By Philip C. Johnson – July 19, 2025
In the heated arena of American politics, few topics spark as much division among Christians as immigration. As someone whose family embodies the beauty of legal immigration—my wife and one daughter-in-law are legal immigrants to the United States, the other is the daughter of immigrants, and my five grandchildren are beautiful blends of cultures spanning four nations—I approach this issue not as an outsider with no skin in the game, but with deep personal investment. On one side, voices cry out for “compassion,” advocating open borders, amnesty, and turning a blind eye to illegal crossings—all in the name of loving our neighbor. On the other, there’s a push for law and order, emphasizing national sovereignty, personal responsibility, and the rule of law as divinely ordained principles. As believers, we’re called to wrestle with these tensions through the lens of Scripture, not cultural trends or partisan soundbites. But what does the Bible really say? And how do recent developments, like a new bipartisan bill from a Florida Republican, fit into this conversation? Let’s dive in, exploring both sides with honesty and grace, while seeking a path that honors God above all.
The Case for Compassion: Welcoming the Stranger
It’s impossible to discuss immigration from a Christian perspective without starting here: the Bible overflows with commands to care for the foreigner and the vulnerable. In the Old Testament, God repeatedly instructs His people to show kindness to outsiders. Leviticus 19:33-34 declares, “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” This echoes Deuteronomy 10:18-19, where God is described as one who “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.”
Jesus Himself amplifies this in the New Testament. In Matthew 25:35,40, He equates caring for the stranger with serving Him personally: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me… Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” These verses have fueled a powerful argument among some Christians that borders should be porous, amnesty granted, and illegal entries overlooked as acts of mercy. Isn’t compassion the heart of the gospel? While these verses compel us to mercy toward the vulnerable, they must not be isolated from Scripture’s full counsel. The gospel isn’t primarily a call to social reform but to personal salvation from sin through Christ’s atoning work (1 Timothy 1:15: “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost”).
Some even invoke Jesus Himself as an “illegal immigrant,” citing His family’s flight to Egypt to escape Herod’s wrath. Yet this analogy falters: Egypt was under Roman rule, part of the same empire as Judea, so Joseph, Mary, and Jesus broke no laws in seeking refuge there. Misapplying this story risks twisting Scripture to support unchecked migration.
This view has real-world traction. Earlier this week, on July 15, 2025, Republican Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar from Florida reintroduced the Dignity Act of 2025, a bipartisan bill co-sponsored with Democrat Veronica Escobar of Texas. The legislation aims to provide legal status—not citizenship—to illegal immigrants who’ve lived in the U.S. for at least five years, passed background checks, paid taxes, and contributed to the economy through work. Salazar has framed it as a “commonsense solution” to uphold human dignity without full amnesty, particularly for those filling essential roles in agriculture and construction. For compassionate Christians, this aligns with biblical hospitality—extending grace to those already among us, much like the Good Samaritan who aided the beaten traveler without checking his papers first. But is it really the same?
Here’s the rub: Does “welcoming the stranger” extend to those who enter unlawfully? Scripture’s calls to kindness assume lawful presence; they don’t endorse breaking laws to achieve it. Ignoring this distinction risks conflating mercy with enabling sin, potentially undermining the very societies God has established.
The Call to Accountability: Obeying Laws and Honoring Borders
Enter the counterpoint, rooted in verses that stress submission to authority and the sanctity of nations. Romans 13:1-7 is unequivocal: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment… Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” Similarly, 1 Peter 2:13-17 instructs, “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme… Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”
These aren’t isolated ideas. Acts 17:26 reveals God’s intentional design in human geography: “And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place.” Borders aren’t arbitrary human inventions—they reflect divine order, allowing nations to flourish under just laws. Crossing them illegally, then, isn’t just a legal infraction; it’s a disregard for God’s ordained structures.
Podcaster Jon Harris, host of “Conversations That Matter,” brings this home in his analysis of immigration issues. Harris argues that true compassion isn’t lawlessness but accountability, critiquing the idea that “dignity” means overlooking crimes. Instead, he proposes that honoring immigrants’ dignity involves holding them responsible—encouraging them to return home, fulfill duties to their families and communities there, and pursue legal paths forward. In discussions on topics like deportation and illegal migration, Harris warns against progressive influences that prioritize unchecked migration over biblical justice, emphasizing that enabling illegal actions ultimately harms both the individual and society. Real mercy must pair with righteousness, not rebellion against authority.
This perspective resonates with the story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). Jesus shows profound compassion—“Neither do I condemn you”—but doesn’t stop there: “go, and from now on sin no more.” Grace without repentance is incomplete. Applied to immigration, offering amnesty without consequences might feel kind, but it could erode personal responsibility and national integrity, leaving deeper problems unsolved.
Solutions Outside of Open Borders
If Christians truly care about foreigners, we must recognize that we cannot fix the brokenness of the world by simply opening the borders of Western countries. Unfettered immigration has brought serious problems to the United Kingdom and Europe, including soaring net migration levels straining public services, economic burdens, and social tensions leading to riots and policy failures. Not to mention here in the United States, where mass immigration has overwhelmed communities with unsustainable strains on infrastructure, hospitals, housing, schooling, and social services. As the founder of Global Next, an organization that provides international educational opportunities to U.S. high school and college students, I have personally gone into other nations—particularly conflict-ridden countries like Egypt, Afghanistan, and Iraq—to provide practical education and training programs. These initiatives are intended to equip citizens with leadership abilities, management skills, and business acumen to secure better jobs and contribute to their own cultures—to encourage them to bloom where they’re planted and actively invest in their nations, difficult though that might be. It has been one tiny effort, but represents the idea that compassion for others does not hinge on unfettered immigration.
Finding Balance: A Path Forward for Christians
So, where does this leave us? The Bible doesn’t provide a policy blueprint, but it demands we hold compassion and justice in tension. Welcoming legal immigrants with open arms? Absolutely—many foreigners have patiently waited in line and entered lawfully; we should embrace them, celebrate their contributions, and assimilate them into our communities as fellow image-bearers of God. Churches should lead in integration, support, and evangelism. But endorsing illegal entry or blanket amnesty? That risks violating Romans 13 and dishonoring God’s boundaries.
Bills like the Dignity Act attempt a middle ground, but they must be scrutinized: Does “legal status” truly promote accountability, or does it reward lawbreaking? Christians can advocate for reforms—like streamlined visas for workers—while insisting on secure borders and enforcement. Ultimately, our allegiance is to Christ’s kingdom, not any nation. Yet in this world, we’re called to be salt and light, promoting policies that reflect godly order.
The Global Nexter 