Baptist Press
By Tony Beam, posted September 27, 2024 in Immigration
Almost all the polling data monitoring people’s top concerns connected to the 2024 race for the White House lists three issues rising to the top in every poll. They are the economy (inflation), the border, and crime. In some polls, chaos at the border (including the steep rise in illegal crossings) tops the list. In other polls, the economy and inflation are the top priorities, with illegal immigration not far behind. Regardless of the order, Americans are worried that an unsecured border means higher crime rates and violence, a greater threat of terrorism, a rise in deaths from fentanyl, and many other consequences that are related to an open border.
How big is the problem? According to data released by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), 2023 was the worst year ever for illegal encounters at our southern border. Illegal encounters have risen 40 percent since 2021. Since 2021, there have been 7.5 million encounters nationwide, with 6.2 million of those encounters occurring at the southwest border.
People who would like to hurt us (terrorists, drug and human traffickers) are taking advantage of our lack of border security. In 2023, at least 169 individuals whose names appear on the terrorist watch list were stopped, attempting to cross the U.S./Mexico border between ports of entry. Nationwide, 35,433 illegal aliens with criminal convictions or outstanding warrants were arrested, including 598 known gang members — with 178 of those being members of MS-13.
When you combine these numbers with the estimated 1.7 million known “got aways” since 2021 — and the chaos that has been created in some of our largest cities that once bragged about being “sanctuary cities” but are now being overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of illegal immigrants — we can certainly understand why so many Americans rate our open southern border as one of our country’s most urgent problems.
It is a problem that must be addressed politically and legally, but like any problem the solution can only be found when we think and act biblically. Many Americans are so frustrated by how long we have dealt with the problems associated with illegal immigration, they lash out in anger and speak harshly about people who are created in the image of God. As followers of Jesus Christ, we need to find a better way. More Here
