At times when our government is stuck or moving in the wrong direction, I thoroughly believe it is our civic duty to petition our government on issues of public policy. Thankfully, it remains one of our constitutional rights. So, my third public policy letter to speaker Johnson addressed the need to reform our inadequate immigration laws to address the crisis at our southern border. I share this letter with you in hopes that you will write your own letter.
Dear Speaker Johnson,
As promised, I am sending you another letter to address an important topic regarding good public policy. I understand that you have publicly stated that you intend to pass legislation using the Bible as your guide. As a Christian myself, I conduct my personal life in accordance with my understanding of the teachings of Christ. However, our Constitution has a different standard when it comes to our laws, freedoms, and basic rights. Good public policy should uphold the purpose of our laws as established in the Constitution: providing for the common defense, promoting the general welfare, and securing the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our descendants. You serve the people so you can pass laws that benefit the people, not a particular political party or a particular presidential candidate. You take an oath to protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and domestic.
Recently, I saw you walk away from bi-partisan legislation that would finally address border security and the migrant issues at our southern border at the behest of Donald Trump who wants to campaign using chaos at the border. Not only is this shameful, but it is harmful to America, and I believe you are in violation of your duty to defend this nation and promote the general welfare.
Since you call yourself a Christian and proclaim to want to legislate in accordance with your Christian beliefs, I must point out that your Party is at odds with many Biblical verses that address how to treat migrants or immigrants. You should read Leviticus 19:34, “The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” God never changed His stance on immigrants from Old Testament to New. Matthew 25:40 reads, “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
Since the beginning of time, human beings have migrated out of necessity, whether fleeing starvation, violence, oppression, persecution, or a lack of opportunity. Jesus Himself was a migrant fleeing to Egypt when King Harold sought to kill Him. Our nation was founded by and built by people fleeing horrible circumstances and seeking a better life. Today is no different for many of the migrants showing up at our border and your Christian faith demands compassion from you, not distain and public demonization of them.
That said, it is good public policy to enact immigration laws that offer a faster path to legal entry for family members of citizens, needed workers, and for human beings fleeing eminent violence, oppression, and persecution. Modern technology allows us to prevent starvation abroad and therefore eliminates the need for migration based on hunger. I actually agree that it is good public policy to know who is coming into our country to ensure their good intentions as well as their physical and mental health. We should provide those we admit with work permits upon entry.
To accomplish this, we must increase the number of judges or adjudicators to quickly process claims. We must increase the number of border security officers. And we must update our immigration laws to allow for many more guest workers, faster processing of asylum claims, family unification requests, and immediate issuance of work permits to those we admit. We must employ technology and more highly trained border officers to detect drug and human traffickers. Because Mexico is dangerous, I think the “remain in Mexico” policy is inhumane. It is also inhumane to continuously announce that the “border is open” to encourage continued migration and chaos.
I am for legal immigration. Immigration provides our country with an innovative and economic edge. We need more workers to support our aging population and forcing women to give birth isn’t the best public policy answer. It is counterproductive for Republicans to demonize migrants as rapists, terrorists, murderers, and poisoners of the blood of our nation. Your Party has too many Americans scared out of their minds that migrants are hell bent on killing them when they are far less likely to commit crimes than Americans. Others are convinced that Democrats are bringing them here to vote illegally. That too, is nonsense. They aren’t voting because they have no pathway to register to vote, yet your Party forces the false narrative that thousands of them go to the polls and vote for Democrats. How absurd.
The fear-mongering has to stop as it stokes violence against people who do not deserve it. Muslim bans and banning of people of color from “shit hole” countries does not reflect the kind of America I want to live in. Our diversity is our beauty and our strength. Immigrants add new flavors to our taste pallets, stimulate innovation and invention, increase our connection to the world, and grow our economy. Learning multiple languages and about other cultures is an addition, not a subtraction, that contributes to brain health and international cooperation.
With that, I urge you to improve upon and then pass the bi-partisan border security bill now and demonstrate your loyalty to the American people, the Constitution, and your Savior Jesus Christ, as opposed to loyalty to Donald Trump whom I view as a true enemy of the people and our Constitution.
Sincerely,
Dr. Juanita Hall