When Christians Grow Confused About ICE, Borders, and the Bible

by Brad Harrub, Ph.D.

Few issues today generate more emotional confusion among Christians than immigration and the role of ICE. Social media has a way of reducing complex biblical questions into shallow slogans: “Jesus would tear down the walls,” or “Borders are unloving.” Those statements may sound compassionate, but they are not grounded in Scripture. In fact, when we slow down and actually read the Bible, we discover a very different picture.
The Bible has always affirmed both compassion and order. These are not enemies. God never presented law, boundaries, or structure as immoral. Quite the opposite—He established them.

God Has Never Been Anti-Wall:

One of the most overlooked facts in modern discussions is how prominent walls are in Scripture.

• Jerusalem had walls.
• Jericho had walls.
• Babylon had immense walls.
• Beth-shan had a wall where the bodies of Saul and his sons were fastened (I Samuel 31).
• Gibeon was a large, fortified city mentioned in Joshua
• Hebron was described as a city with fortified walls.
• Cities in Bashan were described as having strong walls, destroyed by the Israelites.

Nehemiah was praised—not rebuked—for rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2–6).

In Proverbs 25:28, a man without self-control is compared to “a city broken into and left without walls.”

Stop and consider how many times you have read about men sitting by the gates of a city. This is frequently mentioned as a place where business, justice, and meetings often took place. (See, for instance, Mordecai sitting there to overhear plots in Esther 2:19-23, or the four lepers seeking food in II Kings 7:3.)

Walls were not symbols of hatred. They were symbols of protection, identity, and order.

Importantly, Jerusalem had walls during Jesus's lifetime. Christ walked those streets, taught within that city, and even referred to Jerusalem’s future destruction—but never once did He demand that its walls be torn down in the name of compassion. The idea that Jesus opposed borders or national distinctions is simply read into the text by modern political sentiment, not drawn from Scripture.

God has always recognized nations, boundaries, and authority structures. (Acts 17:26) A world without borders is not a biblical ideal—it is closer to chaos.

Compassion Does Not Cancel Law:

Scripture repeatedly commands God’s people to care for the stranger and sojourner (Leviticus 19:34). But those commands were given within a framework of law. The foreigner living among Israel was still expected to respect Israel’s laws (Exodus 12:49). Mercy never eliminated accountability.
This is where many Christians struggle today. They assume that enforcing the law is inherently unloving. Yet Romans 13 plainly teaches that governing authorities are “ministers of God” tasked with maintaining order and punishing wrongdoing. ICE, like any law enforcement agency, exists because laws exist. You can’t honestly say you want laws upheld by rejecting enforcement—that’s a contradiction. And if you don’t like the laws, the way to get them changed is through the legal political process—not open rebellion.

A Forgotten Lesson from Philemon:

The New Testament provides a powerful—and often overlooked—example in the account of Onesimus, the runaway slave in the book of Philemon. Onesimus fled from Colossae to Rome, crossing clear legal and social boundaries to escape hardship and accountability, yet his story ultimately reinforces—not undermines—the biblical emphasis on responsibility, repentance, and lawful order.

Onesimus fled to escape suffering and hardship. Paul did not deny that Onesimus had reasons to run. But after Onesimus learned the truth and was converted, Paul made a striking decision: he sent him back.

Paul could have justified Onesimus staying away. He could have appealed to emotion alone. Instead, Paul upheld moral responsibility, restitution, and lawful order—while also urging Philemon to act with grace.

That balance matters. Truth did not negate compassion, and compassion did not erase responsibility.

Order Is Not Oppression:

• It is not un-Christian to believe that borders matter.
• It is not hateful to insist that laws be followed.
• It is not sinful to expect people to go through proper channels.

A nation without borders is like a city without walls—vulnerable, unstable, and eventually unsafe for everyone, including those it intends to help.
Christians should absolutely care about immigrants, refugees, and those seeking a better life. But we must not allow emotion to replace biblical wisdom. God is a God of mercy and order, grace and truth (John 1:14). The church does damage to its witness when it pretends one can exist without the other.

The Bible does not call us to dismantle walls indiscriminately. It calls us to uphold righteousness, pursue compassion, and honor God’s design for authority and accountability.

And when Christians remember that, much of the confusion clears.