As a warning to Trump, evangelical Christian leaders emphasize ‘biblical principles’ on immigration

(RNS) — More than 200 evangelical Christian leaders, from moderates to influential conservatives, have signed an open letter urging presidential candidates from both parties to reflect “biblical principles on immigration.” While challenging both parties, the letter demonstrates particular unease with the approach taken by former President Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, on this issue.

The letter, released Monday, Sept. 30, was organized by evangelical relief organization World Relief and signed by the group’s vice president for advocacy and policy, Matthew Soerens, as well as Timothy R., chief of the Faith and Liberty Coalition. ; Daniel Darling of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; and National Association of Evangelicals President Walter Kim.

Other signatories include Gabriel and Jeanette Salguero, leaders of the National Latin American Evangelical Coalition; Raymond Chang, president of the Asian American Christian Collaborative; Dave Dummitt, senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church; and Rich Nathan, pastor of Vineyard Church in Columbus, Ohio.

“There is no single evangelical view on U.S. immigration policy,” the letter states, but adds: “the vast majority of American evangelicals are neither anti-immigration nor advocates of open borders.” .

Instead, the letter details three “fundamental principles” regarding evangelical beliefs and immigration: the belief that immigrants are made in the image of God and have innate dignity, the desire for secure and orderly borders, and opposition to policies immigration that separates families.

The call for more secure borders appears to please critics of the current administration, as does the concern expressed in the letter about the “record number of apprehensions of individuals who have illegally crossed the border between the United States and Mexico” and those who entered without being apprehended. The signatories say this influx increases “the risk of entry by those who intend to harm the United States and its citizens,” a concern strongly emphasized by Trump’s presidential campaign.

“We believe our government can and must both maintain a secure and orderly border and protect those fleeing persecution,” the letter reads.

But the letter appears to reflect more of the criticism leveled at Vance and Trump, especially in light of the controversy over their repeated false claims about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. “Dehumanizing language is offensive to evangelicals, especially because many of us are immigrants, are descendants of immigrants, or have personal relationships with immigrants who make up a growing part of our movement,” it reads in World Vision’s letter, using language similar to that of religious leaders who came to the defense of the Haitian community, with statements of support from local and national clergy signing on.

The letter also highlights the “zero tolerance” policy instituted in 2018 by the Trump administration, which led to immigrant children detained along the U.S.-Mexico border being separated from their parents and sent to other establishments, sometimes without enough information to easily bring them together. later. This policy, overwhelmingly condemned by religious leaders at the time, prompted hundreds of United Methodists to join an unsuccessful effort to discipline the church against then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a UMC member who had attempted to justify this policy through Scripture.

At least one Catholic bishop has also suggested “canonical sanctions” – which include refusal of communion – for any Catholic who helped implement the policy.

The letter linked the policy to Trump’s recent proposals to implement the “largest deportation” in U.S. history.

“While those convicted of serious violent offenses should be deported,” the letter states, “any move to expel all illegal immigrants – the vast majority of whom have lived in the United States for at least a decade and have not been convicted of any serious crimes – would cause family separation on an unconscionable scale.

Matthew Soerens. (Photo provided by World Relief)

In an email to RNS, Soerens said the Trump campaign was “not only committing a moral error by using dehumanizing language and proposing policies that would separate families on a large scale, but also a political misstep.” He said that while Trump has long enjoyed ironclad support from white evangelical voters, his approach to immigration could hurt the former president’s prospects on Election Day.

“I’m obviously not predicting that most white evangelicals in Wisconsin or any state will vote for Harris, but if even a small portion of Trump voters in 2020 make that switch or – perhaps more likely – are so dismayed by both candidates that they simply stay home, this could be decisive in states like Wisconsin, North Carolina and Georgia, where the margin of victory will certainly be very close,” Soerens wrote.

Signatories to the letter, from all 50 states, include World Relief’s Myal Greene, Council for Christian Colleges and Universities President David Hoag and a collection of local faith leaders in states like Wisconsin, among others.

“As you seek to appeal to evangelical voters, we urge you to reflect each of these biblical values ​​in the rhetoric you employ and the policy solutions you propose,” the letter concludes. “Regardless of the outcome of this or any other election, American evangelicals remain committed to the biblical call to love our neighbors – including our immigrant neighbors. »

The letter comes less than two days after a church event in Pennsylvania at which Vance presented a theological defense of Trump’s border policies. Speaking to a conservative Christian crowd, Vance, a Catholic, suggested that his tough stance on immigration is rooted in “the Christian idea that you have the highest duty to your family” and that leaders should first put their own citizens first.

“That doesn’t mean you have to be mean to other people, but it does mean your first duty as an American leader is to the people of your own country,” Vance said.