Torch, Spring/Summer 2012

became a great nation, powerful and numerous. But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, subjecting us to harsh labor. Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, toil, and oppression” (Deut. 26:5–7). If those of us of European descent would dig a little deeper into our own histories, we’d realize that in all probability, there was a time when our own ancestors were discriminated against. As Matthew Soerens and Jenny Hwang point out in their book, Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion, & Truth in the Immigration Debate , there were no immigration laws until 1882. According to the authors, there were no illegal immigrants because there were no laws to violate. Even until the 1920s, there was no requirement of a visa to enter the U.S., and — despite their overall lack of means, education, and family connections — 98 percent of those who arrived at Ellis Island were eventually let in. By contrast, it’s hard to overlook the fact that our current, highly flawed immigration laws discriminate against the poor and people of darker skin. For example, if an immigrant comes from Western Europe and/or is highly skilled, he or she has less trouble immigrating to the U.S. If an immigrant comes from Mexico and/or is not highly skilled, the chances of gaining legal immigrant status plummet. Based on the current criteria for granting immigration status, most of our own ancestors would have been barred from entering the U.S. Lessons for Today What about the issue of undocumented immigrants? The current immigration system is flawed and racialized. I am not advocating putting our national security at risk; I am advocating for immigration reform and more equitable laws. For example, I’ve discovered that many believe (albeit falsely) that undocumented immigrants in particular are a drain on the economy. Yet almost all economists believe that overall, undocumented workers are a boon to our economy. In fact, the majority of undocumented workers have federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare taxes withheld from their paychecks through Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers or through mismatched names and Social Security numbers. They help fund our public benefits but have virtually no access to them. While we are to pray for and respect our leaders and our government, what do we do if our nation’s laws are unjust? I believe we seek to change them and, in some cases, violate them. History is rife with examples of Christians who risked their lives and disobeyed unjust laws in order to obey God in loving their neighbors. Consider Corrie ten Boom in Amsterdam, the underground Church throughout world history, anti- apartheid in South Africa, and the civil rights movement in the U.S. Many schools and ministries in Arizona and Alabama are now contemplating civil disobedience because of recently passed immigration legislation. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d lived “back then,” but I do know what I can and must do today. I’ll continue building relationships with those immigrants around me, publicly advocating for justice on their behalf, alerting the Church to their situation, praying for them, and assisting them however I can. In short, I’ll love them. After all, many of those affected are our brothers and sisters in Christ. When one part of the body hurts, we all hurt, don’t we? Marlena Graves is resident director of Murphy Hall and advises a student organization concerned with immigration. She received her B.A. in history from Cedarville and her M.Div. from Northeastern Seminary. She is a regular writer for Christianity Today’s blog “her.meneutics.” She has been at Cedarville since 2008. Spring-Summer 2012 | TORCH 19