BIDEN’S BORDER CRISIS
WHAT DO CHRISTIANS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN AT THE BORDER?
Key Facts
The pandemic health order means that most adults and families are being instantly turned away, but the Biden administration has allowed unaccompanied children under the age of 18 to enter the US while their claims are processed. [1]
Encounters of unaccompanied minors by the US Border Patrol have risen dramatically in 2021. The current surge has steadily been growing since April 2020 and is on track to reach a 20-year high. [2]
Despite concerns about COVID-19, health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have said detention centers can open at 100% capacity. [3]
At least 5,000 children have been kept for over 72 hours, the legal limit after which they are meant to be transferred to the custody of health officials in the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). [4]
Key Scriptures
Micah 6:8 “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Proverbs 31:8-9 “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
Isaiah 1:17 “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.”
Deuteronomy 27:19 “‘Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’”
Acts 10:34-35 “So Peter opened his mouth and said: ‘Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.’”
Mark 10:13-15 “And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.’”
Application
For many years, the United States/Mexico border has been at the forefront of media coverage. There are a number of issues at the border that could be addressed such as human and drug trafficking, violence in detainment camps, and policies regarding refugee and asylum seekers. However, one particular concern has been the Border Patrol’s encounters with unaccompanied children. This is by no means a new issue. We have seen unaccompanied children crossing the border for many years. Yet, there has been a recent spike in numbers that should lead Christians to pause and seek a biblical response. Although questions of policy are important, individual Christians do not always have the knowledge or influence to immediately affect change through policy. Instead, this article will focus on how the average Christian can respond to the crisis for unaccompanied children at the border apart from policy change.
Biden’s Response
Biden’s campaign and early presidency have been characterized by efforts to reverse many of Trump’s policies regarding immigration. [5] The public perception is that president Biden is more lenient on immigration than the previous administration. Although he has not reversed all of the policies of the previous administration, one significant change has been to allow unaccompanied minors into the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Biden administration continues to expel single adults and families crossing illegally. [6] However, they have made allowances for those entering the country under the age of 18 without a guardian. Biden officials and migrant advocates have acknowledged that the increase is due, at least in part, to this policy change. [7] Due to the changes in policy and perception, many more parents may be sending their children hoping that they will be accepted into the US when they previously may have been sent back to their home country.
However, it is worth noting that although many may perceive Biden as pro-immigrant, others have concerns about his policies and actions—especially regarding the conditions of those unaccompanied children at the Border. At Biden’s first press conference, many journalists expressed concerns about children still sleeping in unfit conditions, and Biden’s response was, “Is it acceptable to me? Come on. That’s why we’re going to be moving a thousand of those kids out quickly… That is totally unacceptable.” [8] This response was verbal reassurance to the public concerning the future conditions of the children in these facilities, but many are still unsatisfied about the current state of the children being held—which was 18,000 minors as of March 25th. [9] When asked about allowing journalists to view and document the facilities, Biden reassured that he was committed to transparency but remarked that he did not know when he would allow access. [10] This answer was (again) insufficient for many that are concerned about the well-being of the children at the border.
What Do Christians Need to Know?
In this crisis, there are so many aspects and dimensions to what is going on. Since we cannot discuss every detail of this situation, Christians might ask what are the most crucial features of the crisis to be aware of.
First, the number of unaccompanied children at the border has risen and is expected to reach a 20-year high by April. [11] The number of children held for more than ten days has also spiked. [12] As Christians examine the issues at the border, these spikes show that there are many children in difficult situations and the Church’s response to this issue should be a priority.
Second, because of the spike in numbers, the living conditions are likely not very good for these children due to overcrowding. The first and only pictures released this year depict tight living conditions and foil blankets, with children living close enough that they can reach out and touch their neighbor. [13] There are also concerns about the danger of Covid-19 and other diseases. [14] With children in the care of the state, the government should do what it can to mitigate potential outbreaks.
Third, beyond the lack of access to health necessities, unaccompanied children at the border often face mental and physical dangers on their journeys. Unaccompanied minors have historically faced sexual assault, violence, and abuse by dangerous gangs, cartels, traffickers, and even law enforcement personnel. [15] Higher numbers of unaccompanied minors likely means that there will be a rise in these types of situations. These adverse experiences put unaccompanied minors at a higher risk for post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, aggression, and hyperactivity. [16]
How Should the Bible Influence the Christian Response?
Policy is important, and Christians should be proactive in seeking political change that shows honor to all (1 Pet. 2:17). However, bringing new policies into effect is a long and arduous process. In addition, there is no one biblical answer to immigration concerns. This is why so many Christians disagree on how to best address the issue. However, there are biblical principles upon which all Christians can agree that influence our approach to creating policy and formulating our response at the border.
At the very least, Christians should have an accommodating and compassionate attitude towards these unaccompanied children at the border. [17] While violence and other dangers at the border should be accounted for, Christians should be sober-minded and have compassion for the immigrants who face dangerous or difficult situations (Rom. 12:13, 1 Pet. 1:13, Mat. 25:35). Ultimately, all people at the border are image-bearers of God and are either our brothers and sisters in Christ or people who need to hear the gospel preached (Gen. 1:27, Mat. 28:16-20, John 13:35). Viewing migrants with a focus on the kingdom of heaven instead of a focus on this world will help Christians to respond biblically to this issue (Mat. 6:33). Each person has inherent value as an image-bearer of God (Gen. 9:6). As we recognize the value of these children and become aware of the dangers they are facing, it should evoke a desire to care for them when they cannot care for themselves (1 John 3:17-18). Children are so valued by God and should be by Christians as well (Mar. 10:13-15). Practically, the best way to care for unaccompanied minors may change depending on the situation that the child is facing. In some situations, it may be better to send them back to their parents, whereas in others, it may be better to keep them here in the United States. Christians may disagree on the best way to handle each situation, but their overall attitude toward unaccompanied children should reflect biblical principles of wisdom, care, and compassion.
How Can Christians Respond Practically?
Here are four practical ways that these biblical principles can be applied as Christians seek to respond to the crisis at the border.
Christians can pray for the safety of the children at the border, the future of their wellbeing, and change for the situation which led them to these facilities (1 Tim. 2:1-4). Prayer is a great first response for Christians when learning of these concerning circumstances (Phil. 4:6).
Donating goods and services for use at the border. Although there are difficulties in gaining access to these facilities, there are organizations that are taking donations and enabling those goods to be used by the children at the border centers.
Sheltering and caring for unaccompanied minors. Christians can get involved at the border in seeking to assist those in dangerous or desperate situations. This can look like fostering children who do not have a safe place to stay, working to keep families together so that they can care for their children, and working with churches at the border who have similar goals.
Explore why the children are fleeing from their country of origin and help meet those needs. Many children are being sent to the United States due to food shortages, violence, or other serious concerns in their country of origin. The child's presence in the United States can alert Christians to global humanitarian concerns. Christians can assist around the world to help mitigate concerns of starvation, lack of healthcare, and even violence in these countries.
Conclusion
The topic of unaccompanied minors at the border is complex and difficult to address, but this does not mean Christians should shy away from it. There are many factors which affect the situation at the border, and, in order to respond properly, it is wise to understand what these factors are. As we seek wisdom in confronting the dangers for children at the border, Christians should allow their primary focus on God’s kingdom, biblical love for others, and desire for evangelism to influence their practical responses.
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56405009
[2] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56405009
[3] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56405009
[4] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56405009
[5] https://joebiden.com/immigration/
[11] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56405009
[12] https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/22/politics/border-patrol-numbers-unaccompanied-children/index.html
[13] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56405009
[14] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56405009
[15] Kiera Coulter, Samantha Sabo, Daniel Martínez, Katelyn Chisholm, Kelsey Gonzalez, Sonia Bass Zavala, Edrick Villalobos, Diego Garcia, Taylor Levy, and Jeremy Slack, “A Study and Analysis of the Treatment of Mexican Unaccompanied Minors by Customs and Border Protection,” Journal on Migration and Human Security 8, no. 2 (June 2020): 96–110, https://doi.org/10.1177/2331502420915898.
[16] Janna Ataiants, Chari Cohen, Henderson Riley Amy, Tellez Lieberman Jamile, Mary Clare Reidy, and Mariana Chilton, "Unaccompanied Children at the United States Border, a Human Rights Crisis that can be Addressed with Policy Change," Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 20, no. 4 (08, 2018): 1000-1010, http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fscholarly-journals%2Funaccompanied-children-at-united-states-border%2Fdocview%2F2065265513%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D12085.