The Immigration Crisis: Immigrants, Aliens and the Bible

This short volume attempts to apply biblical teachings to the present-day U.S. immigration crisis. Hoffmeier, a professor of Old Testament and archeology who was born in Egypt, argues that the Hebrew Bible's many legal and ethical proscriptions against mistreating the “alien” were addressed to a class of people who in this day and age might be thought of resident aliens or permanent residents—not illegal immigrants. He also argues that the so-called “sanctuary movement,” in which church leaders have on occasion sheltered illegal immigrants from imminent arrest, is “twisting biblical statutes and subverting federal law.” The book offers little in the way of sociological, political or economic insight into the circumstances surrounding modern-day illegal immigration, beyond advocating for a law-and-order approach. Missing from this analysis is an understanding of the Bible as a prophetic document more concerned with larger issues of justice. Still, Christians looking for a biblical justification for strict federal enforcement of immigration laws may find much to like. (Apr. 30)