Who are the "illegals"?

By Elket Rodríguez

In recent years, the use of the term "illegal" has exploded in the media to refer to migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border, or who are transported to various destinations in the nation. But these migrants are not illegal.

If they were illegal, all providers of transportation services for these migrants or any person or state who “aids or abets” the transportation of these migrants would be committing a crime by transporting people without authorization to be in the United States. Under that reasoning, Texas, Arizona, and Florida would be transporting undocumented migrants. If they were illegal, Texas, Arizona, and Florida would have contacted the Department of Homeland Security to process those undocumented migrants.

Therefore, either these states are acting as human smugglers or are genuinely transporting migrants temporarily authorized to remain in the U.S. The latter is correct.

But who are these “illegals”? ​​They are predominantly asylum seekers. Asylum seekers are those who are seeking the protection of the United States because they have been persecuted in their countries of origin. Their asylum cases are pending a determination with immigration courts or asylum offices across the country.

These non-illegal asylum seekers are the individuals who are typically released into the United States by Customs and Border Patrol to live with their sponsors and continue their asylum claims inside the United States. And most importantly, these so-called illegals are exercising a human right contained in Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Refugee Convention of 1951, and its protocol in 1967 and the Refugee Act of 1980.

Therefore, showing up at the border seeking protection from persecution can be a “right way” to seek asylum and stay in the United States. Even though there is a law criminalizing the improper entry into the country, asylum seekers can seek protection from persecution if they are physically in the United States regardless of their status.

I often wonder why Ukrainians who showed up at our border early this year were never identified as “illegals” by those who often use the term to refer to the ones in buses. What makes Ukrainians different than Venezuelans, Cubans, Haitians, and Central Americans?  The situation in their home country is horrific and deserves sympathy, but it should only make us wonder more about the situations that others are fleeing. Nothing less than desperation drives families from their homes.

Besides being a lie and immoral, not welcoming migrants is a sin done to Jesus. If there is any doubt about it, read Mathew 25:31-46. He answers the question and adds eternal punishment into his teaching. The Lord’s teaching is simple: we do not get to pick our Jesus or decide who we welcome.

Elket Rodríguez is CBF Field Personnel in Harlingen, Texas, serving along the Rio Grande Valley.