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Illegal Immigrants: Impact of Trump’s Policies

Illegal Immigrants: Impact of Trump’s Policies

Last updated on: May 5, 2025 at 10:55 am by Dennis McIntyre

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Illegal Immigrants: Impact of Trump’s Policies 2025-05-05T10:55:58-04:00 Dennis McIntyre

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

President Trump campaigned primarily on immigration and removing illegal immigrants with criminal backgrounds, or those who have committed crimes in the U.S. At the 100-day mark, what progress has he made in closing the border and removing the criminal element? Let’s take a look.

Illegal Immigrants Crossing the Border

Trump has kept his promise and successfully closed the border. The difference has been night and day. Under the Biden administration, encounters at the border averaged nearly 160K per month. In March 2025, encounters dropped below 7.2K—the lowest in US history. Trump closed the border by enforcing existing laws and issuing an emergency executive order (EO). On Day 1, the Trump administration started a mass deportation effort focused on gang members and criminals. The administration’s success at the border is all through Executive Order and to date has not required legislation, as communicated by the Biden administration. Trump’s policies still must be codified into law, but the executive orders addressed the immediate issue.

Mass Deportations

As promised, we have seen the start of mass deportations, although there have been several issues:

Since taking office, the Trump administration has deported over 150K illegal immigrants. The vast majority have criminal backgrounds, and individuals who have committed crimes in the United States.
An El Salvadoran illegal immigrant was mistakenly deported to the highest-security prison in El Salvador. This individual had two deportation orders, faced domestic violence charges, was identified as an MS-13 gang member, and was suspected of being involved in human trafficking. The administration recognized this error, and the Supreme Court ordered that measures be implemented to facilitate his return. While El Salvador is currently hesitating to permit his return, they are in the process of relocating him from the maximum security facility. Democratic politicians strongly advocate for this individual to have “due process,” despite the initial circumvention of the legal system.
Democrat politicians and the mainstream media (MSM) are shielding criminals and gang members in the U.S. Some have crossed the line by advising illegal immigrants on evading capture by ICE. Just last week, a judge in Wisconsin was arrested for secretly guiding a defendant out the back door of her courtroom, obstructing ICE from apprehending this individual.

What Has Been the Impact?

The deportations have deepened the divisions within the country. In addition to the issues above, many of these actions employ a “heavy-handed approach.” While this may seem like the only viable option, it’s essential to recognize that the mainstream media has a proven track record of sensationalizing stories to undermine Trump. There may not be another way to humanize these deportations. Still, the raids conducted by the prior administration raised the ire of Republicans for their “heavy-handed” approach at Mar-A-Lago, Roger Stone’s home, and some pro-life protestors. These actions further flame the divide. The administration has tagged all illegals as criminals, but some have spent a large part of their lives being productive in the U.S. The administration must fix the legal process today and provide a path to citizenship to those who have led productive lives.

What Does Jesus Ask of Us?

Jesus was consistent in emphasizing compassion, hospitality, and justice for outsiders. I believe Matthew 25:33-46 (The Judgment of the Nations) spells out His expectations for us:

“He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”*

The Old Testament Says:

Leviticus 19:34 states:

“You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt. I, the LORD, am your God.”

While Jesus did not speak directly about expectations for immigrants, His teaching emphasized love, justice, and respect for others. He preached to people to live righteously, obey moral laws, and treat others with dignity. Jesus’ statement in Mark 12:7:

“So Jesus said to them, ‘Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” They were utterly amazed at him.”

The Path Forward

This is a critical time and an opportunity to bridge the country’s political divide. The emotions on both sides of this issue are very high, contributing to the animosity in the country. Following Jesus is hard. His teachings go against the fabric of our society. We are asked to stand up and be peacemakers in times like these, so let’s do that. The more voices that stand up now will help drown out the emotions and hopefully bring about a more peaceful existence in this country.

Please let me know your thoughts about this article in the “Comments” section.

Peace

General Christian

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About Dennis McIntyre

In my early years, I was a member of the Methodist church, where I was baptized as a child and eventually became a lector. I always felt very faith-filled, but something was missing. My wife is Catholic, and my children were baptized as Catholics, which helped me find what I was looking for. I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself, walking with Jesus. I was welcomed into the Catholic faith and received the sacraments as a full member of the Catholic Church in 2004. I am a Spiritual Director and very active in ministry, serving as a Lector and Eucharistic Minister and providing spiritual direction. I have spent time working with the sick and the terminally ill in local hospitals and Hospice Care centers, and found these ministries to be challenging but extremely rewarding. You can read more about the author here.

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