http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/CWN/051906immigrants.asp

Border Ministry Helps Illegal Immigrants
By Charlene Israel
CWNews

CWNews.com -- Illegal immigration is an issue that has also divided the faith community. Many Evangelical Christians are asking, "WWJD - What would Jesus do?"

Maryada Vallet is an Evangelical Christian. She believes she is called to offer aid to illegal immigrants crossing the Mexican border. She walks the hot Arizona desert looking for illegals in need of aid.

Maryada said, "When we find people on patrol we give them a migrant package, usually." She and her colleagues provide food and first aid – and even carry those who are exhausted to medical facilities.

"I really believe that Jesus would be here with us,” Maryada added, “if He were alive today." The majority in the Hispanic church agree.

But other Evangelical Christians are torn between a biblical belief in law and order – and the commandment to love one's neighbor.

When the editor of Christianity Today wrote an editorial praising illegal immigrants - he received a flood of angry emails.

Marc Galli, of Christianity Today, told us, "The feeling was: if we allow illegal immigrants in, and if we don't ‘hold accountable’ the illegal immigrants that are here, we are going to have anarchy."

Tony Perkins is with the Family Research Council. He said, "What's concerning to some evangelicals is that immigration has gotten out of control. And, it's the illegal side of immigration - not the legal side - that causes concern."

But, in the end, Vallet believes her response to the immigration debate is in line with what Jesus would do.

Maryada said, "There is law, of course, but there is also this thing called grace."

She maintains that, on this issue, some of her fellow believers need a change of heart.

Immigration Issue Calls for Balance of Justice and Grace

Roy Beck is executive director of Numbers USA a group that monitors illegal immigration. He said a proper Christian approach to the issue should balance grace and justice:

“There's a big difference between what the Gospel calls us as individuals to do and what the gospels tell us the role of government is. The primary role of government, according to the Bible, is to provide order. I was talking to an evangelical leader the other day who said Christians are torn because immigration seems to cause a tension between order and justice. And the Bible does call us to provide governments that set up justice. The issue here though is that in order to enforce immigration laws is to provide order and also to provide justice. Immigration laws are set up to protect the most vulnerable members of a nation's society, that's justice…when government gives mercy then it has to be very careful that it's not creating injustice to large numbers of people. And that's what would happen if the government were to give an amnesty to the 12 million illegal aliens. It would be providing injustice to all of the lower skilled, lower paid workers in this country, both native-born and immigrant alike.”