By Douglas V. Gibbs
When anti-ICE protesters busted into a church in Minneapolis and called the attendees false Christians because they weren’t supportive of the anti-ICE movement, I was quick to recognize how little these people understand the Christian faith, Scripture, and anything close to having common sense. Immigration is a wonderful thing when guided and exercised in a responsible manner, a biblical idea that goes all the way back to the Old Testament.
I believe that legal immigration has been a great strength for the United States, much less any other thriving nation. I say this not as an abstract principle, but from personal experience. My wife is an immigrant, and I have a deep appreciation for the courage, resilience, and hope that immigrants bring with them. Handled wisely, immigration enriches a country culturally, economically, and socially.
As with any issue, immigration requires responsibility and discernment. A country, much like a business, must be thoughtful about who joins its team. A business owner looks for employees who will strengthen the company, contribute to its mission, and uphold its values. In the same way, a country has an obligation to welcome those who are ready to contribute, participate, and become a part of the shared civic culture.
Historically, systems like Ellis Island reflected this understanding. Immigrants were welcomed with open arms, but they were also vetted to ensure they were healthy, self-supporting, and prepared to assimilate into American life. That balance – compassion paired with prudence – helped create generations of successful newcomers who strengthened the country.
The modern era of migration without meaningful limits or vetting is a recent development, and it carries great risk. When a nation fails to evaluate who is entering, the likelihood increases that the incoming population may struggle to assimilate or may even become disruptive to the society they are joining. Responsible immigration policy is not about rejecting people; it is about ensuring that those who come are ready to add to the nation’s story.
A healthy immigration system welcomes with generosity, but also with wisdom. It honors the dignity of immigrants while protecting the stability and cohesion of the society they seek to join. That balance is not only possible, but it is essential for a nation that wants to remain strong, compassionate, and united.
So what happens when a country is not responsible with their immigration?
On New Year’s Eve, both Paris and London shut down their usual fireworks viewing for security reasons. What did the public need to be protected from? People who are in the country due to mass Islamic migration.
In Minnesota, there has been $9 billion in alleged welfare fraud. Why? It’s the result of an irresponsible flood of Somalis who, after decades in the country, still have 85% of them on some kind of welfare benefit. While the citizen leftists of the state have also screwed the state up in their own way, having created a high-tax, high-spending state government, at least before the onslaught of migrants who hate America and aim to take advantage of everything they can (legally, and illegally), the population didn’t cheat at this level on their benefits claims. The Somali population invasion of migrants who do not care about assimilating has gotten so bad in Minneapolis that Minnesota state senator Omar Fateh has declared that the Somali Cedar Riverside neighborhood is a “no-go zone for whites.” He used the term “white supremacists,” but to them, pretty much anyone who isn’t a part of their clans or tribes are white supremacists.
In Denmark, the political progressive left forced 125 young students to share a hostel with 125 Muslim migrants, arguing that once they got to know each other, they would “learn from each other.” Instead, the reality of the Islamic Culture prevailed. The students were raped, and
subjected to years of sex assaults and violence.
As for the fake Christian comments heard at the church attacked by anti-ICE protesters in Minnesota, let’s address some of that from a biblical point of view.
The verses thrown at me, trying to argue that my opinion regarding illegal aliens is somehow not Christian, are:
- Matthew 25:43 – I was a stranger (foreigner) and you invited me in.
- Hebrews 13:2 – Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
There are also a number of Old Testament verses thrown at me as well.
- Leviticus 19:33-34
- Deuteronomy 10:18-19
- Deuteronomy 24:19-22
- Exodus 22:21
In the Old Testament the Hebrew term Ger (גֵּר) is the one used in those passages. Ger refers to a “resident alien” or “sojourner” who had obtained legal permission to reside in the land. This was a person “who has lawfully entered a nation (or empire) and has met all the legal criteria to remain, including contributing to it.” This person was under the protection of the law and had certain rights and responsibilities.
Nekhar (נָכְרִי) or Zar (זָר) also appears in the Old Testament at times, referring to foreigners or strangers who were simply passing through or temporarily in the land without legal residency status. They had fewer rights and protections compared to the ger.
In the New Testament, the Greek term xenos (ξένος) is used in Matthew 25:35, 38, 43, and 44 in the parable of the sheep and the goats, where Jesus says, “I was a stranger (foreigner) and you invited me in.” Xenos was also the term used for “strangers” in Hebrews 13:2. In both cases, xenos, like ger, was used meaning “legal resident” or “approved traveler.” The linguistic distinction recognizes that the biblical commands to care for foreigners were specifically directed to those who had obtained some form of legal residency or legal travel status, not necessarily to all migrants regardless of their legal standing.
— Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
