Misconceptions abound when it comes to what evangelical Christians believe about immigrants and immigration policy. As an immigrant who is a US citizen and also a Christian pastor, I can say conclusively that we can be pro-immigrant without promoting open borders. It is vital to have secure borders and take all necessary measures to ensure that this land is safe from any threat that could potentially harm us.
What I am asking is to consider the available options for immigration reform, follow international law regarding refugees, and understand that immigrants are more than just mouths that need to be fed and who take; they are also hands, feet, and brains that can create, will produce, and can also give.
Along with hundreds of other evangelical leaders, I recently signed an open letter to the presidential candidates expressing these deeply-held beliefs. The letter lays out biblically-informed principles that reflect the real views of the majority of American evangelical Christians.
I immigrated to Madison, WI, in 1993 when I was only 15. I did not want to come to the USA, but I had no choice; my parents decided for me. I was part of the small percentage of people who can immigrate to this country on a student visa.
It was in high school, sitting with my friends at the Spanish-speaking table in the cafeteria, that I realized that, despite all our cultural similarities, I was different; I was in this country on a “legal” status; “I had papers,” was the phrase that I often heard from my High School friends. My “legal” status did not make me feel special; instead, it made me feel sad, knowing that many of my friends did not enjoy the same privilege I had. A privilege, I felt, which should have been given to them, not me, after hearing the stories of how they got to this country and why they immigrated to the USA.
Over 30 years later, the stories of how immigrants arrived in the USA and why
continue to be shared. Like me, many immigrants who entered this country with proper documentation feel the heaviness of knowing that countless others had no choice but to escape to this nation lacking the appropriate status to remain in this land.
It is not the USA’s fault that millions of people need to flee their countries because of persecution, wars, tyrant governments, extreme poverty, threats, and other unfortunate situations. But I do believe it is the responsibility of this blessed nation to respond in a manner that is compassionate, merciful, and loving towards those who are coming here seeking help. As a Christian, I would say that it’s more than a responsibility but a God-given commandment that has been forever stamped in the Holy book we cherish so much: the Bible.
Today, millions of immigrants in the USA, who are good people and hard workers who provide for their families and the economy, are living in this country with fear, uncertainty, and guilt at the fact that they are in this country without the proper documentation. As a nation, we can do something about it. Thousands of people, like many of our ancestors, are seeking to come to this nation for a better future for themselves and their loved ones. There is a way to help, and studies show it is feasible. We only need to think with hearts of compassion and understand that immigrants, like all human beings, have been created with a purpose, and we, as a nation, have the opportunity to help fulfill that purpose.
For those of us without the platform of candidacy: Get informed. If you feel so led, sign on to this open letter to the presidential candidates from World Relief and Open Doors. Be intentional about becoming friends with immigrants and listen to their stories. Understand that immigrants are more of a blessing to this nation than an inconvenience. And support efforts that favor compassionate and fair immigration reform while protecting our borders.
Pastor Marcio Sierra is originally from Honduras. He moved to the United States in 1993 when he was 15 years old. He is the Senior Pastor and President of Lighthouse Church and Schools in Madison, Wisconsin.
