A Crisis Born in Confusion and Fed by Obama
Although part of the blame for the mass of children in Texas and Arizona Immigration Detention Facilities falls at the feet of Diane Feinstein, Joe Biden, and George W. Bush, the unending attention from 2009 to 2014 and the executive order issued in 2012 have significantly worsened this crisis came from Barack Hussein Obama.
Unintended Consequences of a Bipartisan Bill
In 2007, Diane Feinstein introduced the Unaccompanied Alien Child Protection Act. In 2008, Feinstein’s bill was attached to William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act and introduced into the Senate by (then-senator) Joe Biden. Signed by President Bush, this law worked to combat the trafficking of minors. The premise of this law was to slow the deportation of underage illegal immigrants in order to ensure that these minors were not returned to the human traffickers who had brought them to the US.
While the effect of this bill is to slow down repatriation of children from Central America, it does not explain how deportations of children increased from 1,472 in 2003 to 8,143 in 2008 under Bush and decreased every year under Obama until it hit 1669 in 2013 (refer to the LA Times article, Deportation data won’t dispel rumors drawing migrant minors to U.S.).
Obama’s DREAM
Obama’s focus on the DREAM Act (as evidenced by his Charolette speech in 2009, this ABC report posted during November 2010, this 2011 article from the New York Daily News, this 2012 article from the Washington Times, a 2013 Washington Post article that wonders whether Obama can legalize 11 million immigrants, and this 2014 Washington Post article that postulates that Obama can legalize 8 million immigrants at one time) has kept the world’s attention on the DREAM Act.
For those who may need a primer, the DREAM Act was introduced on 11 May 2011 by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Representative Howard Berman (D-CA). First set forward in 2001, this bill offers a way to legal residency for illegal immigrants brought into our borders before the age of 16 if they meet certain conditions. They must have lived in the U.S. for no less than five years; they must have a high school diploma or an equivalent; and they must enter an institution of higher education or the military. Never mind that 80% of applicants to Obama’s downsized military are rejected. Never mind that Ivy league colleges rejected over 93% of applicants and USC rejected over 81%.
Obama’s Executive Order Regarding “Deferred” Deportations
One of the more high-profile references to Obama’s 2012 executive order came through a LA Times article (Deportation data won’t dispel rumors drawing migrant minors to U.S.). In the seventh paragraph, reporter Brian Bennett says:
Obama administration officials deny that lenient policies — including a 2012 program that allowed immigrants who had entered the country illegally as minors before June 2007 to apply for deportation deferrals — have encouraged the sudden surge.
I Have a Pen
Another part of this crisis can be mapped to the urgency assigned to the topic of immigration by Obama when he made his “I have a pen and I have a phone” challenge. Although most Americans might see this as an overstepping of the constitutional limits to presidential power, Central and South American witnesses might see this as the act of a strong leader. With Central America’s history of “strong leaders” who shut down their press and suspended other branches of government, possibly the Central American witnesses thought that they could take advantage of the acts of this American “strong leader.”
Are These Events a Tests Created for a Christian Response?
If these events were designed and executed by the Obama administration, why did they make the effort? Could they have been attempting to shame the Christian community (especially the conservative Christians in the Tea Party movement) by creating two situations that would run contrary to the teachings of the Bible:
- One situation where the hurting did not receive help and ministry
- Another situation where Christians permitted lawlessness (much as Obama has ignored the laws he did not want to enforce) and winked at sin
Christian Response to the Hurting
Luckily, neither situation happened. The first did not happen possibly because of many Christians’ familiarity of the story of the sheep and the goats. In Jesus’ story of the sheep and the goats, Jesus rewarded the believers for their having attended to his needs by ministering to his followers.
Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. (Matthew 35:34-40 NIV)
As shown by the following report by the Christian Broadcasting Network, South Texas churches have stepped into the breach for the young illegal aliens who pour over our borders.
Should you want to contribute to this ministry to the illegals, consider contacting:
SouthTexasRefugees.org
South Texas Refugees is a ministry supported by:
- Catholic Charities
- The Salvation Army
- Calvary Baptist Church (McAllen)
- Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley, Inc.
- City of McAllen
- United Way of South Texas
Letting People Know the Rights and Wrongs: Tough Love
Some of the same Christian institutions that have ministered to the illegals have encouraged Central Americans to obey the laws of the land, as taught in Romans 13:
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
This is also why you pay taxes,v for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes;w if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. (Romans 13:1-7 NIV)
This type of encouragement finds a central part of the following CBN report on how faith leaders preach tough love to the parents of the young illegal immigrants:
Mark 1:1 