There has been much discussion about President Trump and Congress reaching a deal on what is called DACA. Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals is an executive order which President Obama signed which gave many illegal immigrants a form of protection from deportation. This executive order was illegal and unconstitutional. Thankfully, President Trump rescinded this policy and gave Congress a six-month window to intervene. This window is set to close in March.
Many Christians fall on different sides of the fence on this. Some people I’ve spoken to are more soft-hearted on this issue and believe that some form of legalization should be offered to the illegal immigrants who came here as children. Many of the same folks agree that voting rights shouldn’t be given and other requirements should be necessary before any type of legal status is granted. This seems like a reasonable position.
Other people I’ve spoken to believe that no person who has come to America illegally should be granted any form of legal status. They also believe they should be deported back to their country of origin. This also seems like a logical and common sense approach. Nonetheless, I think well-intentioned Christians can hold different views on this topic.
In an attempt to reach a solution, President Trump has offered to cut a deal with Republicans and Democrats so long as they meet his demands. His demands include funding for a border wall and tightening certain legal immigration programs. All of the demands are meant to protect the safety and well-being of American citizens.
To put this in perspective, illegal immigration costs American taxpayers billions of dollars. According to an extensive report by the Federation for American Immigration Reform, “At the federal, state, and local levels, taxpayers shell out approximately $134.9 billion to cover the costs incurred by the presence of more than 12.5 million illegal aliens and about 4.2 million citizen children of illegal aliens. That amounts to a tax burden of approximately $8,075 per illegal alien family member and a total of $115,894,597,664.”
Our initial emotional reaction to this crisis is likely anger, sadness, or both. Anger at the fact that so many people have disrespected the laws of our country and exploited America’s generosity. Sadness at the fact that you have people in Mexico and South America who are so desperate for freedom and welfare that they travel hundreds of miles for a chance to live in America, despite the risk involved.
It’s frustrating that America’s sovereignty has been exploited and our leaders don’t care enough to do anything about it. I’m saddened that we have to discuss deporting some individuals who came here at the direction of their parents. Overall, this is an unfortunate situation.
Are Americans heartless for wanting illegal aliens deported? Absolutely not. It is important to note that while our law enforcement holds illegals caught on our border we provide food and healthcare. The American taxpayers foot the bill.
Are Americans lawless for wanting to find some kind of solution to allow some of the younger aliens to remain in America? Not necessarily.
There might be some kind of middle ground that Congress and the White House can find. I am opposed to blanket and all-out amnesty for illegal immigrants. If Washington does legalize a younger portion of the alien population it must come with strict penalties and requirements. For example, the person must not have a criminal background. Another example, the person must have a job. The person should never have voting rights. Lastly, there must be a large fine paid in full before the person is granted citizenship.
Do I think this is a wise option? No, I don’t. Here’s why. I believe that if we grant any group of illegal immigrants a form of citizenship then more aliens will pour over our borders. Like nothing we’ve ever seen before. It will welcome lawlessness.
Another likely outcome would be that DACA would expire and all of the illegal immigrant population would be eligible for deportation. Is this a heartless and unjust outcome? I don’t think so. This would simply be enforcing our immigration laws and providing justice to those who have broken our laws.
From my perspective, Democrats are too liberal and lawless to vote for any legislation that improves border security and funds a border wall. President Trump is not likely to sign any bill which doesn’t have border wall funding included. This is to his credit. After all, he did promise this for the last two years.
The reality is that there are millions of foreigners who have applied to visit or live in the United States and they are still waiting for approval. It would be unjust to award illegal immigrants with legal status when you have millions of people who are trying to go through our system in a lawful manner.
I’ve had the following example brought to my attention. If a man and his daughter walk in a store, go to the checkout line, and cut line, should the daughter be able to stay in line even though they both cut? Most would say “no.” The two should make their way to the back of the line and wait like everyone else. This same principle could apply to the entire DACA discussion.
American families have footed the bill for illegal immigration for decades. Those who govern in Washington, D.C. need to put the interest of American families first and foremost when it comes to discussing a solution to illegal immigration.
