By Patrick McCormick | FāVS News Columnist
Candidate Trump promised last year to carry out “the largest deportation program in American history,” ultimately removing most or all the over 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. Now president Trump wants ICE and other agencies to arrest 3,000 persons a day. But while Trump claims the primary target of his mass deportations are “the worst of the worst,” that small fraction of undocumented persons with criminal charges or convictions, his attack on immigrants has a much broader scope.
He has canceled the protected status of half a million legal immigrants, launched an attack on birthright citizenship, denied entry to citizens of several nations and tried to slam the door on foreign students attending leading universities.
In addition, ICE raids scooping up construction, agricultural and service industry workers and the detention and deportation of sick children born in the U.S. has sent tremors throughout immigrant communities everywhere. Whether it’s farmworkers, university students or refugees, the message is the same — you are not welcome here.
Beyond Mass Deportation: A Biblical Perspective
Set aside the legal, logistical or financial problems with Trump’s war on immigrants with and without documents. Forget all the ways his mass deportation campaign ignores due process and runs roughshod over the Constitution. Ignore the impossibility or cost of removing 11 million people, which experts say would take two decades and cost up to $1 trillion.
And don’t worry what this would do to the agricultural, construction and service sectors, or what harm blocking the flow of foreign talent into our universities and corporations would inflict on our economy.
Instead, since nearly two-thirds of Christian voters went for Trump in 2024, consider what Scriptures say about our duties toward immigrants and aliens seeking refuge, freedom and a better life in our country. And reflect on what the Bible tells us about those who scapegoat, arrest and imprison the alien and stranger.
Rather than harassment, detention and deportation, Scripture repeatedly commands hospitality to the stranger, proclaiming that “God loves the alien, giving him food and clothing (Deuteronomy 10:18),” and instructing us to “love the alien as yourself,” and “treat the stranger as a native born (Leviticus 19:34).” Indeed, the Hebrew Scriptures alone contain 36 commands to love the alien.
And why does God command Israel (and us) to welcome, love, protect and provide for the alien in our midst as one of our own? Because, as Exodus 23:9 notes, “you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.” And because God redeemed Israel from their bondage in Egypt, the Lord demands in Deuteronomy 24:17-19 that they show the same mercy and justice to the alien in their midst, a message repeated throughout Scripture.
Equal Justice Under God’s Law
The Bible’s command to welcome aliens begins with demands that no Israelite molest, oppress or deny justice to the stranger in their midst (Exodus 22:21, Malachi 3:5). God makes this principle explicit in Numbers 15:14-16: “The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the alien living among you” — a standard of equal treatment Moses extends to Israel’s courts in Deuteronomy 1:16.
But the Scriptural call for hospitality goes far beyond refraining from injustice or treating aliens and native born equally. The Bible repeatedly insists we extend concrete aid to the stranger — from tithing produce so that “the aliens in your settlements may come and have plenty to eat” (Deuteronomy 14:28-29) to leaving harvest gleanings for immigrants (Leviticus 19:9-10) to extending Sabbath rest to “the alien residing among you” (Exodus 20:10). Throughout these commands runs the same refrain: “you were slaves in Egypt; that is why I command you to do this.”
Land and Inheritance for Immigrants
Even more stunning, in Ezekiel 47:21-23 God commands the Hebrews to offer the resident alien a share in their land (47:21-23). “You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who have settled among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe the alien settles, there you are to give him his inheritance,” declares the Lord.
And the Bible is also clear on what will befall those who fail to show hospitality to the stranger or who wage war on the immigrant. In Genesis 19 the men of Sodom rise up to attack two strangers in their midst, and God destroys the whole city. And in Exodus 1 the Pharaoh (arguably the Hebrew Scripture’s worst villain) slanders, scapegoats, arrests and begins a genocidal war against the alien Hebrews in his land, and God liberates these immigrants and annihilates Egypt.
Over and over again in the Bible, those who fail to show hospitality to the stranger suffer a terrible fate, while those who extend a welcome embrace are rewarded with bountiful life.
In the last election 82% of white evangelical voters supported Trump and his Christian base strongly supported his promise of mass deportation. But the Bible we Christians read commands us to behave very differently toward the alien in our midst and promises consequences for those of us who ignore this instruction.
Honestly waiting for Christians to report Trump’s deportations as “anti-Christian bias.” I think there’s a task force?
Patrick.
Some additional thoughts.
A Tale of Two Gates: A Biblical Reflection on Justice, Immigration, and National Duty
Imagine a village surrounded by a stone wall—built not in fear, but in wisdom. Two gates face east and west, always manned, always open to the sojourner. Inside, fields are shared, disputes are settled justly, and the name of God is honored. The villagers welcome strangers—but not without first asking their name, their story, and their intent.
This village is like ancient Israel. It wasn’t a lawless melting pot, but a covenant society. Its hospitality was not blind, but biblical—rooted in justice, truth, and order.
The Torah says:
Equal love. Equal law. That was the biblical pattern.
When we talk today about immigration, Christians must avoid cherry-picking verses about compassion while ignoring the full biblical architecture of justice. Yes, God loves the foreigner. But He also upholds borders, law, and order.
In Deuteronomy 23:1–8, God prohibits certain foreign nations from full integration for generations—not out of hatred, but because of their past wickedness and threat to covenantal life. This wasn’t racial—it was moral. And it was about preserving holiness.
Ruth and the Rule of LawWe often hear Ruth held up as the model immigrant. And she is! But what’s overlooked is how she entered:
Ruth followed the law and honored the people of her new land. That’s a very different story than flouting legal entry or disregarding civic norms.
The Role of the GatekeeperIn the Bible, the gatekeeper wasn’t a villain. He was vital. Proverbs 22:28 warns not to “move the ancient boundary stone.” Nehemiah 7:3 sets gatekeepers to guard Jerusalem and restrict entry at night. The walls weren’t xenophobia—they were stewardship.
Romans 13:1–5 also commands us to honor earthly rulers, for “the authority does not bear the sword in vain.” That sword is not meant for war against migrants, but it does imply lawful enforcement of what is just.
Is it biblical to mass-deport families? No.
Is it biblical to ignore immigration law altogether? Also no.
The law must be wielded with mercy (Micah 6:8) and truth (Psalm 85:10). This requires discernment, not slogans.
Jesus and the StrangerSome claim Jesus’ teachings override the Old Testament law. But He said:
Jesus loved the outcast, yes. But He never abolished law, borders, or moral responsibility. Even in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10), the “neighbor” helps the injured man without destroying civil order. Mercy is personal, not lawless.
Jesus Himself fled to Egypt (Matthew 2), but Joseph obeyed legal channels and returned when the threat had passed. That’s not a license for open borders—it’s an example of both asylum and accountability.
A Balanced Ethic for TodayIf we abandon immigration enforcement out of a misunderstood sense of Christian mercy, we do not create peace—we create disorder.
If we deport millions without due process, we crush families God may have called us to disciple.
Biblical law—God’s law—requires both gates and welcome. Justice and compassion. Process and protection.
Our American village must be like that biblical village:
Final Word: The Shepherd’s ResponsibilityA shepherd doesn’t invite wolves into the pasture. Nor does he drive out the lambs indiscriminately. His job is to guard, guide, and protect with wisdom.
Likewise, the modern state—especially one with Christian leadership—has a duty to:
We must stop weaponizing the Bible to promote partisan agendas. The law of the Lord is not red or blue—it is righteous (Psalm 19:7). And it teaches us to welcome the sojourner who seeks peace through order, not by breaking down the doors.
Let us walk that narrow path—between Sodom’s lawless welcome and Pharaoh’s brutal expulsion—and build a village worthy of the name of God.
I am in no way pleased with what Trump is doing but it is a direct backlash to what we as a nation have done for the past several decades, ignoring and not regulating (or regulating by executive (fiat) order and not law), immigration policy.
We set aside the legal, logistical and financial problems while allowing undocumented immigrants in while pushing those coming WITH documents to the back of the line. Forget all the ways OUR mass immigration campaign has ignored due process (court dates 10 years out) and runs roughshod over the Constitution. Ignore the impossibility or cost of assimilating 20+ million people, which may take two or more decades and cost trillions of dollars.
How can we ignore the homelessness, poor health and medical costs, addiction and mental health issues, lack of education and find jobs for millions of our own citizens while adding exponential numbers to those roles?
HOW DOES THIS WORK IN YOUR HOME?
How many immigrants are you willing to take into YOUR home, feed, cloth, house, provide for and educate. THAT is what the Bible commands. Not the government, but the individuals. Don’t lecture a government’s (its people) over reaction until you are willing to be part of the solution. What are you sacrificing for other’s needs?
Do you still have locks on your doors and windows? Do you expect to have a say in who can come into your home and how long they can stay? Do you have rules and expectations? If so, why ask or government NOT to have a say on who comes into our country to be your neighbor, or maybe a squatter in your home?
And yes, I applaud those that are helping settle refugees, but we MUST admit that it takes money away from other projects.
What we need is an honest and frank discussion on our priorities; but I have little faith that will change anything. It will just reveal how selfish we are and how little of OUR priorities we are willing to sacrifice for the good of others.