Illegal Immigration

My first Challenge response. Today's subject: Illegal Immigration. I'm going to approach this from the standpoint that we're talking about people that either sneak into our country or don't exactly leave when they're expected to. I'm giddy to begin writing because it's such a controversial subject. People have strong opinions. Allow me to dive into mine.

I think we over react to this subject most of the time. My feelings on this can be divided into two separate influences: First, I was raised and educated to believe that America is a country that thrives on diversity giving people from all over the globe the opportunity to make a better life for themselves. Secondly, my spiritual convictions back up the idea that we should value all people as equal no matter where they're hailing from.

The First Influence:

I often wonder if my more liberal leanings weren't picked up in early grade school. We used to sing these songs about America being a melting pot, that everyone was welcome. I believe there was even a Schoolhouse Rock! animated cartoon-o-merical on during Saturday morning cartoon marathons.

These ideas have left me open to the idea that what sets our country apart is our welcoming nature, our passion for being diverse. We also proudly refer to ourselves as the land of opportunity. In one way or another, I think the outside world often perceives that about us to. We throw these vibes out there, and then we're upset when people do desperate things to get here.

The Second Influence:

Even in the Old Testament, we have scriptures that tell us to care for the foreigner, the alien. There are instructions not to take advantage of them.

Of course there are scriptures that also tell us that we are supposed to follow the powers and principalities dictated by the lands we call home. We're supposed to follow the law. It's illegal for people to sneak into our country based on our country's laws.

In this conflict, law versus care, I have to think about Jesus. To me he's the living embodiment of love trumping legality.

I know that we have official, legal ways of obtaining entry into our country. I know there's a process for citizenship and even a process to just kind of hang out for a while. I also know that these processes aren't free. I'd do just about anything for my family. If I had grown up in a less hospitable country and perceived that America had a better life to offer, I might do desperate things to get here. Is it ideal that people are sneaking in? No. But it's happening, and it's sometimes a more realistic way for some people.

I don't think putting up a wall is the best solution. People would still find a way in, and it kind of sends a negative message. Not to mention, it just plain would look odd. We might try to make the legal entry into our country easier or offer added aid to those that might not have the monetary means. I think that's pretty unrealistic though.

So what do we do with all of the illegal immigrants that have made it in and are found out? I think we have to take the time to look at every case. I think that's the humane thing to do. I think that carries more of the melting pot, come make yourself a great life in the greatest country in the world vibe. I know it's hard to ask judges to weigh each case. That's kind of why we have blanket laws, but I think there are things to consider:

Do they already have established families here?

Have they committed any criminal acts?

How are they assimilating?

Are they contributing to society?

Will sending them back put them in danger?

That last one is a big one to me. I think the blanket law ignores that possibility too often. I remember reading about cases of African young women facing horrible mutilation upon returning to their homeland. I think we need to be a safe haven.

Do I think illegal immigrants steal American jobs? I think outsourcing does far more harm. I won't go into my entire rant here, but that alone is likely far worse of a drain on American jobs.

I also read multiple reports on businesses in the U.S. that rely on immigrants for their livelihood. I think it's fair to say there are many jobs in this country that most Americans simply won't do especially considering the wages offered for such work.

There was a dairy farmer in Wisconsin that claimed that he'd go out of business if his immigrant workforce was taken away. He needed people to work long, hard hours on his farm for minimum wage. He was rarely able to find anyone other than immigrant workers, and he required a constant, large group of people.

When asked what he did when he found out workers weren't legal, he had to pause. They were using a pretty strict screening process, but sometimes they were duped. Sometimes paper work was forged or misrepresented. In other cases, people wouldn't complete Citizenship before their green card expired. In most cases, he explained, people were deported. He got a bit emotional then.

The problem being, he worked shoulder to shoulder with these people. They become his friends. He had often helped them find affordable homes. He often helped them in setting up a stable living environment for their families. He said that he and his family had started working as closely as possible with their workers to make sure that they were able to obtain Citizenship legally. He was pointing out that, sometimes, even when people arrive here legally, they aren't given enough support to operate effectively in our society.

Are there horror stories? Sure. Like anything in this world, nothing is perfect. There will always be bad apples. That's the known risk we take when we portray ourselves as a welcoming nation. We can't pick and choose who gets the invite.

I think that's what we need to keep in mind. These are people. If they're trying to better themselves, raise families, contribute to our country, I think we need to offer second chances to do things the right way. I think that's the kind of country I want to live in, a country of second chances, a country that values people over laws. We've got a long way to go, but I'll take mercy over legality any day.

From a more spiritual standpoint: I don't think God intended our world to have so many borders. Sometimes it's hard to reconcile how you feel about your country with how you suspect life was really intended on this big rock of ours.