Aliens Among Us

Deut 10:17-19 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt.

As a staunch conservative I have traditionally opposed Illegal immigration. I have opposed amnesty, healthcare, education, and government benefits as well. But like Randy on American Idol, I have to “Keep it real” so, I have to say I was a bit surprised when I read Deuteronomy 10 where it says that God loves aliens. Not little green ones but aliens, as in immigrants. In fact, they are grouped right in there with orphans and widows. But then it goes a step further to say that we should love them too. Right, we’re supposed to love everyone including our enemies I get it. But that’s not why God says we should love them. God says we should love them because WE are aliens too!

When God removed the Children of Israel from slavery in Egypt they became aliens among the nations. We know also that in the same way Christ saved us from slavery to sin and now we are living as aliens in the land until he comes for us to take us home to the Promised Land.

So what does this mean for us? One thing it does not mean is that illegal aliens should necessarily be given amnesty. Illegal immigration is just that…illegal. The United States has the right to create laws to protect its borders. It has the right to stand on the border and stop those from entering who should not be here. But what about those who are here? The Bible gives some insight into this:

Aliens should not be oppressed.
Exodus 22:21 "Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.

Aliens should be allowed to eat the leftovers from the farmland.
Lev 19:10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.

Aliens should be treated with respect and decency.
Lev 19:33 "'When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him.

Yikes!
Lev 19:34 The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

They should be given access to justice in our courts
Deut 1:16 And I charged your judges at that time: Hear the disputes between your brothers and judge fairly, whether the case is between brother Israelites or between one of them and an alien.

They should not be subjected to substandard working conditions.
Deut 24:14 Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns.


A portion of the tithe should be set aside for the alien.
Deut 26:12 When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.

These are just a few of the many verses in the Bible that deal with aliens, but these verses represent the common themes that the Bible discusses with regard to aliens. I think the Bible covers the topic relatively comprehensively.

So how are we doing? If I had to give us a grade, I’m not too sure I could give us very high marks. Aliens live all around us; they work on our farms and in our factories. They have little access to work, justice, protection, or healthcare.

Every year, between 14,500 to 17,500 foreign men, women and children are trafficked into the United States. Ohio is the fifth worst state for human trafficking.

Ohio businesses employ migrant labor in many different sectors throughout the state. Most of the migrant labor in Ohio and the United States is concentrated in poorly regulated industries that demand cheap labor. Such industries include textiles, agriculture, restaurants, construction and domestic work. In 2004, Ohio employed over 15,000 migrant workers where most worked in the agriculture sector. Agriculture is Ohio’s most lucrative sector in which it generates over six billion annually. The majority of migrant laborers are Mexican and they are recruited from Texas, Florida and Mexico. The dairy, nursery and landscaping industries in Ohio also experienced large growths in migrant laborers, especially because others are unwilling to work in unfavorable conditions (e.g. long hours and no insurance).

Because these industries experience minimal governmental monitoring, both documented and undocumented migrant workers are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation that can lead to bonded labor or indentured servitude. In its 2002 report, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services estimated that over seventy percent of the migrant workforce in Ohio does not have legal status in the United States. This places migrant workers at risk of becoming victims of forced labor and trafficking. Law enforcement’s lack of training and understanding of trafficking has further made many experiencing or witnessing forced labor to come forward, fearing reprisal from traffickers or punishment from legal authorities. Most cases of forced labor have been treated by law enforcement as illegal immigration issues where the victims are often treated as criminals. This is most likely the case with Ohio.

http://www.ccv.org/downloads/pdf/Ohio-Report-on-Trafficking.pdf


Aliens living among us allow our food to be produced at prices which are below the actual cost of production. This cheap labor allows us to have cheap groceries. However many of these aliens are not treated well and they are not paid fair wages for their work. Fear of deportation and poor language skills keep them from seeking available and necessary healthcare services. Their children do not always receive schooling ensuring that the cycle of poverty and neglect continues. We make excuses for this saying that they shouldn’t be here anyway. Agreed, but they are here, so we should not be turning a blind eyed to their plight. They deserve basic human decency. I’m praying that some with the skills in the church would step up and offer ministry to them.

The next time I go to the grocery and buy corn or cucumbers for under a dollar I’ll be thinking about this verse and then saying a prayer for the aliens among us who made it possible.

James 5:1-4 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.