Thinking "Christian-ly" about Immigration

7/27/2019 Thinking "Christian-ly" about Immigration

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Looking at Immigration as a Christian


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Matthew Soerens


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A Biblical Blind Spot

A Biblical Blind Spot @MatthewSoerens

By their own admission, most Christians do not think about

immigration from a biblical perspective

Just 9% of all Protestant Christians and 12% of white evangelicals saythat their views on immigration are primarilyinfluenced by their

Christian faith (Pew Forum Survey, September 2010)

Why? Perhaps because just 20% of Protestant Christians (and 16% ofwhite evangelicals) have heard about immigration from their pastor or

other clergy (Pew Forum Survey, September 2010)
http://pewforum.org/Politics-and-Elections/Few-Say-Religion-Shapes-Immigration-Environment-Views.aspxhttp://pewforum.org/Politics-and-Elections/Few-Say-Religion-Shapes-Immigration-Environment-Views.aspxhttp://pewforum.org/Politics-and-Elections/Few-Say-Religion-Shapes-Immigration-Environment-Views.aspxhttp://pewforum.org/Politics-and-Elections/Few-Say-Religion-Shapes-Immigration-Environment-Views.aspx


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But Thats Not because the Bible is Silent on the Topic

Ger, the Hebrew word closest to immigrant in English, appears 92

times in the Old Testament

Fundamentally, Gods people are called to love and seek justice for

immigrants becausewe are to follow Gods example

The Lord your God is the God of all gods and Lord of all lords,

the great, mighty, and awesome God who doesnt play favoritesand doesnt take bribes.He enacts justice for orphans and

widows, andhe loves immigrants, giving them food and

clothing. That means you must also love immigrants

(Deuteronomy 10:17-19 CEB)



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Many of the heroes and heroines of the biblical narrative

were immigrants themselves

Abraham

Rebekah

Joseph

Ruth

David Jesus

Paul

Called by God/Fled Famine

Family-Based Immigrant

Victim of Human Trafficking

Family-Based Immigrant/Fled Famine

Asylum Seeker Refugee / Celestial Immigrant

Employment-Based Immigrant



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Gods Law for the Israelites repeatedly insists that the native-

born and the immigrant be treated equally

The same law applies both to the native-born and to the

foreigner residing among you (Exodus 12:49 NIV)

Just like the citizens, immigrants were entitled under the law to

Fair treatment as laborers (Deuteronomy 24:14)

A Sabbath rest from work (Exodus 20:10) Prompt payment for labor (Deuteronomy 24:15)

Equal treatment when accused of a crime (Leviticus 20:2, 24:16,

24:21-23)



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God recognizes immigrants as uniquely vulnerable to injustice,alongside the fatherless and the widow

The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the

widow (Psalm 146:9 NIV) Cursed is anyone who obstructs the legal rights of immigrants, orphans,

or widows. All the people will reply: We agree! (Deuteronomy 27:19

CEB)

If you truly reform your ways and your actions; if you treat each otherjustly; if you stop taking advantage of the immigrant, orphan, or widow; if

you dont shed the blood of the innocent in this place, or go after other

gods to your own ruin, only then will I dwell with you in this place

(Jeremiah 7:6 CEB)



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God commands His people to remember their ownimmigrant history

You must not oppress foreigners. You know what its like to be

a foreigner, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land

of Egypt (Exodus 23:9 NLT)

See also Leviticus 19:33-34, Deuteronomy 10:19

Most North American Christians also have immigrant histories,

which we would do well to remember and to allow to inform

how wetreat immigrants



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Christians are called to hospitality(philoxenia, literally, the

love of strangers)

I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave mesomething to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and

you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came

to visit me Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers

and sisters of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:35-36, 40 NIV)

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained

angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2)

Scripture challenges us to think that immigrantsrather than aliens to be feared

might actually be a blessing



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Christians are called to upholdjusticeSo I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against

sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud

laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless,and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,

says the Lord Almighty (Malachi 3:5 NIV)Thus says the LORD of hosts: Execute true justice, Show mercy

and compassion Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the

alien or the poor (Zechariah 7:9-10 NKJV)Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from

the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no

wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow,

nor shed innocent blood in this place (Jeremiah 22:3 ESV)



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Some Examples of InjusticeHuman Trafficking and Abusive Labor PracticesAs many as 17,500 foreign-born individuals are trafficked into the U.S. eachyear, according to the U.S. Department of Justice

95% of the victims in Department of Justice-prosecuted labor trafficking casesare foreign-born, and more than 70% of those were undocumentedOur dysfunctional immigration system is a traffickers best friendMany more undocumented immigrants are victims of exploitative labor practiceswhich may not meet the legal definition of labor trafficking

Undocumented workers, who tend to be wary to report violations of labor

laws, are disproportionately victims of wage theft Farmworkers, about half of whom are undocumented, earn an average

annual salary of just $11,000 A study of immigrant carwash workers in Chicago found that 75% earn

less than the legal minimum wageand only 2% report being paid overtime

wages



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Some Examples of InjusticeImmigrant Detention

Immigration & Customs Enforcement detains about 400,000 people peryear, some for months or years

About half of detainees have notbeen convicted of any crime Detainees must pay exorbitant prices for basic amenities like pillows,

Tylenol, or telephone cards They work within detention facilities for as little as 13 cents per hour Many detention facilities are operated by private corporations with

federal contracts They earn an average of $122 per detainee, per night And they have spent more than $20 million on federal lobbying efforts to

encourage detaining more individuals The Congressionally-mandated number of detainees increased five-fold

from 1995 to 2011



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Christians are Called to Submit to the LawMost immigrants in the US have legal status

But about one-third of immigrants are present unlawfully, so we also need to wrestle

with passages that speak to how Christians should relate to the law

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority

except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been

established by God (Romans 13:1)

For the US citizen, there is no conflict between welcoming immigrants and following

the law(at least in most states)

Were laws to change, and ministry to be made illegal, Scripture makes clear that

there are certain instances where we must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29)



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Christians are Called to Submit to the LawUndocumented brothers and sisters need to wrestle before God with their situation

Many came out of desperation, seeking to provide for their families, and

Scripture tells us that if anyone does not provide for his relatives, andespecially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than

an unbeliever (1 Timothy 5:8)

Most undocumented immigrants within the Church are eager to get right with

the law, but current law does not allow for this reconciliation

Our current immigration systemwhere laws are selectively ignoredmocks

the ideal of the rule of law; we can all advocate for a more functional system

that restores the rule of law



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A Missional OpportunityJesus commands us to make disciples of every nation (Matthew 28:19)

With immigration, the nations arrive at our doorstep, representing an enormous

missional opportunityMany are already strong believers, who become agents of mission within their own ethnic

communities and beyond

Others arrive with a nominal faith or from entirely unreached people groups and are much

more open to the gospel than they might be in their home country

The movements of peoples are part of Gods sovereign plan to draw people toHimself

From one man [God] made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth;

and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live .

God did this so that men would seek himand perhaps reach out for him and find him.

(Acts 17:26-27)

A Missional Opportunity @MatthewSoerens


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A Missional Opportunity86% of the immigrant population in North America are likely to

either be Christians or become Christians. Thats far above the

national averageThe immigrant population actually presents the

greatest hope for Christian renewal in North America This group

that we want to keep out is actually the group that we most need for

spiritual transformation We shouldnt see this as something that

threatens us. We should see this as a wonderful opportunity.

- Dr. Timothy Tennent

Missiologist & President, Asbury Theological Seminary

A Missional Opportunity @MatthewSoerens


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A Missional Opportunity But many evangelical churches aremissing this missional opportunity

That may be because most white evangelicals say immigrants are a burden on

our country and that immigration threatens traditional American customs andvalues (Pew Forum Survey, May 2011, analyzed by Christianity Today)

Just 10% of churches in the US have any sort of ministry or ministry partnership

focused on refugees or other immigrants (Harford Seminary Faith Communities Today

Survey, 2010)

And, as a likely effect, fully 60% of those from non-Christian religious traditions inthe U.S.most of them immigrantssay they do not know any Christians (Center

for the Study of Global Christianity, Gordon-Conwell Seminary, 2013)

A (Missed) Missional Opportunity @MatthewSoerens
http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctpolitics/2011/06/sbc_vote_reveal.htmlhttp://faithcommunitiestoday.org/sites/faithcommunitiestoday.org/files/2010EvangelicalFrequenciesV1.pdfhttp://faithcommunitiestoday.org/sites/faithcommunitiestoday.org/files/2010EvangelicalFrequenciesV1.pdfhttp://wwwgordonconwell.com/netcommunity/CSGCResources/ChristianityinitsGlobalContext.pdfhttp://wwwgordonconwell.com/netcommunity/CSGCResources/ChristianityinitsGlobalContext.pdfhttp://wwwgordonconwell.com/netcommunity/CSGCResources/ChristianityinitsGlobalContext.pdfhttp://wwwgordonconwell.com/netcommunity/CSGCResources/ChristianityinitsGlobalContext.pdfhttp://wwwgordonconwell.com/netcommunity/CSGCResources/ChristianityinitsGlobalContext.pdfhttp://wwwgordonconwell.com/netcommunity/CSGCResources/ChristianityinitsGlobalContext.pdfhttp://faithcommunitiestoday.org/sites/faithcommunitiestoday.org/files/2010EvangelicalFrequenciesV1.pdfhttp://faithcommunitiestoday.org/sites/faithcommunitiestoday.org/files/2010EvangelicalFrequenciesV1.pdfhttp://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctpolitics/2011/06/sbc_vote_reveal.html


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John Faison


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Do I have my facts right? @CIRaleigh

Why Dont They Immigrate the Legal Way, the Way

That My Ancestors Did?

Gone the days that most of our ancestors cameEllis Island the Golden

door has been shut!

Immigration policy changed drastically in 1965, switching to a family- and

employment-based system.

Immigrants today come for many of the same reasons as they have always

come, but US immigration policy has changed drastically in the past century


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Myths and Misunderstandings about Immigration?

Myth: Undocumented Immigrants do not pay taxes

Fact: The Social Security Administration estimates that 3 out of 4

undocumented immigrantshave payroll, Social Security, and Medicare taxes

deducted from their paychecks with ITIN numbers

The Social Security Administration has received as much as $12 billion per

yearin the suspense fund. However, they do not benefit from Social Security orMedicare, and from almost all public benefits and services


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Myth: Immigrants send all of their money back to their home countries

Fact: In addition to the consumer spending of immigrant households,

immigrants and their businesses contribute $162 billion in tax revenue to the

U.S. federal, state, and local governments

MYTH: Border crossings are historically high

FACT: Border crossings are actually down from where they were in the 1990s,

when more than 1.5 million people would come to the U.S.every year.

U.S. border apprehensions overview: 2000: 1,675,438 people

2008: 723,825

2013: 420,789



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Myth: Anyone who enters the country illegally is a criminal

Fact: According to federal immigration law unlawful presence in the country is

a civil offense, and therefore, not a crime.

Myth: Immigrants dont want become Americanized or U.S. citizens

Fact: The typical pattern of assimilation in the United States has remained

steady.

The first generation struggled with English and didnt learn it.

The second was bilingual. The third cant talk to their grandparents.

If anything, the speed of assimilation is faster today than at any time in

our past, mainly because of public education and mass media.



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Myth: They could come legally. Just filled out the paper work and get in line.

Fact: Most undocumented people in the US could not have come legally

There are 5 basic ways to come to the US

1.Family based visa (can be more than 20 years)

2.Employment based Visa (R, O, H1b, H2b, etc)

3.Investment (More than 1 million to invest)

4.Diversity Visa - Its a lottery but it excluded Bahamas, Bangladesh, Brazil,

Canada, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, India,

Jamaica, Mexico,Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom,

Vietnam.

5.Specialty Visas - Asylum, Refugee, Humanitarian, Cultural etc.


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Why Should I care? @CIRaleigh

1. Becasue God caresand

2. Justiceis measured in terms of how we treat the vulnerable

3. Demographics - The browning of Americais underway.

White America, expressed as a percentage of the population, is

shrinking.

Even if immigration stops

10,000/day - Latinos turning 18

1/2 of kids in NC public schools are brown

10,000/baby boomers turning retire


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4. The Church

Evangelicalism would be in decline if it were not for immigrant churches

Immigrants are the fastest growing segments of the America church

God is offering to His church in America a blessing.

5. Other implications

Social

Political

Spiritual

Economic

Why Should I care? @CIRaleigh


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What can I do? @CIRaleigh

Prayer

Scripture tells us to pray without ceasing so prayer should be at the

beginning, middle, and end of our engagement with this issue

This issue is a huge issue, and none of us has the authority to change the

structural problems in the immigration system but God does

We can pray in particular for

Immigrants in our community

Our churches, for wisdom and courage in engaging this issueOur legislators and the President, for wisdom and courage to pass just laws

#Pray4Reform www.evangelicalimmigrationtable.com


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Talk Get the facts and tell others

Encourage your local churchto get involved.

Churches could ask a pastor of a nearby immigrant congregation to share

with their congregation Dedicate a Sunday School class, missions conference, or Sunday

sermon to looking at immigration in Scripture

Invite a speaker to your church or event

Follow and repost on twitter and facebook

Respond to newspaper as a Christian

Connect with WR, CIR, IH to keep informed

worldrelief.org immigranthope.org ciraleigh.org


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AdvocateWe are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of

injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Call/write your Federal Rep & State

Speak up on local issues

Run for office - we need candidates with His heart

for the immigrant

Call 866-877-5552

ShepherdProject net


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ShepherdProject.net @CIRaleigh

The opportunity

The 92,000+ unaccompanied children comming to our

communities should be exposed to the heart of Christian love

during their time in America, however short it may be.

Most of their families, cannot afford a lawyer;

Not enough pro-bono capacity

Courts over booked

ShepherdProject net


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3 major parts:1. Assigning each child a trained Compassion Shepherdwho will

help meet their emotional needs and may accompany them

through the court process.2. Providing financial assistance (Financial Shepherd) with

coordination of legal system, fees as well as travel expenses to

the immigration court.

3. Helping families navigate the legal system with preliminaryintake, case management, and initial steps before connecting

them with a pro bono immigration lawyer (Legal Shepherd).

www.shepherdproject.net

ShepherdProject.net @CIRaleigh


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Immigration Legal ServicesA Guide for Churches

Ben Johnson @ImmigrantHope

C t t I f ti


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Ben Johnson

Assistant Director, Immigrant Hope

[email protected]

(612) 516-5422

www.immigranthope.org

@immigranthope

Contact Information

Th N d


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The Need

Why open an immigration center?


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Immigrants Need Legal Services

The immigration system is complex and unforgivingthink tax law

No representation provided

Conmen pose as immigration experts to defraud vulnerable immigrants

Severe consequences for mistakes

Detention Deportation

Separation from family

Return to war, persecution, economic devastation

The Need


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Immigrants Need Jesus NO ONE, regardless of their ethnicity, history, or legal status, is

outside of the churchs mission.

Affordable, reliable, caring immigration help builds bridges for thegospel.

[God] marked out their appointed times in history and the boundariesof their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhapsreach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one ofus.

Acts 17:26b-27

The Need

B J h


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Church-Based ImmigrationServicesHow does it work?

What does it look like?

Certification


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Certification

The only people who can practice immigration law are: Immigration attorneys Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA)Accredited individuals

working at BIA Recognized nonprofits

Requirements for BIA accreditation About 40 hours of immigration law classwork

About 100 hours of shadowing experience Must work at a BIA recognized agency Must be separately accredited at each location where they work

Services


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Services

Clients meet with an expert explain their need

get information about their situation make a plan get help completing and filing forms

Simple cases (green cards for family, citizenship, DACA) Advanced cases (asylum/refugee, domestic violence, trafficking,

crime victims, deportation defense in court)

Staff


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Staff

Director Leader/administrator, responsible for staff oversight and training

Attorneys/BIA accredited representatives

Give legal advice, review and sign forms Support staff/volunteers Legal support: do interviews, collect documents and info, enter

data, write case notes, prepare application packets

Office support: answer phones, make appointments, filing,billing Translators/interpreters Other: web design, writing, marketing, childcare, accounting,

community engagement, tech support, hospitality, follow-up care,advocacy

Facilities


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Facilities

Accessible to immigrant communities Secure storage for case files Private meeting rooms

Could be multi-use

High-Investment,


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High-Commitment

Launch can take 9-18 months, cost $5-10K Staff/volunteer investment

BIA accredited reps may need to travel for training Requires a lot of learning and a lot of work

Commitment to clients

You are responsible for cases for their duration

You are responsible to maintain files for years after completion BUTYou can do it! And you can make a huge impact relative to

your investment.



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Next Steps


Find Help


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p

Support organizations can help: Set up your program Apply for BIA recognition and accreditation

Provide ongoing legal and program support Immigrant Hope

Church-based only

World Relief Centro Internacional de Raleigh (CIR) North Carolina

The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC)

Get Training


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IMMIGRANT PATHWAY Institute (Immigrant Hope & CIR) San Antonio, TX; Oct 20-24, 2014 Raleigh, NC; Mar 2-6, 2015 40-hours, week-long www.immigranthope.org/ipi

World Relief Baltimore, MD; Nov 3-7, 2014

Akron, PA; Mar 3-7, 2015 www.worldrelief.org/immigrant-legal-services Others

Check our websites for lists of other training

Contact Information


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Contact Information

Ben Johnson

Assistant Director, ImmigrantHope

[email protected]

(612)516-5422

www.immigranthope.org

John Faison

Web site www.ciraleigh.org

@ciraleigh

facebook.com/ciraleigh.org

[email protected]

Matthew SoerensEIT Field Director/World Relief

[email protected]

(920) 428-9534

http://worldrelief.org/

Additional Resources


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How Can I Learn More?Books

Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the

Immigration Debateby Matthew Soerens & Jenny Hwang (InterVarsity Press,2009)

Christians at the Border: Immigration, the Church, and the Bible

by Daniel Carroll (Baker, 2008)

Websites

www.evangelicalimmigrationtable.com

g92.org undocumentedtv

ciraleigh.org

immigranthope.org

worldrelief.org Church Leaders Guide to Immigration (at World Relief web site)



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Evangelical Immigration Table

Hundreds of Evangelicalleaders

Working towards Biblical,compassionate reform

www.evangelicalimmigrationtable.com

Documents

Thinking "Christian-ly" about Immigration