Mi Casa es Tu Casa
A Biblical Perspective on the Current Immigration Situation
Dr. Lindy Scott, Director
Center for Applied Christian Ethics, Wheaton College

pdf available

Immigration has been one of the most contentious issues in United States politics during this past year. It cuts across the typical liberal/conservative divide. The House of Representatives passed the Sensenbrenner/King Bill (H-4437) in December 2005 that would criminalize both undocumented immigrants and those who help them. Later, in the spring of 2006, the Senate passed the McCain/Kennedy Bill (S-1033) that would permit many of the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants to obtain work visas and provide them with a pathway (albeit long and arduous) to citizenship. The two bills are so far apart that there is little possibility of a compromise bill being passed this year. The recent approval of a seven hundred mile fence along the Mexico-United States border without reaching an agreement on a comprehensive immigration policy demonstrates the deep polarization that has emerged over this issue.

This article attempts to provide Biblical perspectives on immigration in general, and more specifically, the political impasse at hand. It draws upon Latin American insights into Scripture and their application today. In a pluralistic democracy Christians do not have the right to impose their views on their neighbors, but neither do they have the option of hiding their perspectives. Jesus sends his followers into the world to promote justice and peace.

The theme of immigration permeates the pages of Holy Scripture. Although a “theology of immigration” has not been developed by Christian authors, this is not due to a lack of biblical material. 1 Sadly, this absence of Christian thinking on immigration reflects our prejudices. Nevertheless, it points out the need for us to do our homework and return to God’s Word to find just responses to the challenges of immigration.

God is the Absolute Owner of the Earth
The Bible opens with a description of the universe. God, because He is the Creator, is the “owner” of everything, including the whole earth. God places humanity (both male and female) on earth to take care of the creation. In no way is humanity the absolute owner of the earth. All people have the calling to represent God on earth as stewards or administrators, and as such all will give an account of their stewardship to God. Therefore, Biblical teaching does not totally agree with an extreme form of capitalism where the individual is the absolute owner of “private property” nor with an extreme form of socialism where the state is the absolute owner. Within both “isms” humanity, both individually and collectively, is called to use the earth according to divine principles. The Spanish phrase “Mi casa es tu casa” (My home is your home) captures quite nicely the spirit of Biblical teaching. Precisely because God is the true owner of everything and He has shared his creation with us, possessions under our stewardship should be wisely and generously shared with those in need.

The affirmation that God is the owner of the earth was frequently repeated in the Hebrew Scriptures with important ethical demands for Jews and Gentiles alike. During their last years as “immigrants” in Egypt, the Hebrews suffered greatly under the unjust policies of the Pharoah. Moses’ goal, in his various interactions with the Egyptian ruler, was to teach the Pharoah that “the earth is the Lord’s.”2 Therefore, even in Egypt where Pharoah reigned, God would not tolerate subhuman policies carried out against immigrants.

The affirmation that the earth is the Lord’s also meant ethical demands for Jews. Far from being pampered as God’s holy people, they had to meet a higher code of ethics. Precisely because “the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” only those who have “clean hands” and “pure hearts” will see God’s salvation. 3

Every Human Being has an Intrinsic Dignity
As we have seen in the description of creation, human beings occupy a special position of importance. Humanity is the apex of creation because we have been created according to the image and likeness of God Himself (Genesis 1:26). This Imago Dei is borne by every human being, male or female, brown, black, white or yellow, rich or poor, old or young. Consequently, every human being has an intrinsic dignity and is worth more than all the possessions in the world. This dignity and immense value of every human being stand in stark contrast with the world’s values As God’s image, every human being is an official representative and ambassador of God himself.

Even after their fall into sin, humans continue to bear the “image of God” with all of the importance and responsibilities that correspond to that rank (Genesis 9:6). Actions directed towards a human, are in fact, directed towards God himself. This “Imago Dei ethic” is seen throughout both Hebrew and Christian Scriptures (ex. Job 31:13-23, esp. v. 15; Proverbs 14:31; James 3:9-10). Nevertheless, the clearest example of this ethical principle is found in Matthew 25:31-46 where Jesus identifies with the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger (= immigrant), the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned. The Lord’s identification with these needy is so complete that he calls them his “brothers and sisters.” What is more striking is that Jesus affirms that the eternal state of “all the nations”4 is decided by how they have treated these “brothers and sisters.”

Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me…. Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me. Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. 5

Immigrants Should Receive a Just and Humane Treatment
Jews and Christians alike consider Abraham to be the founder or “father” of their religions. According to the Biblical narrative, God established a special covenant with Abraham in which all of the nations of the earth would be blessed in him.

I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.6

It can be observed that this “transnational blessing,” that is, the humane and benevolent treatment by foreigners towards Abraham, is the necessary pre-requisite for receiving God’s blessing. In fact, Abraham is the perfect paradigm of an immigrant. He emigrated from his homeland of Haran. After passing through the land of the Canaanites, he lived as a foreigner in the land of Egypt.7 He was treated well by the Pharoah, in spite of having lied to the Pharoah concerning his wife Sarah in an attempt to protect his own life. Nevertheless, he did not learn his lesson and repeated the same lie to King Abimelek in Gerar. Again he was forgiven and treated well. According to the Scriptures both kings received God’s blessing because they went beyond a narrow definition of justice in their treatment of Abraham and extended mercy to him.
Years later a famine spread throughout the land. The descendants of Abraham immigrated to Egypt. The Pharoah received them with open arms and welcomed them through Joseph:
The land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in the land of Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock. (Genesis 47:6)
Such generous hospitality from the Egyptians became part of the normative legislation for the people of God. The Hebrews were forbidden to mistreat or oppress foreigners precisely because they themselves had lived as foreigners in Egypt. (Exodus 22:21, 23:9)

The loving hospitality showered upon Joseph and his family did not continue to all of his descendants. The numerical growth of the Hebrews came to be interpreted as a threat to the Egyptians (just like the numerical growth of Hispanics in the United States is sometimes interpreted in a similar manner). This led to the Exodus. As they left Egypt, many people from other races (“a mixed multitude”) joined the Hebrews (Exodus 12:38). These new immigrants were allowed to join the people of God with all of the corresponding privileges and responsibilities. In fact, every foreigner who desired to become part of the Jewish people would receive the same treatment under the law. (Leviticus 24:22)

After their prolonged pilgrimage in the desert, the Hebrews were ready to enter into the promised land. An interesting episode occurred when the Israelites crossed the Jordan River. The tribes of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasses decided to settle on the eastern side of the Jordan. In order to educate the future generations about the worship of Yahweh, they built an altar near the river. When the other Hebrew tribes heard about this altar, they misinterpreted the construction as a fall into apostasy. The tribes on the western side offered to share their land with their eastern relatives so that they would not abandon the true faith. It is important to point out that for religious and evangelistic reasons the Israelites were willing to live with less property and to share their land with others.

The Bible recognizes that immigrants, along with orphans and widows, are frequently the victims of various types of oppression. For this reason, God is the defender of foreigners and demands that they receive the same treatment as citizens. (Psalm 146:9)

King David provides us with another pertinent example of unjust treatment of foreigners. He raped Bathsheba, the wife of the Hittite Uriah. When she became pregnant David tried to hide his sin in various ways. He gave orders for Uriah to be killed8 so that he could keep Bathsheba for himself. This story tells us that David was willing to cause the death of one foreigner so that he could obtain another foreigner (Bathsheba) who was more valuable to him. Something similar happens today. Many countries in the “global north” are willing to provide visas for talented and highly educated foreigners (athletes, medical professionals, the rich, etc.) but not for poor or illiterate foreigners. Although these policies that encourage “brain drain” are understandable, it does not adequately express the truth that all people are created in God’s image and worthy of profound respect.

A Tale of Two Women
The two books of the Hebrew Scriptures that bear women’s names, Ruth and Esther, include solid defenses in favor of immigrants. It seems that women, who are frequently oppressed in society, are more sensitive to the suffering of other oppressed people, including immigrants. 9

The Book of Ruth cannot be properly understood without an awareness of Jewish legislation in favor of immigrants. Elimelek, a Jew, had immigrated to Moab with his family when a famine occurred in Israel. His two sons each married a Moabite woman. All three men died. One of the daughters-in-law, Ruth, upon becoming a widow, insisted upon living with and providing for her mother-in-law Naomi. They immigrated to Bethlehem because Ruth had made a promise to Naomi:

Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. (Ruth 1:16)

In order to support herself, and her mother-in-law, Ruth began to harvest the barley grains in the fields. During this process she met Boaz, they married (and lived happily ever after?), and formed part of the messianic genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5). The immigration legislation that forms the vital background for this book is found in Leviticus 19:9-10 and 23:22. Based upon the truth that God is the owner of the whole earth, Moses had implemented the following legislation:

When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord you God. (Leviticus 19:9-10)

In order to make sure that his audience had captured the importance of this commandment, Moses repeated it four chapters later:

When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 23:22)

Far from persecuting foreigners or oppressing them, God had established legislation that would guarantee immigrants the right to feed themselves with the harvest of the Jewish lands.

If the Book of Ruth defends the rights of foreigners in Israel, the Book of Esther demonstrates the rights of Jews living in foreign lands. Jews were living in Persia, exiled and far from their homeland. On one occasion the Persian king Xerxes became furious with his wife, and subsequently, deposed her from the throne. To find a new wife, he sponsored a kind of “Miss Persia” contest in which beautiful young women from throughout the empire participated. A Jewish woman Esther won the competition and became the new queen. Many of the Jewish immigrants suffered persecution. A cabinet member, who was especially anti-Jewish, schemed against them and successfully maneuvered Xerxes to issue a decree “to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children.” Esther had the courage to place her own life at risk to intercede on behalf of the Jewish people. She succeeded and the decree was annulled and in this way the Jewish immigrants obtained legal protection for their lives.

Prophets over Profits
The prophet Amos is very relevant for our contemporary discussion of immigration. He begins his prophetic denunciations by describing the sins of the countries that surrounded Judah and Israel. Although God judges his own people with higher ethical criteria, the Lord requires all nations to live according to basic moral standards of human interaction. In particular, the sins of Gaza, Tyre, Edom and Amon dealt with the oppression of immigrants. Their unjust treatment of foreigners received a severe denunciation by the prophet. 10

The modern world is quite complex with many institutions (governmental, business, religious, etc.) that mediate actions between individuals. These institutions are not morally neutral. They also are evaluated according to God’s ethical principles. They may be structures of virtue and blessing or perhaps they are conduits of structural sin and injustice. In the world in which Amos lived, human institutions came under his scrutiny. In chapter 4, Jewish wives were held co-responsible for the actions their husbands committed on their behalf. Their demands for more and more possessions incited their husbands to oppress the poor. Their insatiable demands seem all too similar to contemporary stockholders’ demands that CEO’s provide more and more profits, even at the expense of workers.

Jesus: The Immigrant Par Excellence
The New Testament opens with the genealogy of Jesus. It is no accident that many of his ancestors were foreigners, like Ruth the Moabite and some of ill repute (like Rahab, the Canaanite prostitute). Although Matthew was the most Jewish of the four Evangelists, he frequently denounced the hyper-nationalism of his countrymen. (Matthew 4:12-16, 8:5-13, 15:21-28, and 28:16-20)

One of the few episodes of the infancy of Jesus narrated in Scripture portrays Jesus as an international, political refugee. In order to escape the infanticide ordered by King Herod, Jesus was taken by his parents to Egypt (again the country of hospitality). Jesus the Asian was well received in the African continent when his life was in danger. Although many immigrants migrate for economic reasons, some do so under dire circumstances when their lives are at stake. For example, during the 1980s many Central Americans came to the United States to escape the dangers of civil war in their own countries, in part caused by the North American government.

One of the best known conversations that Jesus had took place with a Samaritan woman (John 4). The Samaritans and the Jews did not normally have dealings with each other. Nevertheless, Jesus purposefully led his disciples into Samaria in order to challenge the political and racial barriers that divided the two groups. He affirmed that people from all nations would be received by God if they worshipped him in Spirit and truth.

The gospel rapidly expanded throughout the Roman Empire, largely due to great immigration movements. The gospel spread out past Jerusalem due to the persecution that took place there (Acts 8:4ff).

Later, Priscilla and Aquila, together with many Jewish Christians, were forced to abandon Rome, but they carried the seed of the gospel to the four corners of the Empire. Without a doubt, the missionary work of the Apostle Paul would not have reached as far as it did if he had not possessed the freedom to travel as a Roman citizen. (It is not much speculation to affirm that if Paul lived today, he would prefer not to have to wait in line for visas that are never approved nor to get past 700 mile fences along borders. He would argue, from experience, that the gospel spreads more rapidly when borders do not restrict travel.)

We end this quick overview of New Testament examples of immigration with two references in the general epistles. We recall the words of the Apostle Peter. He recommended Christians to consider themselves as “foreigners and exiles,” that is, as people without a country, but who have become the people of God (I Peter 2:9-11). The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews is even more explicit. The “heroes of the faith” recognized that they were “foreigners and strangers on earth” who longed for a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a special place for them. If believers in Biblical times placed their earthly possessions in God’s hands and to be shared with their neighbors, we are called to follow their example.

The History of the United States
From an ethical perspective the history of the United States leaves much to be desired: The oppression of Native Americans and the taking of their lands, the slavery of Africans, the invasion of Mexico and the unjust acquisition of half of the Mexican territory. 11 The tragic irony of this infamous history is that the perpetrators of these injustices were themselves immigrants (or the descendants of immigrants) who had escaped from Europe to establish a more just nation.

Nevertheless, in its better moments the United States has practiced enlightened policies towards immigrants. These policies are reflected in the Statue of Liberty. She is a woman, the “Mother of the exiles.” Her shout for liberty expresses well the biblical teaching for current immigration policies.

"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-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

May North Americans today promote the sentiments of this Declaration of Liberty.

A Consistent Capitalism
The United States of America considers itself to be the great defender of capitalism. Nevertheless, a consistent capitalism would promote the free flow of capital, products, and labor. According to pure capitalism theory, whenever a government restricts any of these free flows, efficiency and other benefits of capitalism are reduced. Most free trade agreements (such as the North American Free Trade Agreement-NAFTA) do allow for freer flow of capital and products, but labor does not enjoy this same freedom of movement. This unequal legislation creates huge distortions in the market system. For example, minimum wages in the United States are about ten times as high as those that exist in Mexico. It is not surprising that Mexican workers would want to cross over the border in order to make ten times the wages as in their own country. This is precisely what true capitalism would recommend to improve efficiency and the well being of all.

Scapegoating is the unfair blaming of specific ethnic groups for the ills of society. 12It is often heard in the current discussions on immigration. For example, it is affirmed that “illegal immigrants” are lazy. It is claimed that they are an economic burden upon the system because they receive many benefits (public education, medical treatment, etc.) without paying taxes. On the other hand, some accuse the immigrants of working so hard (sometimes holding down two fulltime jobs or even more) that they take jobs away from US citizens. It is a widely believed, yet unsubstantiated, fallacy that undocumented immigrants pay no taxes for the benefits that they receive. In fact, whenever they make purchases, they pay the same sales taxes as US citizens. If they own a home they pay real estate taxes or if they live in an apartment, the taxes are incorporated in the rent that they pay. If they own a car, they pay the same gasoline tax and tolls that their neighbors pay. If they have utilized false documents to obtain a job, their employers automatically deduct the appropriate income tax (if they get paid “under the table”, their employers are probably paying them wages that are less than the legal minimum wage). The ironic yet tragic truth is that many undocumented workers are paying Social Security taxes, but because they have utilized false numbers, they may never receive any Social Security benefits at all. In fact, the immigrants are subsidizing North American citizens with their Social Security contributions, yet are scapegoated as lazy parasites.

We Reap What We Sow
Immigration is an international phenomenon of the twenty first century. Many immigrants flee their countries because of war, famine, unemployment, or a lack of political or religious freedom. Some of these problems are due to corrupt government officials in their countries. Nevertheless, the United States government and North American based international corporations have not been neutral spectators of this international immigration. For example, it was hypocritical to contribute to the militarization of Central America in the 1980s (through the funding of the Contras) and at the same to complain about the arrival of Central American immigrants to the United States.
Given that Mexico provides more immigrants to the United States than all other countries combined, the Mexican experience deserves special analysis. In 1988 Governor Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas broke with the ruling PRI political party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional) to run for president under the banner of a new party (the PRD). Most international observers agreed that Cárdenas won the election. Nevertheless, even before all the votes were counted, the United States recognized the fraudulent “victory” of the PRI candidate, Carlos Salinas de Gortari, thus eliminating any possibility of a transparent recount. To compensate the United States for its recognition, Salinas de Gortari agreed to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Towards the end of his six year administration, Salinas lied to the Mexican people about the state of the economy. He was forced to make unwise political decisions that produced an economic crisis. The combination of a thwarted democratic process and extreme unemployment forced millions of Mexicans to immigrate north of the border. More recently, the presence of Canadian and North American agrobusinesses in Mexico has transformed the Mexican landscape. Corn growing peasants could not compete with these large foreign agricultural corporations. 1,800,000 campesinos have been forced off their land and the overwhelming majority of them have migrated to El Norte. The United States government needs to recognize its complicity in the electoral fraud committed in Mexico, the ensuing loss of agricultural jobs due to NAFTA, and the consequential increase in the number of immigrants. Sooner or later, we reap what we sow.

Proposals for the Current Political Situation
We have seen that the Bible does provide many illustrations and solid ethical teaching regarding immigrants. Although there is not an easy straight line that goes from Biblical teaching to contemporary immigration policies, the overwhelming thrust of the Scripture is quite clear. What is desperately needed is a comprehensive immigration policy in the United States that respects the immense dignity of every human being. It should include border control but it should also provide humane treatment of all people, regardless of documents. It needs to honestly recognize the presence of some twelve million undocumented immigrants in the United States and provide some pathway for them to step out of the shadows and into active citizenship. And above all, it needs to recognize that God is the true owner of the whole earth, including the territory of the United States, and that we will give an account to him of how we have administered his land.
Mi casa es tu casa is an expression of Latino hospitality. It seems very much in keeping with the nature of God and his grace. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (II Corinthians 8:9)

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1 There are some notable exceptions, especially among urban missiologists and those who participated in the sanctuary movement. Ray Bakke develops a theology of immigration in his The Urban Christian (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1987). For a Christian perspective of the sanctuary movement see Renny Golden and Michael McConnell, Sanctuary: The New Underground Railroad (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis, 1986).
2 Exodus 9:29. See also Psalm 24:1-2 and 146:9.
3 Psalm 24:4-5.
4 This reference to “all the nations” is significant because it expresses what God expects of all people in all countries, not just an ethic for his “chosen people,” whether Jewish or Christian.
5 Matthew 25:40, 45-46.
6 Genesis 12:2-3.
7 In Biblical times and later, Egypt, due to its fertile lands and the abundant water from the Nile River, has received many foreigners in need. Precisely because God is the owner of all the earth, the natural resources of a “blessed land” are to be shared with others.8 David did not literally kill Uriah, but he did order Uriah to be left alone on the front line in order to be killed by the enemy army. This is a clear example of structural sin. God held David responsible for using structures to implement his sin. (II Samuel 11)
9 The Deuterocanonical book of Judith also has strong teaching regarding immigrants. See also Proverbs 31:4-9.
10 J. A. Motyer, El Día del León: El Mensaje de Justicia del Profeta Amós (Buenos Aires: Ediciones Certeza, 1980), pp. 35-47.
11 Abraham Lincoln was one of many who considered the Mexican-American War to be totally unjust. He was able to pass an amendment condemning the war as "...unnecessarily and unconstitutionally begun by the President of the United States." The amendment passed, but the bill never reemerged from committee and was never finally voted upon. He later proclaimed on the House floor that the "…God of Heaven has forgotten to defend the weak and innocent, and permitted the strong band of murderers (led by President Polk) and demons from hell to kill men, women, and children, and lay waste and pillage the land of the just."
12 The immigration declaration of the Evangelical Free Church of America begins with a denunciation of scapegoating. It then develops a solidly evangelical theology of immigration. The similarity of conclusions reached by this conservative North American denomination and by my own Biblical analysis seen through Latin American eyes is a sign of hope. Christians from different latitudes can search the Scriptures and find common ground and solutions for a polarized world. The EFCA Declaration is included at the end of this article as an Appendix.