Why Only in America?
These past days in California—Los Angeles especially—have been heavy with unrest. ICE raids stirred fear and resistance in immigrant communities, while protests quickly flared into riots. Freeways blocked, rocks thrown, tear gas fired. National Guard and Marines deployed by presidential order. California’s governor objecting in court.
It’s strange to watch this unfold—not far-off news, but real streets, real people, real decisions. The word “compassion” is everywhere, but its meaning seems stretched thin. Some shout for mercy, others demand order. Both claim to care.
The Strange Case of America: When Borders Become Political Warfare
While America argues, protests, and politicizes its borders, the rest of the world acts decisively. No drama. No riots. No national shame.
| Country | Immigration Enforcement Reality |
|---|---|
| Japan 🇯🇵 | Illegal migrants are detained and deported immediately. No protests. |
| Australia 🇦🇺 | Unauthorized arrivals are turned back or held offshore without apology. |
| China 🇨🇳 | Illegal foreigners are detained, fined, expelled—period. |
| Russia 🇷🇺 | Street checks and rapid deportation are standard policy. |
| India 🇮🇳 | Cracks down on illegal migrants without international outcry. |
| Mexico 🇲🇽 | Quietly deports Central Americans by the thousands each year. |
| Germany 🇩🇪 | Deports failed asylum seekers after fair legal review—though political debate continues. |
| UK 🇬🇧 | New laws to deport illegal entrants to Rwanda or their home countries. |
| Italy 🇮🇹 | Ports closed to migrant boats; deportation prioritized. |
| South Korea 🇰🇷 | Overstayers and illegals removed swiftly—no debate. |
| France 🇫🇷 | Cracks down on camps and unauthorized migrants despite controversy. |
In these nations, border enforcement is not political warfare. It is common sense governance.
Why Is America’s Immigration Problem So Chaotic?
What makes the U.S. immigration debate so uniquely bitter, confused, and unending?
It’s not simply about borders or laws. Nearly every country on earth enforces its immigration rules without shame. China, Russia, Australia, Israel, Mexico—even Canada—expect borders to mean something. Illegal entry brings real consequences. Nations defend the integrity of citizenship because it protects the rights of their own people.
But in America, especially in states like California, compassion itself has become political currency. And this changes everything.
Consider the facts:
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Since 2021, the U.S. has faced over 6 million migrant encounters at the southern border—the highest in American history (CBP reports, 2024).
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Human smuggling networks and drug cartels profit enormously from this flow. In 2022 alone, cartels made an estimated $13 billion smuggling migrants into the U.S., up from $500 million in 2018 (Homeland Security data).
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Over 100 individuals on the terror watchlist have been arrested at the border in recent years—a sharp rise compared to previous decades.
These are not guesses. These are official numbers.
And yet, despite this, calls to enforce immigration law are often condemned as cruel, unchristian, even “anti-immigrant.” Compassion language is stretched far beyond its proper use—sometimes to excuse lawbreaking, sometimes to silence debate.
But compassion, real compassion, cannot survive without order. Without lawful process, families suffer. Vulnerable migrants—especially women and children—are exploited by criminal gangs. Border chaos means more fentanyl deaths, more human trafficking, more instability for cities and states asked to absorb populations they cannot support.
This is why most other nations—left, right, or center—never allow immigration to become such a politicized battlefield. They enforce borders not because they lack mercy, but because they understand that law and compassion depend on each other.
The Cost of Confusion
What is the price when compassion is politicized and law dismissed?
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For Americans: overstressed cities, rising crime risks, overwhelmed social services, and political division.
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For migrants: dangerous crossings, broken promises, abuse by traffickers, years of legal limbo.
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For national security: greater risks of infiltration by hostile actors or terrorists.
Even former President Obama—no enemy of immigration reform—once said:
“We are a nation of immigrants. But we’re also a nation of laws. And those laws must be enforced.”
(Speech on immigration, 2014)
Why Is the United States So Different?
1. The Myth of “Infinite Compassion”
America’s founding as a “nation of immigrants” conflicts with its modern need for strict enforcement. The result? Moral confusion.
2. A Divided Political Class
Democrats play the “compassion” card, hoping to rally Latino and progressive voters—even if chaos grows.
Republicans demand security and rule of law—but are painted as cruel or racist for it.
3. The Latino Vote Trap
Both parties fear alienating Hispanic voters, many of whom have family or emotional ties to immigration issues.
4. Media Manipulation
Unlike other nations, American media demonize enforcement, framing ICE actions as cruelty instead of simple law enforcement.
The Real, Hidden Dangers
This is not compassion. This is national self-harm. Here are the hard truths rarely discussed:
1. Cartels Grow Richer
Drug and human smuggling cartels now control vast stretches of the U.S.-Mexico border. Every migrant crossing enriches their empire.
2. Terror Risk Increases
Known terror suspects have been caught at the southern border. How many got through unnoticed?
3. Enemy Nations Smile
China, Russia, Iran—they are pleased to watch America weaken from within, distracted by domestic chaos instead of focusing on global threats.
4. Modern Slavery Spreads
Thousands of women and children are trafficked each year across a border that was supposed to protect them. Weak borders enable human suffering—not reduce it.
A Biblical Perspective on Leadership and Borders
For those who care about the moral and spiritual health of a nation, these questions are not only political.
Scripture reminds us that leaders are called to protect their people, uphold justice, and restrain wrongdoing—not merely to seek popularity or political gain.
“For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong… They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.”
—Romans 13:3-4
In ancient Israel, even the people of God guarded their borders. Jesus Himself warned of thieves who climb over the wall instead of entering through the gate (John 10:1)—because order and security protect the vulnerable.
Perhaps the same timeless wisdom applies today:
Without order, there can be no justice. Without justice, there is no real compassion.
True Compassion and Strength Must Go Together
This tension—between mercy and order—is not Republican or Democrat. It is human. But when either side weaponizes compassion or law for political gain, the results are suffering, chaos, and fear.
Genuine compassion—both personal and national—requires:
- Protecting the innocent from harm,
- Upholding laws that defend the weak,
- Restraining those who exploit chaos for evil ends.
These principles are not new; they reflect moral truths found in Scripture, history, and common sense alike.
A Caution, Not a Condemnation
This is not to condemn any leader or party, but to share a concern drawn from wisdom much older than any modern debate:
“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but blessed is the one who keeps the law.”
—Proverbs 29:18
If a nation loses its will to secure its borders and defend its people, it risks not only political trouble—but deeper moral confusion.
The call is not merely for enforcement—but for wise, just, and courageous leadership that protects both the nation’s security and its soul.
America Needs a Middle Path
A nation that cannot control its borders eventually loses trust, safety, and peace. But a nation that shows no mercy loses its soul.
The real answer is not “open borders” or “shut the gates.” It is firm, consistent, lawful process—combined with human dignity and fairness.
America’s immigration system is broken not because compassion and law are in conflict—but because they have been torn apart and set against each other by politics.
It does not have to stay this way.
