Justice to the Sojourner
How does Babylon Exploit Immigrants and How Does that Compare to U.S. Border Policy?
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Adventures Await from Creation Press
Introducing serialized fiction from Creation Awaits in our sister publication. Paid subscribers will receive a fresh chapter every week (in three parts) from our current work-in-progress. Think of it as an old-fashioned episodic novel delivered straight to your inbox—rich in biblical history, steeped in faith, and crafted to stir both mind and spirit.
A chill clung to the night air as Ruth and Naomi crossed the invisible line that separated Moab from Judah. Two widows—one foreign, one native—walked by faith toward Bethlehem, carrying little more than hope and the memory of covenant kindness. Would the people of God welcome the outsider? Would Bethlehem’s harvest fields protect the vulnerable—or profit from them? Their story raises questions that still haunt borderlands today.
Meanwhile, a very different drama unfolds each night along the Rio Grande. Beneath full moons and infrared drones, parents hoist children onto inflatable rafts while coyotes shout prices and cartel gunmen enforce “toll” payments at gunpoint. For every family that reaches U.S. soil and surrenders to Border Patrol, others vanish into stash houses or ride northward in refrigerated trailers that too often become tombs.
Can a nation secure its gates and still open its hands? What happens when compassion is twisted into a marketing slogan for traffickers? How do followers of Jesus do justice for the sojourner while resisting the Babylon‑like systems that prey on migrants?
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The Bible’s Mandate to Love the Immigrant
God identifies Himself as “the One who … loves the sojourner” (Dt 10:18‑19). Israel was commanded not to wrong or oppress the foreigner (Ex 22:21; 23:9) and to “love him as yourself” (Lev 19:33‑34). Sojourners could glean grain during harvest (Dt 24:19‑22) and participate in Passover under the same covenant law (Num 15:15‑16). The prophets echoed the call (Jer 22:3; Zec 7:9‑10), and the exile experience reminded Israel that they too were aliens in Babylon.
Jesus affirmed the principle when He said, “I was a stranger and you welcomed Me” (Mt 25:35) and when He healed the Roman centurion’s servant (Mt 8:5‑13). The Good Samaritan (Lk 10:29‑37) shows neighbor‑love crossing ethnic and political lines. Paul reminds us that God “made … nations and marked out their boundaries” (Ac 17:26)—a hint that borders exist, yet every person remains an image‑bearer whose dignity the Church must defend. Hebrews exhorts believers to “show hospitality to strangers” (Heb 13:2), for in so doing some “have entertained angels unawares.”
In short, biblical hospitality is proactive care—food, shelter, legal advocacy, and gospel hope—within an ordered society that protects all who dwell within its gates.
Babylon Exploits the Immigrant
Revelation 18 portrays Babylon trading in “bodies and human souls” (v. 13). Modern traffickers echo that evil.
Kidnapping & ransom. NGOs document at least 1,600 migrant kidnappings in Tamaulipas during a single 12‑month span, with ransoms ranging from USD $2,000–$10,000.
Sexual violence. Médecins Sans Frontières reports a 273 percent rise in sexual‑assault cases in Reynosa clinics since 2022.
Forced labor. The International Labour Organization estimates 27.6 million people worldwide in forced labor; analysts tie a growing share to Western supply chains dependent on undocumented labor willing to accept sub‑minimum wages.
Babylon promises compassion and opportunity but delivers bondage—swapping ancient slave markets for twenty‑first‑century wire transfers and encrypted messaging apps.
The Southern Border Debate
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recorded 2.4 million encounters in FY 2024—more than triple the annual average a decade earlier. Some policy advocates brand any form of deterrence “immoral”, “xenophobic”, or “racist”, advancing an open‑borders narrative that equates sovereign enforcement with bigotry. Yet Scripture’s picture of hospitality and ordered community warns against sentimentalism divorced from wisdom (Pr 24:11‑12; Ro 13:1‑4).
Faith leaders are split. One coalition cites biblical calls to welcome strangers; another cites commands to uphold justice for all by restraining evil. Both appeal to love, but one tends to downplay the practical reality of criminal networks embedded in today’s migration flows.
When Borders Fail: Death, Crime, and Slavery
Death in the desert. The International Organization for Migration counts over 1,000 migrant deaths at the U.S.–Mexico border in 2023 alone—an historic high.
Drugs that kill. CBP seized 27 tons of fentanyl in 2024—enough for 380 million lethal doses.
Sex trafficking and rape. Investigations describe systematic sexual assault in smuggling routes and cartel‑run stash houses.
Gang recruitment. Unaccompanied minors are prime targets for MS‑13 and Barrio 18, who promise protection but demand allegiance.
Child labor and economic exploitation. Federal probes found migrant children deboning chicken at Perdue and cleaning slaughterhouses for JBS; Department of Labor data show child‑labor violations up 88 percent since 2019.
Resource strain & community backlash. Sanctuary cities like New York have spent $4.6 billion on emergency migrant shelters since 2023—funds diverted from existing homelessness programs.
None of this is the “benevolent care” Scripture envisions. It is Babylon merchandising lives for profit.
A Ruse of Soft‑Heartedness
Philanthropic giants pour millions into campaigns that frame any restriction as xenophobia. The Open Society Foundations bankrolls “Welcoming America” toolkits that advise municipalities how to re‑label illegal immigrants as “newcomers” and embed them in local voting blocs through rapid sanctuary ordinances.
Critics link such funding to the Cloward‑Piven Strategy—a 1960s blueprint to overload welfare systems until they collapse, necessitating expansive federal power. Whether intentional or incidental, unlimited inflow strains hospitals, schools, and shelters, breeding chaos that Babylon can harness for power.
Demographers note that sustained high‑volume immigration could reshape congressional apportionment in fewer than two census cycles—a form of demographic destiny. While lawful immigration enriches a nation, unmanaged surges enable corrupt politicians to trade humanitarian rhetoric for future votes, perpetuating dependency rather than empowerment.
America’s Stewardship of Liberty
The United States—imperfect yet uniquely free—has given more than $500 billion in private charitable donations abroad since 2000. Undermining the rule of law endangers that engine of generosity. Proverbs commands us to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves” (Pr 31:8‑9), which includes both the immigrant preyed upon by coyotes and the citizen victimized by fentanyl or gang violence.
Moreover, stable borders enable targeted aid. When disasters strike—Haiti 2010, Nepal 2015, Ukraine 2022—it is largely the American economy and church missions that finance relief. Allowing the homeland to collapse through unchecked lawlessness would dim a lighthouse that has guided millions toward liberty.
A Balanced Christian Response
Protect life first. Cut cartels’ revenue by enforcing anti‑trafficking, drug, and labor methods such as border patrol and wall construction (Ro 13:4). Deploy non-lethal modern technology to treat the immigrants with care, without the need for violence.
Expand lawful pathways. Streamline seasonal‑work visas so labor demand is met without empowering smugglers (Lev 19:13). Pair visas with robust workplace monitoring.
Target predators, not victims. Prioritize prosecution of exploiters—from coyotes, the NGOs to corporations (Jer 22:3). Use harsh criminal penalties to deter future abuse of the system.
Fortify humanitarian infrastructure. Increase asylum officers and immigration judges to adjudicate claims within 180 days, shrinking the backlog that incentivizes false asylum applications.
Strengthen churches at the border. Local congregations provide shelter, provision, and the gospel—modeling Ruth’s redemption story while cooperating with law enforcement, border patrol and ICE.
Educate the flock. Equip believers to distinguish biblical compassion from policy naïveté—mercy with discernment (Php 1:9‑10).
Pray without ceasing. Spiritual warfare undergirds physical crises; the Church must intercede for just leaders, safe corridors, and radical heart change (1 Ti 2:1‑2).
Loving immigrants and guarding borders are not opposites; they are complementary acts of neighbor‑love and stewardship.
Conclusion
Ruth gleaned safely in Boaz’s field because the land upheld laws that protected the outsider and punished oppression. Likewise, a healthy republic guards its gates against wolves while keeping its tables open for weary travelers. If the United States abdicates either duty—compassion or security—Babylon will continue to buy and sell human bodies along its frontiers. But when believers champion both, borders become bridges and harvest fields once again echo with songs of redemption.
Prayer
Father of the fatherless, Defender of the stranger, I confess that I have too often scrolled past headlines of bodies lost in the desert or applauded policies that ease my conscience while children are sold in windowless rooms. Forgive me for apathy masquerading as prudence and for naïveté dressed up as virtue.
Lord Jesus, refugee‑King who welcomed me when I was an alien to grace, teach me to hold justice and mercy in the same hand. Break my heart for the weary woman clutching her toddler on La Bestia and for the grieving parent in Ohio burying a son lost to fentanyl.
Holy Spirit, Spirit of wisdom and counsel, baptize my imagination with kingdom compassion. Give me courage to speak for those unseen, discernment to see ruse disguised as compassion, and humility to repent when partisanship blinds me.
May Your Church shine at the gates—eyes open, arms outstretched, guards on the walls, and tables set for strangers. Until every Ruth finds her Boaz and every border is redeemed, let my life echo Your welcome and Your warning.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
References
International Organization for Migration. “US–Mexico Border World's Deadliest Migration Land Route.” 12 Sep 2023. https://unofficeny.iom.int/news/us-mexico-border-worlds-deadliest-migration-land-route
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “Drug Seizure Statistics – Fiscal Year 2024.” Accessed May 2025. https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/drug-seizure-statistics
Washington Office on Latin America. “Kidnapping of Migrants and Asylum Seekers at the Texas–Tamaulipas Border Reaches Intolerable Levels.” Aug 2024. https://www.wola.org/analysis/kidnapping-migrants-asylum-seekers-texas-tamaulipas-border-intolerable-levels/
Médecins Sans Frontières. “US Migration Policy Endangers Lives of Asylum Seekers in Tamaulipas State, Mexico.” Oct 2019. https://www.msf.org/us-migration-policy-endangers-lives-asylum-seekers-tamaulipas-state-mexico
U.S. Department of Labor. “US Department of Labor Secures Agreement with JBS USA to Address Child Labor Compliance.” Jan 13 2025. https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20250113
Open Society Foundations. “Building a More Welcoming America.” Apr 26 2011. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/building-more-welcoming-america
Cloward, Richard A., and Frances Fox Piven. “The Weight of the Poor: A Strategy to End Poverty.” The Nation, May 2 1966. https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/weight-poor-strategy-end-poverty/
U.S. Census Bureau. “Population Projections – Vintage 2024 Estimates.” Dec 19 2024. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popproj.html
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “Southwest Land Border Encounters.” Accessed May 2025. https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/southwest-land-border-encounters
New York City Office of Management and Budget. “Preliminary Mayor’s Management Report FY 2025.” Jan 2025. https://www.nyc.gov/assets/operations/downloads/pdf/pmmr2025/2025_pmmr.pdf
Scripture References
Deuteronomy 10:18‑19
Exodus 22:21; 23:9
Leviticus 19:33‑34
Deuteronomy 24:19‑22
Numbers 15:15‑16
Jeremiah 22:3
Zechariah 7:9‑10
Matthew 25:35
Matthew 8:5‑13
Luke 10:29‑37
Acts 17:26
Hebrews 13:2
Revelation 18:13
Proverbs 24:11‑12
Romans 13:1‑4
Proverbs 31:8‑9
Isaiah 58:6‑7
Philippians 1:9‑10
1 Timothy 2:1‑2
Bibliography
Carroll, M. Daniel. Christians at the Border: Immigration, the Church, and the Bible. Baker Academic, 2013.
Chomsky, Aviva. Undocumented: How Immigration Became Illegal. Beacon Press, 2014.
De Genova, Nicholas, ed. The Borders of “Europe”: Autonomy of Migration, Tactics of Bordering. Duke University Press, 2017.
Kelly, Annie. Tainted Harvest: Child Labor in America’s Fields. Beacon Press, 2022.
Mandrika, Barbara. Soros: The Life and Times of a Messianic Billionaire. Knopf, 2009.
Meyers, Ched, ed. Watershed Discipleship: Reinhabiting Bioregional Faith and Practice. Orbis Books, 2016.
Moyn, Samuel. Humane: How the United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2021.
Partlow, Joshua. A Kingdom of Their Own: The Human Cost of Border Chaos. Random House, 2024.
Sassen, Saskia. Expulsions: Brutality and Complexity in the Global Economy. Harvard University Press, 2014.
Ewing, Walter, and María López. The Criminalization of Immigration in the United States. American Immigration Council, 2020.