The reality is that our inflexible laws—which in many cases do not give an adjudicator the discretion to consider the full circumstances—invite fraud. Many of us, under the right circumstances, would tell a small lie if we felt it was the only way to care for someone we loved (if we’re honest, most of us tell small lies for much less noble reasons). Abraham, the father of our faith, committed immigration fraud by misrepresenting his relationship to his wife at a border crossing, desperate to find food in Egypt in the midst of a famine (Genesis 12:10-20). As a more contemporary example, revered author C.S. Lewis initially married his wife, Joy Davidson, in a civil ceremony merely so that she (an American) could stay lawfully in the United Kingdom (that’s what U.S. immigration officials consider marriage fraud). Continue Reading →
[illegal is illegal]
but i am a person illegal is illegal but i love, and am loved illegal is illegal but i know no other . . . illegal is illegal but i was a child, and am now a man, illegal is illegal but whatever happened to justification? […]Continue Reading →
The concept of self-deportation is one solution suggested by some politicians for dealing with undocumented immigrants in the United States. Their theory is that recent federal laws passed in the United States, such as the new E-verify program and Arizona-style state laws, will deter immigrants from continuing to live in the USA as there […]Continue Reading →
Today is Memorial Day. While I realize that for many Americans, the day has become merely the reason for a three-day weekend or the unofficial beginning of the summer season, Memorial Day is supposed to be about remembering. First and foremost, the day is supposed to be about remembering those who have served […]Continue Reading →
Last week, I had the privileged and honor of attending Immigrant Pathways Institute in Chicago. Basically, I spent about 9-10 hours a day learning, studying, and researching our current immigration laws. Additionally, I was able to engage in some challenging theological discussion with seminary students, Biblical theologians, professors, pastors, and lawyers. After only a week of […]Continue Reading →
In 2011, I spent six months living in northern Haiti, teaching English in a Christian university as well as in smaller schools in the area. I had been in the country for about two months when this story happened. I was walking in downtown Limbé, a city of about 100,000 people in the Nord […]Continue Reading →
Not long ago, a pastor at a large evangelical church in Florida shared a story with me that I can’t shake from my mind. Each Sunday, this church invites individuals to come forward who would like to pray with a pastor for any reason. One particular man came forward to this pastor and shared […]Continue Reading →
“I will call them my people, who were not my people. And her beloved, who was not beloved.” (Romans 9:25 referencing Hosea 2:23) Estranged, alienated, and removed; anyone living in an industrialized modern society in the 21st century would be able to define, or at least identify the sentiments of these words. Our […]Continue Reading →
Like many other states, particularly in the South, North Carolina has recently been considering legislation that would seek to push undocumented immigrants out of the state. Today’s guest blogger, John Faison, shared these words at a news conference before the House Committee considering enacting this legislation in North Carolina:
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For the literally millions of American evangelicals who say that they want to stop the evil of human trafficking, there’s an urgent need to move from passionate sentiment to specific action. The U.S. House of Representatives is considering a bill this week, H.R. 4970, that would dramatically limit the relief available to foreign-born victims of human trafficking and other violent crimes, and in the process hinder law enforcement’s efforts to prosecute traffickers. Continue Reading →
