Deportation: Justice and the Call of the Gospel

Illegal immigration is a complex issue that must be addressed within the framework of the laws of a sovereign nation. As a legal immigrant to the United States, I understand firsthand the challenges, expenses, and lengthy waiting periods involved in obtaining permanent residency through legal channels. It is frustrating when individuals circumvent these rules to enter this country, and deportation should be a lawful consequence of illegal entry in most cases. This should be specially true if the illegals are criminals. However, it is also important to recognize that the majority who come to the U.S. illegally, do so out of desperation, seeking safety, economic stability, or a better future for their families. While our country upholds immigration laws, it is equally crucial to acknowledge the human side of this crisis and ensure that enforcement does not strip these individuals of their dignity.

A recent case that came to my attention highlights this concern. 18,000 illegal immigrants from India were identified for deportation, with the first group of 104 arriving in Amritsar this past week in accordance with the amicable agreement by the two governments. Although the deportation itself is accepted to be within the rights of the U.S., reports that these individuals—who were not criminals—were chained and subjected to inhumane treatment during a 40-hour military flight have sparked outrage in India. I saw similar situations develop in deportations to other Latin American countries too.

Compassion and enforcement are not mutually exclusive, and the way our country treats these people—regardless of their legal status—reflects on our core values. The way its citizens react to this misfortune of people from other lands reflects our true character. As of today, we are officially deemed a Christian nation. So what does the Bible say about this topic?

In Acts 17:21-28, Paul stood before the Athenians and declared that the God who made the world is sovereign over all people, placing them in their specific times and lands so they might seek Him and know Him. This powerful passage reminds us that every human soul regardless of nationality, legal status, or social standing is created and placed by God with the sole purpose of knowing Him.

Yet today, many who profess Christ celebrate the harsh treatment of immigrants, often overlooking the biblical call to justice, mercy, and dignity. So we must ask: ourselves if in the name of safety and security, or even imposing the law, can we as Christians really rejoice in the mishaps, mistakes or suffering of others? 

God’s Sovereignty Over Nations and Peoples:

Paul tells the Athenians that God determines the times and places where people live (Acts 17:26, Athens had people from many nations). This means, according to Scripture, no one arrives in a country, a city, or a community by accident. If we truly believe this, then every immigrant whether documented or undocumented is here in the US under God’s providence. Their presence should be seen as an opportunity for them to encounter Christ. This is a heart issue for us Christians. Rather than viewing immigrants as threats, we must see them as people whom God has placed near us, perhaps so that we can share the Gospel with them. We are not merely citizens of our country, the US, but we are citizens of a far greater kingdom, (Philippians 3:20), and our primary mission given to us by our sovereign King and Lord Jesus is to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19) for there is no other name on earth by which a person can gain eternal life. 

Justice and Mercy: The Heart of Christianity

Yes, nations must have laws, and borders must be maintained. The Bible does not promote lawlessness. Romans 13:1-7 speaks of submitting to governing authorities, and law and order are necessary for a functioning society. However, biblical justice is radically different.

Scripture is clear that God commands justice tempered with mercy:

• Deuteronomy 10:18-19  “God executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.”
• Micah 6:8  “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God”
• Matthew 25:35-40  “Jesus identifies with the stranger and the marginalized, saying, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”

When we rejoice in the harsh treatment of immigrants, especially when families are torn apart without hearings, or when people are treated as criminals for simply seeking refuge, we reject God’s command to love the sojourner and treat them with dignity. A nation may enforce laws, but a Christian must advocate for justice with compassion. Even as justice is played out, our hearts must break knowing that millions of lives will be upended by these deportations. 

Haman’s Gallows: A Warning 

As I was studying the book of Esther in my Bible study, I was struck by Haman’s hatred for the Jewish people, a people who were also living in Persia, a land that was not ethnically theirs. In Esther 5, Haman built gallows believing that he would be destroying Mordecai, followed by the kingdom’s Jewish people. He celebrated their impending downfall, confident in his own power, rights and might. Yet in the end, the very trap he built became his own demise.

This story is a sobering warning to those who take joy in the suffering of others. When we celebrate the deportation of illegal immigrants especially when families are separated without due process we act in the spirit of Haman rather than in the spirit of Christ. We must remember that God values the vulnerable and defends the oppressed (Psalm 146:9). As Christians, our role is not to cheer for the downfall of others but to reflect the love and righteousness of God. We must remember that it is only by the grace of God that we get to legally live in this wonderful country we call home. To whom much is given, much is expected—we have received mercy and grace from the hand of God, so too we should be giving it. 

Our Call: The Mission of Scripture Before the Mission of a Nation

While a nation must prioritize security and law enforcement, the Church does not exist to enforce national borders, it exists to bring people into the kingdom of God. If we lose sight of this mission, we risk exchanging the eternal purposes of Christ for the temporary politics of man and comfort of the nation.

This means:

1. We must resist the temptation to dehumanize illegal immigrants in the name of nationalism. We must be willing to view them with godly compassion—to humbly love them as God loves us even if we see them as enemies of the state.
2. We are called to minister to and care for immigrants, legal or undocumented.
3. We must pray for them.
4. We must encourage them to obey the law and willingly return to their countries.
5. To the best of our ability, we must advocate for fair and humane immigration policies.
6. We must choose to not mock, show anger or hatred or name call these people who have been created in the image of God.

We do not ignore laws, but we also do not forget that as individual Christians our highest allegiance is to the law of Christ: to love God and love our neighbor (Mark 12:30-31).

To summarize, those of us who profess the name of Christ need to stand in the gap on Christian principles of justice, mercy, and love. We should not rejoice at the suffering of immigrants but instead seek ways to show Christ’s love, even as laws are upheld. Paul’s words in Acts 17 remind us that every person is placed by God with a purpose. Instead of seeing immigrants as problems, we should start seeing them as divine appointments. If we truly believe in eternity, our first thought should not be about America’s greatness but about whether these souls have encountered the love of Jesus.

Let us not build gallows for others but instead build bridges to Christ. We love because He first loved us!