Immigration
Romans 12:13 tells us to “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” According to Benjamin Corey (founder of the Not Here Justice in Action Network), you can divide the Greek word that is translated as “hospitality” into two parts. The first part, “Philao,” means “to love like a brother.” The second part, “Xenos,” means “stranger” or “immigrant.” This closer look at “hospitality” reveals that Christians have been called to love strangers and immigrants as their brothers. Furthermore, Christians are themselves sojourners in this world; “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). As a result, the Bible repeatedly sends us the message that we should treat sojourners as our own. “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself ...” (Leviticus 19:33-34).
Related Scriptures: Exodus 22:21; Leviticus 25:35; Deuteronomy 10:18; Deuteronomy 27:19; Proverbs 31:8-9; Jeremiah 7:5-7; Ezekiel 47:22; Zechariah 7:9-10; Malachi 3:5; Matthew 25:35; Hebrews 13:2
Bush: Bush departs from the Republican field by supporting a path to legal status for illegal immigrants. Bush once offered empathy to illegal immigrants, saying, “They broke the law, but it's not a felony. It's an act of love. It's an act of commitment to your family.” He also supports the DREAM Act (which helps people who were brought to the country illegally as children). However, he strongly believes that the United States must secure its borders. He also wants to address the issue of people overstaying time limits on legal visas. He has called for the elimination of sanctuary cities. Grade: A
Carson: In his book, America the Beautiful, Carson wrote: “Is it moral for us, for example, to take advantage of cheap labor from illegal immigrants while denying them citizenship? I'm sure you can tell from the way I phrased the question that I believe we have taken the moral low road on this issue.” However, Carson holds that granting amnesty to illegal immigrants would be a major disservice to others attempting to enter the country legally. He has also encouraged improved border security. Carson advocates for a guest- worker program (similar to Canada’s) that would force illegal immigrants to leave the country and then apply for benefits to return. He also believes that there should be harsher penalties for companies who employ illegal immigrants. Grade: A
Cruz: Cruz supported a law that would impose a five-year prison sentence on undocumented immigrants who were deported and returned again, illegally. He also firmly opposes a path to legal status for all illegal immigrants. He has even opposed legal immigration measures, such as doubling the number of green cards issued each year. Grade: F
Fiorina: Fiorina supported the DREAM Act for undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children; however, she also holds that a direct path to citizenship for other illegal immigrants would be unjust. Her first priority in addressing the immigration issue would be securing the border. She stated in an interview with Fox News, “A nation that cannot secure its border cannot protect its sovereignty.” She believes that existing legal immigration practices are problematic because they don’t adequately track visas, employment records, or people who cross the border regularly. She also supports eliminating sanctuary cities. Grade: B
Rubio: Rubio’s position on immigration has uctuated over the years. Though he initially opposed a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants, he supported a 2013 proposal that would have established one. After that legislation was unsuccessful, he shifted his focus toward a step-by-step approach. He would now start by implementing measures to stop illegal immigrants from crossing our borders. He would then develop a plan to address those already living in our country illegally (likely offering them a long and arduous path to citizenship through registration). Grade: B
Trump: Trump’s brash statements about illegal immigrants have made headlines. In addition to building a wall across the Mexican border and increasing fees for all methods of entering the country there, he opposes any path to legalization for undocumented immigrants. He has even proposed deporting them all. He has also criticized people who take advantage of birthright citizenship — stating that they grossly misinterpret the 14th Amendment. Trump would, however, encourage increased immigration from Europe. Grade: F
