Former Refugee: U.S. Should Push Less Migration, More Stability

On Feb. 11, Pope Francis sent an open letter to U.S. bishops concerning what he calls the “major crisis … of a program of deportation,” and encouraging them to stand up for the dignity of every human being. It is another example of Pope Francis’ selective ethics.

One of the most grievous points to me as a former refugee: It is silent about what the Catholic Church has taught on the rights of people to their own home and heritage, on the destructiveness of mass migration to both migrants and citizens pushed to accommodate them, and the necessity of stabilizing nations of origin.

Churches do not do enough to advocate for re-stabilization and repatriation. The easy answer of “let’s make room in the inn” sidelines the hard work of seeking the long-term good of potential refugees and their communities of origin. Here’s what my experience as a former refugee recommends.

My Refugee Story

In June 1978, my parents, sister, and I traveled by train from Thessaloniki to Athens. We had been living in Greece as Iraqi Christian refugees for almost a year. The American consul my dad was to meet was known as “tough.” He didn’t give the green light to anyone who came in with a sad story.

We were the last family to be interviewed that day after six or seven others. My dad was told none of them had received “The okay,” a foreign word to me then that I remember to this day in the sound of my father’s voice.

The consul listened to my dad’s story, then asked him: “You say you were persecuted in Iraq, but the Christians in Iraq are not being killed.” To this my father replied: “There are different kinds of persecution.” Pointing his forefinger to his temple, he said, “There is persecution here.”

My father recalls that the consul did not show any emotions on his face, but he did listen as my dad explained our life as Christians in Iraq. We received “The okay” that day. This vignette encapsulates what American immigration policy should be: Hard borders, soft hearts, prudence in who to accept, and temperance in how many.

All Immigration Must Be Legal

As a legal immigrant, I cannot stress enough that all our immigration needs to be legal. It builds a culture that respects the law for both the immigrant and the citizen, and it keeps the immigrant safer in both the process of immigration itself, and in a sense of security after arrival.

Legal immigration can benefit our country. For all immigration to be legal, the borders must be closed, and anyone caught entering illegally deported immediately. There should be a strike system—if you are caught attempting illegal entry, you lose the opportunity to come in legally.

The legal route should be more bearable and appealing than the illegal one. We should be able to move would-be immigrants from interview to entry within six months.

Illegal Crossings Endanger Migrants

The status quo entrenches a moral hazard: Illegal aliens are not only endangering Americans by crossing the border illegally, but also themselves. Open borders are not humane, nor compassionate. They make it easy for violent offenders to enter our country and for bad actors to traffic people, especially children.

The Department of Homeland Security put out a report on August 19, 2024 claiming U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cannot keep track of unaccompanied minors caught at the border and then released to homes in the United States. Between fiscal years 2019 and 2023, 32,000 children did not appear for their immigration court hearings. Beyond that, 291,000 children are now unaccounted for. That is 323,000 children at high risk of abuse, sex trafficking, and all forms of exploitation.

Open borders downplay rootedness and a sense of home. They tempt many to uproot who could have found a way to stay in their country of origin.

Open borders also endanger national security. It is the first duty of government to protect its citizens. Even people of faith — who sometimes let their hearts reign over their minds, and their compassion occlude their reason — acknowledge this duty. All churches should encourage migrants to obey U.S. laws, and help our government foster humane legal migration channels.

The Latin American Dilemma

Latin American refugees end up on the U.S. border the way African and Middle Eastern refugees end up on the shores and borders of Europe. We need to create healthy legal channels for asylum seekers tailored specifically to those from our hemisphere.

First, set up agencies in willing countries of origin. We go to potential migrants before they travel all the way to us. Would-be refugees should receive fair consideration for legal immigration. Organizations like Catholic Charities USA and others — be they religious or not — should also open foreign facilities working closely with immigration officers. Charities on the ground should assist those who fit legal refugee criteria, and those who do not qualify.

Impoverished countries need people willing to live among them, helping rebuild their communities. In many of these countries, gangs rival the government’s power, and they can thwart charitable work. The American government can push their cooperation.

Second, we need policies that target the sources of dislocation—poverty, violence, and destabilization in migrants’ homelands. This means working with the governments of these lands to create a human ecology conducive to their common good. American diplomats should ask local politicians: Do you really want to see your country emptied of its people? And we should make it difficult for them not to care.

Third, charities should sponsor events and create educational material in migrant-prone countries to educate families about the treacherous journey, especially for unaccompanied minors. On Nov. 24, 60 out of 200 migrants stopped in Maverick County, Texas, were unaccompanied minors. One was a two-year-old girl from El Salvador. The locales sending such children should be swamped with pamphlets on the requirements and legal channels of immigration, the dangers of this journey, safer ways to obtain help, and other information to help them make better decisions.

Fourth, we should have a different track for temporary work visas, allowing migrants to rotate in and out according to U.S. needs and tied to business sponsorship. This should also include a strike system for anyone who tries to overstay his visa and companies that hire illegally. Cooperation between government, businesses, and migrants can make this a win-win for everyone willing to abide by the laws.

Exploitation Isn’t Hospitality

The prudent and humane answer to a world full of evil is not to bring the 95 percent of the world poorer than Americans to the United States. It is to help each country be better for its citizens, its own culture and heritage. This is the most stable policy for worldwide immigration crises. Where are the champions of this route to the good?

It is unrealistic and destructive to think we can empty the world into America. You cannot strengthen the vulnerable by disabling the strong. If we want to help the suffering and vulnerable around the world, as I and many Americans do, it must be done with an eye toward long-term sustainability for everyone. 

It is immoral for Americans and our government to neglect Americans for the sake of others. When the citizens of our great country feel respected, they will all the more open their hearts to welcome others. As Mother Teresa said, “The way you help heal the world is you start with your own family.”

Luma Simms is a Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. She writes on culture, family, philosophy, politics, religion, and the life and thought of immigrants. Her work has appeared at First Things Magazine, Public Discourse, The Federalist, and elsewhere. Her educational background includes a B.S. in physics from California State Polytechnic University Pomona. She studied law at Chapman University School of Law before leaving to become an at-home mom. At Chapman Law, Luma was research assistant to Dr. John C. Eastman, which included work for The Claremont Institute’s Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence. She also clerked for Superior Court Judge James P. Gray of Orange County, California. Follow her on Twitter: @lumasimmsEPPC,