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Written by: Rex M. Rogers

Published: 22 July 2024

Why are Western European nations, Canada, and the United States opening their borders to mass immigration?

Hi, I’m Rex Rogers and this is episode #160 of Discerning What Is Best, a podcast applying unchanging biblical principles in a rapidly changing world, and a Christian worldview to current issues and everyday life.

The first day President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, he signed executive orders changing United States policy regarding immigrants, opening the southern border to a free flow of illegal migrants that have walked or swam into the US every day since.

President Biden’s actions regarding illegal immigrants, which he has enlarged and enhanced repeatedly since, is a conscious decision to defy and ignore the laws of these United States. In other words, lawlessness began in and has continued from the Oval Office.

“As of January 2024, more than 7.2 million migrants had illegally crossed into the U.S. over the Southwest border during U.S. President Joe Biden's administration — a number higher than the individual populations of 36 states.” Illegal immigration is literally changing the American political landscape, threatening the wellbeing and security of American citizens, and, Mr. Biden hopes, building a new base of voters for his socialist views.

Immigration has, therefore, become a major issue in the 2024 presidential election campaign.

Why?

• Illegal migrants break the law as their first act entering the U.S.
• Migrants are shipped to cities like Denver, Chicago, NYC in numbers that now far outstrip the cities’ financial and functional capacity to handle them.
• Migrants are often “fake refugees,” coming not to learn the language and culture and assimilate but to demand freebie entitlements including phones, hotel rooms, food, drivers’ license, insurance, even abortions.
• Insofar as migrants work, and thousands do not, they are taking jobs from American citizens.
• Migrants who do not want to assimilate, which appears to be many if not most of them, not only in the U.S. but in Western European countries, are unhappy, angry, make religious demands, engage in higher levels of crime.
• Some migrants—difficult to tell how many—are religious zealots coming to America with plans to agitate, riot, and otherwise create mayhem, as they are presently doing in European cities, in an intentional effort to disrupt what they consider the Great Satan society.

“Borders globally (are supposed to) serve as the demarcation lines that define the territories of countries, signifying sovereignty and control. In essence, an open border is one where people can come and go without restrictions.”

Let me be clear. I am not opposed to immigration or immigrants but to open border illegal immigration. 

“Those (like me who are) opposed to open border policies argue that an influx of migration risks overwhelming public services, cities face the risk of over-population and some experts say migration presents a security risk.”

Western nations have been opening borders to increased immigration for a variety of reasons, including:

1. Economic Growth: Theoretically, immigrants can help fill labor shortages in various sectors, from high-tech industries to agriculture. They could contributeto economic growth by providing labor, starting businesses, and paying taxes.
2. Demographic Challenges: Many Western countries face aging populations and declining birth rates. Supposedly, immigration helps counteract these trends by bringing in younger workers who can support aging populations through their labor and contributions to social security systems.
3. Cultural Diversity and Innovation: Immigrants bring diverse perspectives and skills, which can lead to greater innovation and cultural enrichment. Diverse societies are often more dynamic and adaptable.
4. Humanitarian Responsibilities: Western nations often have commitments to accept refugees and asylum seekers fleeing war, persecution, and natural disasters. This is both called a moral obligation and a requirement under international law, yet many countries of the world take in no immigrants at all.
5. Globalization and International Relations: As global interconnectivity increases, immigration policies can reflect broader geopolitical strategies and relationships with other countries. 
6. Addressing Labor Market Needs: Certain industries in Western countries rely heavily on immigrant labor, for example, healthcare, construction, and agriculture.
7. Legal and Ethical Considerations: Many Western nations have legal frameworks that protect the rights of immigrants and promote family reunification, which can lead to higher immigration numbers.

Multiculturalism has significantly influenced Western nations' approach to mass immigration by shaping policies and attitudes towards cultural diversity and inclusion.

1. Cultural Enrichment: Multiculturalism promotes the idea that cultural diversity enriches society by introducing a variety of perspectives, traditions, and practices. This belief has led to more open attitudes towards accepting immigrants from diverse backgrounds.
2. Social Cohesion: Multiculturalism emphasizes the importance of social cohesion through the integration of diverse groups. It encourages mutual respect and understanding, which helps create a more welcoming environment for immigrants.
3. Human Rights and Equality: Multiculturalism is often linked with human rights and the idea that all individuals, regardless of their background, should have equal opportunities. 
4. Economic Benefits: Embracing multiculturalism is seen as a way to leverage the economic benefits of immigration. Diverse workforces are often more innovative and better able to compete in a globalized economy. 

While multiculturalism may have played a positive role in shaping immigration policies, it is also met with challenges and criticisms. Debates continue over the balance between celebrating diversity and maintaining social cohesion, the impact of immigration on national identity, and the best ways to integrate newcomers into society.

Why then are Western nations opening their borders in what looks like an irrational form of cultural or national suicide?

1. As I noted earlier, “over much of the world, birth rates are plunging and populations are ageing. This means that there will be fewer workers to support older people and growth. And this means that most countries will increasingly need to rely on migration.”
2. Western nations, beginning with Germany, bought into the idea of multiculturalism, a misguided philosophy that claims all cultures are relative, meaning none are better or worse than others. The reunification of Germany in 1990 and subsequent policies, including the 2000 Immigration Act, marked a more open approach to immigration.
3. Western nations also embraced moral relativism, meaning truth cannot be identified, nor can better or best, right or wrong, thus the host nations neutered themselves with no ability to enforce their own laws or stop illicit behaviors like groping women in the streets.
4. Western nations opened borders to people whose beliefs and values did not align with the host country, who did not really want to assimilate by learning the language or adopting mores and traditions, who rather wished to balkanize into their own ghettoes, who brought with them pagan outlooks on male/female relationships, family, and work, none of which matched the host society, and which generated reaction and division, which true believers in multiculturalism then labeled racism.
5. Migrants arrived from largely Muslim countries which share few to no values in common with Western culture. These new Muslim migrants used the religious liberty of the host countries to promote their own anti-freedom religious views as understood in Sharia law, and often orchestrated provocative in-the-street mass praying toward Mecca, blocking pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Their motives were not religious or personal freedom as much as social domination and economic entitlement.

On balance, the wholesale embrace of open borders, mass immigration, the false teaching of multiculturalism and moral relativism, have resulted not in economic boom but social chaos and unrest, ongoing protests, inter-tribal street-level infighting, residents vs new arrivals, religious tension, and the very real possibility that Western European nations are in the act of committing national and cultural suicide.

Meanwhile, immigrants who seek admission legally are subjected to higher costs and often delayed indefinitely.

This is not racism to say this. It is objectively true, and under the current Administration’s policies, the U.S. may not be far behind the turmoil of Western Europe.

Well, we’ll see you again soon. This podcast is about Discerning What Is Best. If you find this thought-provoking and helpful, follow us on your favorite podcast platform. Download an episode for your friends. For more Christian commentary, check my website, r-e-x-m as in Martin, that’s rexmrogers.com. 

And remember, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm.

© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved, 2024   

*This podcast blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact me or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com/, or connect with me at www.linkedin.com/in/rexmrogers or https://twitter.com/RexMRogers. 

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Written by: Rex M. Rogers

Published: 15 January 2024

Has the self-induced “immigration crisis” on the US southern border caused you concern?  Is there no way out of this nightmare?

Hi, I’m Rex Rogers and this is episode #128 of Discerning What Is Best, a podcast applying unchanging biblical principles in a rapidly changing world, and a Christian worldview to current issues and everyday life.

With the invasion taking place on the US southern border, I feel I must circle back and discuss immigration. I referenced immigration in a podcast last year, June 2023, in which I noted that 16.8 million illegal aliens reside in the U.S. The number is now over 18 million.

This is the direct result of President Joe Biden’s actions, literally since his first day in office, Jan 21, 2021, when he signed several proclamations and Executive Orders either rescinding Trump Administration immigration policies, for example, stopping the building of a border wall, or instituting new, wide open policies of his own. “There have been more than (10 million illegal entries since President Biden took office, a number larger than the individual populations of 41 of the 50 states). Each night Americans see video clips of thousands of foreign nationals crossing the border en massewith complete impunity—as if the entire corpus of federal immigration law has been dynamited.”

“The Federation for American Immigration Reform published a comprehensive report last year showing that federal, state, and local expenditures for illegal immigration are approaching $200 billion annually.” Who but our own progeny is going to pay the bill for Mr. Biden’s irresponsibility, and what will happen if they cannot pay the bill?

“Whatever the cause of this nihilism, (scholar Victor Davis Hanson lists) several ways an open border is insidiously destroying the United States”:

Immigration – “Does legal immigration even exist? Are we still requiring those who would enter the U.S. legally to provide required documents, undergo audits, and complete background checks? Is not the current policy de facto punishing those who follow the law by tying them up in bureaucratic red tape for years as we reward unlawful behavior by greenlighting amnesties for lawbreakers?”

Lawless US – “Does the utter lawlessness at the border contribute to the general coarseness and current mockery of the rule of law in general—an epidemic that plagues our cities with homelessness, smash-and-grabs, car-jackings, and random assaults?”

Dependency – “If the first thing a foreign national does is to violate the law by crossing the border without permission, and the second is to reside illegally in the US, and the third is to apply for some sort of food, housing, medical, legal, or educational subsidy, then is that really the type of new resident we desire?”

Hanson also lists a broken relationship with Mexico, danger from drug cartels, the destruction of the idea of citizenship, enormous budget cost implications, ending the idea of deterrence of wrongdoing, an increase in racism.

We really have no clue what this massive number of illegals will mean for our country and culture’s future. We do know what impact it is making right now.

“We do not have sufficient affordable housing for our own citizens. Veterans and the elderly have been forced out of housing to make way for illegal immigrants. Our own homeless population is exploding, many of whom need treatment for addiction and/or mental illness. In Chicago, migrants have been living in the O'Hare airport. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has asked citizens to take migrants into their homes. Just this week, a New York City high school was closed, and its students were sent home for "remote" learning so that nearly 2,000 migrants could be housed at the school during a winter storm.”

“Illegal immigrants also distort congressional representation…their presence increases congressional representation for states with more of them. That reduces the voting power of citizens in states with lower populations.”

“Open borders facilitate human trafficking, including child sex trafficking.”

“Illegal immigration also burdens our criminal justice system. According to the 2023 Annual Report of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office, more than 170,000 illegal immigrants were arrested in this country last year. Nearly half already had criminal records; on average, four prior charges and convictions.”

Interestingly, many European articles now replace the word “immigrant” with the term “cultural enricher,” usually ironically or sarcastically. It refers to invasion or general violence caused by people of different cultures. The phrase has roots in Germany in WWI and was used by Hitler derogatorily to refer to Jews. 

The so-called “cultural enrichers” have been admitted en masse to European countries under the false philosophy of multiculturalism, along with the equally ill-advised ideas captured in the DEI acronym, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion. These cultural enrichers in Europe are now acting out violently, making economic and religious demands, daily disturbing public events, and harassing local citizenry. 

Please understand. In making these observations or raising questions about immigration, I am notpreaching bigotry or prejudice. Nor am I against legal immigration. Actually, I have always been a proponent and can point to stellar examples of legal immigration that have brought wonderful, decent, hard-working, creative people to the American society.

But what we have today is neither legal nor immigrants per se. What we have is illegal invasion, fake refugees, cultural enrichers bent not on assimilating or becoming Americans but bent on demands, dissension, demonstrations, and destruction of America and its defining ideals.

Too many illegals are coming across our open borders, as they have in Europe, with entitlement mentalities or political disruption on their minds. Week after week, videos of cultural enrichers – not always just young men but also young women – attacking vulnerable people without provocation in the streets, harassing retail store clerks then stealing whatever they want, defying police, blocking traffic, praying in the middle of public thoroughfares even though there are many mosques available in their city, going door to door asking not for a job but for money, desecrating monuments or other public sculpture. The list is endless.

We could fix our problems in the U.S., of course. It is not rocket-science as they say. It’s politicians on the Left cynically opening America’s borders in order to intentionally change the political culture in a way they believe will reinforce their power. And it is politicians on the Right who do not seem to have the pollical will, to do anything about this.

What should be done? Well, that’s easy:

1 – Close the borders to all would-be immigrants until immigration policy and procedures can be reinvigorated for security, order, and fairness.

2 – Enforce legal immigration policy presently in place.

3 – Reform U.S. immigration policy, something this country has done periodically, under Teddy Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan, for example, so that it reinforces legal due process.

4 – Vet would-be immigrants to identify who they are, who really does require and deserve asylum, who will bring new talents and skills, who wants to assimilate by learning English and contributing to the American culture and economy.

It was T.R. in 1907, who said, “In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American…There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag…We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language…And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.”

There need be no animus in any of this. All these improvements in US legal immigration policy can be enacted with compassion for those who truly need asylum, and with preservation of the opportunity to immigrate for those who wish to assimilate and contribute to the American society.

Without this kind of concerted effort, I truly fear for the future of America.

Well, we’ll see you again soon. This podcast is about Discerning What Is Best. If you find this thought-provoking and helpful, follow us on your favorite podcast platform. Download an episode for your friends. For more Christian commentary, check my website, r-e-x-m as in Martin, that’s rexmrogers.com.  

And remember, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm.

© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved, 2024   

*This podcast blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact me or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com/, or connect with me at www.linkedin.com/in/rexmrogers or https://twitter.com/RexMRogers.

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Written by: Rex M. Rogers

Published: 26 July 2022

Have you ever stopped to think about the fact that you are, in all likelihood, a descendent of immigrants? 

Hi, I’m Rex Rogers and this is episode #38 of Discerning What Is Best, a podcast applying unchanging biblical principles in a rapidly changing world, and a Christian worldview to current issues and everyday life.

Immigrants are as American as apple pie.  

Unless you are a Native American, your ancestors traveled to this country at some point. They were immigrants (or for some, they were slaves). And whether they found quick acceptance or had to struggle for their place in American society, they came for a new life and new opportunity (something long denied to African Americans but rectified in a Civil War and Civil Rights Movement one hundred years apart), conditions that bless you to this day.

So why then do we hear about America’s “immigrant problem”? Short answer:  a lot of non-citizens live among us.      

Something like 1.7 million individuals entered the United States illegally during year 2020, people from 160 different countries, the most from Mexico. And about 15.5 million “undocumented” individuals (the old phrases were “illegals” or “illegal aliens”) already reside in the States, a number that has increased by 41% since 2010. More than 2 million illegal immigrants have entered the US under the current Administration.   

Long answer for why we hear about America‘s “immigrant problem” is this:  

We didn’t awaken one morning to discover millions of illegal immigrants had entered the country overnight. Porous borders, ineffective policy, lack of leadership—and will, political posturing, and sporadic enforcement have co-existed for a long time.

It’s strange that Americans, of all people, should find immigration befuddling, much less threatening. Ellis Island is literally in our DNA.  

The foundational ideals that defined and made this country strong in the first place—freedom, opportunity, individual dignity, work, desire for a better future—all contributed to America becoming a “nation of immigrants.”  

We’re about freedom, and we generally want others to experience it too.  

On the other hand, most Americans acknowledge open borders are not an unmitigated political and social good. And most Americans believe American citizenship is neither meaningless, or a right-without-responsibility. Certainly, other countries of the world are highly protective of their citizenship and who they allow to enter their countries. Why shouldn’t the U.S. be at least somewhat circumspect in this important situation, even while evidencing compassion and continuing to respect immigrants?

By this logic America can and should establish systems of admission and citizenship, then expect immigrants 

• to learn English, 
• work for the benefits this country affords, and 
• evidence a loyalty to American ideals. 

If immigrants take these essential steps, then they will be welcome to share in the American dream—now, their dream. 

The so-called "immigrant problem" and what has now become the immigrant rights movement are generating disagreement among religious leaders. Some argue for stiff penalties against illegal immigrants, along with beefed up efforts to secure U.S. borders. Many Catholic leaders call for citizenship grants and what they brand as “justice.” Some evangelicals weigh in via surveys saying immigrants are a burden and a threat to American values and stability.  

I don’t understand religious or political leaders who make illegal immigrants sound like terrorists. It’s not too much of a stretch to speculate a handful of illegal immigrants could be connected with terrorist cells, but certainly not 15.5 million of them; nor everyone in Mexico.  

And not so-called DACA kids, “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals,” many of whom are now young adults. These are people brought to the USA as children, when they had no influence or control. Now, these about 800,000 individuals who’ve known no other country but our own are being held in terminal legal limbo by partisan battles in Washington, DC. DACA kids are but political footballs, something inherently unappealing, unnecessary, and I think, un-American. To change DACA individuals’ status the legislative and executive branches need only act and provide them with a path to citizenship.

Frankly, categorical rejection of immigrants, as such, borders on ethnic prejudice and parochialism. 

So, I’m perplexed by the strong voices, including many among conservatives and among Christians, urging Congress to “Deport them” or “Send them all back where they came from.” These responses seem motivated more by nativism, bigotry, and fear than concern for American wellbeing.            

Still, I recognize our countries’ legitimate need to better police its borders and to assure as best it can that the American people remain secure. I recognize some immigrants are not “pulling their weight,” are “costing American taxpayers,” are unwilling to work, and may be involved in criminal activity. Then again, the same can be said for too many Americans-born-n-raised.    

Somehow, what one might think would be a fairly, straightforward proposition:

• define American citizenship, 
• put in place a process by which legal immigrants may become citizens, and 
• police borders to assure American security is preserved—is not straightforward at all.

In fact, it’s a political quagmire.       

Meanwhile, some 80% of illegal immigrants come to this country, stay, pay taxes, maybe gain educations, but don’t complete a citizenship process.     

Children complicate the matter further. Some observers claim pregnant women enter the States illegally, then birth their children on American soil so the children will automatically earn “birthright citizenship.” These “anchor babies” make it possible for Mom to stay.     

In frustration, some politicians are suggesting this so-called “birth tourism” be stopped by changing the longstanding definition of citizenship stated in the Fourteenth Amendment: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and the State wherein they reside.”        

All this is a rather sad state of affairs getting to the heart of the fact that Americans no longer agree on what an American is. Some people, responding with compassion or other motives to the millions of illegal immigrants already here, seem to want to blithely throw the concept away as if it has no value. What of citizenship? Why does it matter? We’re all one and one for all? Anyone may come, the government will pick up the tab, and somehow it will all work out in the end.     

It’s a wonderful utopian vision however misguided and ungrounded in reality.      

Ultimately, “the government” is us. We pick up the tab, and truth be told, a system built on the backs of a few to pay for the many simply doesn’t work.

A recent comprehensive fiscal cost study, illegal aliens are likely imposing a net fiscal burden of at least $143.1 billion, an increase of approximately $9.4 billion over the past year.     

In terms of national interest, defining American citizenship allows it to become a boon and blessing to all. It makes sense. Other countries define what it means to be a citizen. Why can’t America do this without being accused of bigotry, racism, or worse?  

On the other hand, the anti-birthright citizenship movement is a kneejerk reaction that undermines some of the most precious principles in the American story. Nearly all Americans in this immigrant-nation come from somewhere else. It’s part of the genius of America’s free and open society, a land of opportunity, a land where one worships, works, and pursues happiness freely. Progress and plenty must be earned, but they are open to all. Lawyering away a baby’s citizenship because the mother is from another country flies in the face of what it means to be an American, not to mention the fact such a law would create an enforcement nightmare.    

While both Republicans and Democrats posture on Capitol Hill offering quick “solutions,” the “immigrant problem” calls for statesmanship, rationality, and measured response.      

Immigration is nothing new. We’ve developed reasonable legal processes before in our history. We can do it again. At a minimum, Congress should do the following:   

1--Recognize that the vast majority of immigrants do not want to come to the United States to blow it up. They want to come to secure the prospects of a better life for them and their children. They want freedom. So, stop demonizing immigrants for short-term political gain.     

2--Secure American borders from those who wish to do us harm. Reasonable response proposals already exist, awaiting leaders who can present and implement the ideas. Democrats need to get their heads out of the sand and acknowledge a real-world challenge exists. Republicans need to quit with extremist ideas like electrified fences.   

3--Develop a guest worker program that makes sense and is easy to administer. Everyone would win, immigrants, businesses, the American economy.    

4--Create a process through which illegal immigrants presently in this country can work systematically toward American citizenship and require them to do so. Workable reform proposals sit gathering dust awaiting Representatives and Senators with common sense and moral courage.    

5--Develop a better approach to teaching English as a second language and require immigrants seeking American citizenship to enroll, learn, and pass conversational English tests. This is not a form of cultural imperialism. It’s a practical economic and social necessity. Those who do not learn English are forever hindered in their ability to better their condition and support themselves.

The recently named “immigrants rights movement” needs to demonstrate leadership and established values as well. 

6--Convey immigrants’ desire to become Americans, not simply legally recognized residents of the United States. There’s a huge difference. Recognize assimilation is not a bad thing and doesn’t mean a person must reject his or her heritage. It means the person who wants to become a citizen works to develop basic knowledge and skills allowing him or her to function productively in this free country.   

I believe America’s shores should remain as open to freedom-loving and freedom-seeking people as, in a day of terrorism, we can make them. I do not believe that immigrants “drain our economy” or that they are “threats to the American way of life.” Perhaps a few maybe, but the flipside is that most immigrants bring talent, dreams, work ethic, and hope. Immigrants enrich the American culture and economy with their presence and contributions.      

I know it sounds hokey, but I still believe with Emma Lazarus, whose poem graces a plaque within the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, that America remains a special place on earth:   

"Give me your tired, your poor, 

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, 

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. 

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, 

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Well, we’ll see you again soon. This podcast is about Discerning What Is Best. If you find this thought-provoking and helpful, follow us on your favorite podcast platform. Download an episode for your friends. For more Christian commentary, check my website, r-e-x-m as in Martin, that’s rexmrogers.com. 

And remember, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm.

© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved, 2022   

*This podcast blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact me or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com/, or connect with me at www.linkedin.com/in/rexmrogers.  

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Written by: Rex M. Rogers

Published: 06 November 2017

Immigration is a complex and controversial issue in these United States. But it need not be the intractable problem it appears if we developed more political will to decide upon a good and workable way to go.

I’m already on record supporting immigrants’ desire for American citizenship. I do not consider immigrants ipso facto a threat to American values and way of life. In fact, I consider immigrants a rich part of the American story. Their record of aspiration, pluck, hard work, and achievement are wonderful examples representing the best of American ideals.

I don’t understand any leaders, particularly those who call themselves Christian, who make all immigrants sound like terrorists. It’s possible, of course, that terrorists could come to this country via immigration, but it’s not clear this is happening or has happened, even in the recent Manhattan truck killer, Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov from Uzbekistan, living in the US since 2010.

Categorical rejection of all Middle Easterners or North Africans as threatening potential terrorists is ethnic prejudice and parochialism. I don’t consider these attitudes American and certainly not Christian.

This does not mean I’m against protecting U.S. borders, developing a reasonable and defensible immigration policy, including banning immigration from some countries for periods of time if national security warrants it, nor establishing criteria for what immigrants must be able to demonstrate before they are permitted to enter, remain in the country, and begin a path to citizenship.

I do not believe that “everyone” from other countries has a “right” to come to America as an immigrant and thus the U.S. has no legal right to turn certain people away. To believe this is to believe nations should not or cannot exist.  None of this is anti-immigrant or racist as is often portrayed by the Left.

I don’t like the idea of a wall on the southern border of the United States. I know nearly 700 miles of fencing already exists along the 2,000 mile U.S.- Mexico border.  I realize this fencing may be necessary in contemporary security terms, but that doesn’t mean I have to like the reality or the symbolism. Building a wall to keep people out of the United States, for me, flies in the face of the Statue of Liberty and American ideals. But again, I recognize this may be my idealism and something that may not be able to stand in the face of hard reality. Or is there a better way?

As a nation of immigrants, we’ve developed notable legal immigration processes before, during the T. Roosevelt and Reagan Administrations to name two examples.  Why not again now?

At a minimum, Congress needs to do the following:

• Recognize that the vast majority of immigrants want to come to the United States to secure the prospects of a better life for them and their children via the freedom this country and economy affords.
• Secure American borders from those who wish to do us harm. This means we must develop a more sophisticated, coordinated, and administered system of accepting or rejecting internationals who wish to enter this country.
• Develop a guest worker program that is logical and is easy to administer.
• Create a process through which illegal immigrants presently in this country can work systematically toward American citizenship.
• Develop a better and more extensive approach to teaching English as a second language and require immigrants seeking American citizenship to enroll, learn, and pass conversational English tests.
• Recognize assimilation is not a bad thing, and it does not mean a person must reject his or her heritage. It means that the person who wants to become a citizen of this country works to develop basic knowledge and skills that allow him or her to function productively in this free economy. 

I do not reject illegal immigrants carte blanche. I do not think that as a category they are a threat to what makes America a good and decent free country. Rather, they are an asset who should be assisted, treated with dignity and respect, and then given certain incentives or expectations for attaining citizenship. Does the United States Congress and President have the political will to develop an immigration policy and process fit for the 21st Century?

Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved, 2017    

*This blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact me or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com/, or connect with me at www.linkedin.com/in/rexmrogers.    

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Written by: Rex M. Rogers

Published: 21 February 2012

Immigration remains a volatile issue in the United States, particularly in this presidential election year. It's an issue that doesn't really come and go, just grows quiet for a time only to come rushing back when a politician makes a comment or something happens on the border.

What should Christians think about immigration? Are there ways we can contribute to the discussion and, hopefully, resolution of the issue? I believe there are. In particular, we could help both political parties by simply reminding them that the "immigration issue" is really about people. Here are a few of my thoughts to stimulate your thoughts:

The immigration issue is not irresolvable. But it won't be resolved without honest, principled debate and a will to work toward the American Dream for both citizens and would-be citizens.

© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved, 2012

This blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact Rex or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com or follow him at www.twitter.com/RexMRogers.