Separating Children from Parents? Thoughts on Immigration & Morality

Recently the media turned its great eye to the situation on the US – Mexican border in the wake of President Trump’s “Zero Tolerance” policy on illegal immigration.  The coverage was what you would expect being that division, controversy and outrage drives ratings, clicks and profits.  Images of crying children apparently separated from their parents graced magazine covers and smartphone screens, as the left attacked Trump and his supporters, while the right asserted that the situation has been dire for years.  Depending on your political leanings, you can argue for one side or the other, but what should be the Christian response, aside from politics?

I admit that it hard to separate the two, but as Christians we are obligated to do so, to follow the teachings of Christ and the movement of the Spirit, and to try and see things from an opposing perspective.

First things first.  We need to be aware that what we don’t see in the media is just as important as what we do see.  Unless we have direct involvement in something, we are only exposed to what the media chooses to show us, or even worse, to which media we choose to put our trust in.  We tend to listen to only those sources that will support our preconceived notions about the subject.  Go team!  On issues as complex as immigration, it is dangerous to gloss over the nuances and fit it neatly into a box.  If we are people of truth, we must look deeper and put aside our bias.

I think it is pretty safe to say that the vast majority of Americans are not for separating children from parents, immigrants or otherwise.  To do so without good reason would be immoral.  If the policy at the border is leading to this, then it should be modified or stopped altogether.  But are there moral reasons to do so?  Some have suggested that children are being smuggled across the border by adults other than their parents, some that may wish to do them harm.  If this is true, how often does this happen?  Is it just a small percentage or is it more common than that?  Such questions are rarely addressed by the media, and again, if we don’t have direct experience, we just don’t know.  As Christians, we should charge our politicians to find solutions and dive deeper, and put aside the the rhetoric.  The same goes with the media.  Don’t fall into the trap that the overall culture does.

Morality can be complex in tough situations.  Here are some questions to think about:

• Is it immoral to deny entry to the US for anyone that wishes? Borders are exclusive by nature…
• But, what about criminal elements ?  How can we tell who is who?  What about terrorists that wish to harm us?
• Is it moral to allow deconstruction of heritage by bringing people that only want to take from the country and not add to it?
• Should illegal immigrants be granted the same services as taxpayers?  Is it right to exclude their children?  But is it right to spend the next generation’s money and continue to run up the debt, when the country’s debt is already out of control?
• Is it sustainable to allow for open borders while providing government services to all?  Will it be fair to anyone if the system collapses?

These types of questions are kicked around as part of the conversation, but in the end nothing really comes of it.  As Christians, we may differ on many opinions, but our collective prayer must be for the leaders and powerful of the country to stop playing games, work together, and come up with solutions that work.  We must also be on guard to not fall into the fray of finger pointing and of demonizing each other.  The Evil One would like nothing better…