RON SIDER
Is Immigration Reform Just Another Way of Saying “Amnesty”?
True amnesty would grant them total, unconditional pardon without having to pay any price. It is perfectly clear that this is not what is being proposed. To charge that that is a “general pardon” (amnesty) is simply false. Lou Dobbs may feel comfortable telling lies on CNN, but Christians — whether they favor or oppose specific immigration reforms— should not. If Christians want to debate immigration reform honestly, then we dare not call President Obama’s (and George Bush’s and John McCain’s) proYes, say many opponents of the kind of posals amnesty. Precisely to the extent that we want immigration bill supported by former President George W. Bush, Republican our Christian faith to shape our views on presidential candidate John McCain, and immigration, we will search the Scriptures for guidance on how to treat immigrants. current President Barack Obama. The first thing we discover is that the Regularly on Lou Dobbs’ show on CNN, you hear the charge that immi- Bible talks a great deal about how we gration reform is amnesty.“Good evening, should treat foreigners. (The Hebrew everyone. Here we go again.The Obama word ger refers to persons who live in an administration [is] making amnesty for area but are not native to the local area and illegal aliens and open borders one of its therefore often have no family or land.) top priorities.” “The Obama administra- The biblical text regularly reminded the tion’s push for amnesty for illegal aliens couldn’t come at a worse time for many If we forced all illegal Americans who struggle to survive this immigrants to return home, recession.” we would break up millions What is President Obama proposing? of families. And is it accurate (or honest) to call it amnesty? President Obama has said that he people of Israel that they had been immiintends to protect the integrity of American grants in Egypt and then urged them to borders with more personnel, infrastruc- treat immigrants/aliens very generously. ture, and technology. Second, he wants Again and again, the Old Testament links to remove incentives to illegal immigra- aliens/immigrants with two other vulnertion by preventing employers from hiring able groups, widows and orphans, and undocumented workers. And third, he commands Israel to have a special conhopes to bring people out of the shad- cern for them all (Psalms 146:9; Ezekiel ows by allowing undocumented immi- 22:7; Zechariah 7:10; Deuteronomy grants in good standing (it does not apply 14:28-29, 24:19-21). As stated in to criminals) to pay a fine, learn English, Deuteronomy 10:18, God “defends the and go to the back of the line for the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien.” opportunity to become citizens. Jesus taught that anyone in need is Is this amnesty? The legal definition of amnesty, according to Webster’s dic- our neighbor, and then he commanded tionary, is “a general pardon of offenses us to love our neighbors as ourselves. against a government.” Undocumented Surely that applies to immigrants. Furthermore, millions of these illegal immigrants have clearly broken the law. PRISM 2009
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immigrants are sisters and brothers in Christ. Our oneness in Christ surely is a stronger bond than any division grounded in differing national origins. A concern to protect the integrity of the family also compels us to find a way to allow undocumented immigrants to stay. Recent estimates suggest that almost 5 million children in the United States have one or more undocumented parents.1 Two-thirds of these children are themselves US citizens. If we forced all these illegal immigrants to return home, we would break up millions of families.2 (Children who are US citizens could return home with a parent, but that would deprive them of educational and economic opportunity.) It is much more pro-family to find a way to allow illegal immigrants to work their way to legal status. Does all this mean we ought to grant amnesty — a full unconditional pardon — to illegal immigrants? After all, God totally forgives sinners who repent, offering them unconditional pardon through the cross. But the church is not the state. The state rightly requires that persons pay a penalty for breaking the law. Requiring payment of a substantial fine would show that breaking the law is wrong. Amnesty is not the answer. Neither is trying to send all illegal immigrants back home. That is anti-family and counter to biblical teaching about how to treat aliens — not to mention impossible and unworkable. Former President Bush, Senator John McCain, and President Obama all point us in the right direction. It is time for the Christian community to unite to promote wise, family-friendly, fair, caring immigration reform. n andy Capps et al, Paying the Price:The Impact of Immigration R Raids on America’s Children (Washington, DC: The Urban Institute for the National Council of La Raza, 2007).
1
J effrey S. Passel, The Size and Characteristics of the Unauthorized Migrant Population in the U.S.: Estimates Based on the March 2005 Current Population Survey (Washington, DC: Pew Hispanic Center, 2006).
2