account so he asks my friend to keep all his wages. I think my friend is trustworthy. The worker sends money home to Mexico to provide for them.
Are there not enough problems with this scenario to understand why illegal immigration is illegal? How is a worker without any rights or protections any different from a slave? Why are Christians supporting a kinder, gentler slavery? Why are American Christians sending so much money to the eastern hemisphere if there are so many needs in the country right next to us? Shouldn't a Christian support, for example, a legal immigrant who has earned a contractor's license and pays taxes and seeks a living wage to support his family before paying an illegal immigrant who has flouted the law, does not support the government infrastructure he benefits from, and only asks enough to support a family at 3rd world levels? Why not pay the legal immigrant to do the work and send a check to ministries who help those at 3rd world living conditions in Mexico?
When churches minister to illegal immigrants and those immigrants come to faith, what does repentance over breaking the law of their host country look like?
In case I need to deflect ad hominem attacks as being a racist. I live in a neighborhood of immigrants. English is not the main language on my street, Spanish is, and some Creole. I am proud of those who have started their small businesses with a truck and rake on my street. They pay taxes and support our town and its services.
I surfed around to get some more perspective on the issue and found a great series at the blog, Another Think. I haven't read everything, and I don't know if I'll agree with the conclusions, but I fully appreciate the attempt to shine a light on all the angles.
I have a friend who is not a believer. He is a home contractor who employs an illegal immigrant. The laborer works hard and he costs less than any legal worker, not only in wages but also in the legal/moral incidentals such as taxes and social security and workers compensation, etc. The worker rents a house with 16 other illegals. They are living illegally in this residence which is not permitted to have so many unrelated adults there. They have to sleep on blankets so that when the police come, the house will look no messier than a normal family. The worker can't open a bank account so he asks my friend to keep all his wages. I think my friend is trustworthy. The worker sends money home to Mexico to provide for them.
Are there not enough problems with this scenario to understand why illegal immigration is illegal? How is a worker without any rights or protections any different from a slave? Why are Christians supporting a kinder, gentler slavery? Why are American Christians sending so much money to the eastern hemisphere if there are so many needs in the country right next to us? Shouldn't a Christian support, for example, a legal immigrant who has earned a contractor's license and pays taxes and seeks a living wage to support his family before paying an illegal immigrant who has flouted the law, does not support the government infrastructure he benefits from, and only asks enough to support a family at 3rd world levels? Why not pay the legal immigrant to do the work and send a check to ministries who help those at 3rd world living conditions in Mexico?
When churches minister to illegal immigrants and those immigrants come to faith, what does repentance over breaking the law of their host country look like?
In case I need to deflect ad hominem attacks as being a racist. I live in a neighborhood of immigrants. English is not the main language on my street, Spanish is, and some Creole. I am proud of those who have started their small businesses with a truck and rake on my street. They pay taxes and support our town and its services.
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