Illegal Immigration: Justice, Mercy, and the Savior Principle

I want to expound on my previous comments about illegal immigration, specifically the challenging question, "What do we do with the 12 million plus illegal aliens that are already here?"

First, let me start with a principle and an analogy, and we'll see where we get to from there. Just humor me with this and I trust that you will see the light!

There are two eternal laws which always must be kept, Justice and Mercy. Neither can rob from the other. (I'd like to thank Boyd K. Packer for his inspirational parable that taught me this concept.)

The Law of Justice demands punishment when a law is broken. Hence, Justice would demand that all illegal aliens be imprisoned, fined, and/or deported immediately and all employers of illegal aliens be punished. (This seems to be the line of thought that most Republicans seem to accept these days. No mercy!)

The Law of Mercy demands that we not tear apart families and careers, especially when we Americans, our businesses and our government have been giving them a wink and a nod as they have crossed the borders and entered our work force over the last several decades. They have planted their roots on our fertile soil and they are raising families. We have all been the beneficiaries of lower costs of goods and services because of illegal immigrants. (A blog for another time perhaps could discuss the negative result of lower quality goods and services. I see evident that it may be more of a societal issue rather than a result of illegal immigration. Yet, I am also a direct witness that illegal immigration has provided us an abundance of unskilled labor which has replaced skilled craftsmanship.)

How can the Law of Justice and the Law of Mercy both be met without denying the other? The solution is what I call "The Savior Principle".

We are all sinners and violators of God's laws and therefore we all should be cast down to hell. God, in his mercy, provided a Savior. We now have the agency to accept or reject the Savior on the condition that his mercy only applies when we accept him as our new master and we committ our lives to obey and serve him. He paid the price of our sins and the law of justice was satisfied and the law of mercy was met.

Now, theology aside, how does this principle apply to illegal immigration? First, we still haven't been very good at establishing the Law of Justice. A punishment needs to be affixed and enforced. We should establish a monetary penalty, be it $5000 or $50,000...whatever is sufficient to help repay the burden that their illegal standing has been on our society.

(Hole in my metaphor #1) Those that are able could pay for their own sins can and should. If the illegal immigrant has the ability to pay the fine on their own, they can satisfy the demands of justice. If they cannot bear the punishment alone, they would need a savior that could pay it for them. Companies that have hired illegal immigrants in the past would began to meet the demands of justice and mercy by being the first to step up and save their people. Private individuals and organizations can become saviors. Government should not be allowed to be saviors as that would completely defeat the purpose.

(Hole in my metaphor #2) There would be the danger that illegal immigrants would end up in some form of indentured servitude or slavery, but policies and enforcement would have to be in place that prevent this.

Illegal immigrants that do not have a sponsor would take the full brunt of the law of justice and have to be deported. If no one vouches for them, they obviously aren't contributing to our society or economy and therefore had no reason for being here in the first place.

Now this savior principle allows the illegal alien to obtain legal status, and I believe it should be that of full citizenship. Citizenship would allow them to become full tax payers. It would also allow them the opportunities of home and business ownership and the right to vote and be represented. Thus they become full participants in a productive society. I suppose I'm okay with temporary guest worker or migrant worker programs, but if they intend to move their families here to be raised in our country, they had better want to become citizens of our country.

Amnesty would rob the Law of Justice and only satisfy the Law of Mercy. The Savior Principle satisfies the ends of both laws.