Here's the thing about "illegal immigration":

For unlawful/unauthorized forms of immigration to exist, there must exist laws and regulations related to "legal" or lawful immigration.

In the context and history of the US, "legal immigration" has consistently been for the benefit
and preference of White Americans.

It was argued long ago that colonists not only had rights to legal immigration but they had more rights to the land than the Native people who had been living there for generations.

People of African descent were "legally" migrated into the
US as property of Whites, and then their movements within the country were severely hindered. A racial caste system defined Whites as the only true "immigrants" and "citizens" of the US, and everyone else was less than.

The US (and individual states) passed numerous race-based
immigration laws in order to maintain nativism and fears of the "yellow peril." Many of these laws were not overturned until the mid 20th century. The demographics of the US were greatly determined by these laws through the 1960s.

People of Japanese descent who were even lawful
permanent residents and citizens of the US were placed under concentration camps based solely on their race. It was clear that non-white people had provisional status.

The current immigration law of the country is deeply outdated by decades and in need of a wholesale revision to
meet the needs of the present. People who "wait in line legally" find themselves stuck behind decades long lines simply based on their birth country. Others who follow the law for humanitarian reasons (e.g. Asylum and refugees) find themselves shut out by administrations that
bring contradictory policies that render these legal immigration options impossible. Even the field of business immigration which has been known to significantly impact the tech industry's growth in the US, has been deeply cut by the current administration.

The line between
"illegal" and "legal" immigration are blurred with the reality of mixed status families. Congress fails again and again to address this matter at all, let alone in a humane manner. DACA is a stop gap measure that was implemented by executive order because of the inaction of
congress, but it provides no long-term solutions.

On top of all of this are the ongoing stigma and false narratives about both undocumented immigrants and lawful aliens that are patently untrue. In fact, it should be common knowledge that immigration is a necessity to be able to
sustain an aging population in the US. It should also be common knowledge that undocumented immigrants contribute billions of dollars in taxes yearly, well beyond any claims of "free loading" off the system.

Lastly, the terms "legal" and "illegal" as descriptors of immigration
do not automatically equate moral and immoral. In fact, a robust Christian ethic realizes that many immoral things get legalized and many moral things are deemed unlawful. Christians cannot simply claim to be on the side of law and order in terms of immigration if the status quo
itself is unjust. Christians must go beyond labels of legality in order to see how love of neighbor compels them to act differently and against the grain.
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