This article was first written in July 2025 and is published now, after careful thinking about what’s happening with immigration today.
Understanding Compassion and Its Absence in Migration Policies
Immigration is really about people hoping for a safer, better life. Many folks come to America for freedom and brighter futures. But their journey is often tough, and they don’t always get kindness or understanding. Does this mean letting everyone into the country? No, it simply means being more diligent to vet people based upon their circumstances and need and not just the color of their skin or the country they are coming from.
Mercy means showing care or kindness, especially to someone who’s having a hard time. It’s not about ignoring the rules—it’s about seeing someone’s struggle and helping them move forward. When we ask, “Is there mercy for immigrants?” we’re really asking whether we treat people with basic compassion.
Where Compassion Is Missing in Immigration Policies
American immigration laws have become stricter and less forgiving. They focus on control and security but often ignore the human side. Immigrants can face deportation, detention, and separation from their families with little flexibility or support. For example:
- Families can be split when parents are sent away, leaving children behind.
- Detention centers are crowded, sometimes with poor conditions and limited healthcare or legal help.
- People seeking asylum flee dangerous places but face long waits and skepticism, leaving them uncertainty.
These rules may aim to protect the country, but they often forget the real struggles people face. Mercy—helping or understanding others—is missing from many decisions.
The Human Cost
Behind every number or statistic is a real person with dreams and fears. Many immigrants come to escape war, poverty, or violence, but are treated like problems, not people.
Asylum seekers, for example, flee danger but are often locked up for months or years while their cases are processed. Some are sent back to unsafe places. Undocumented immigrants work and contribute to society, but live in fear and uncertainty, lacking basic rights and recognition.
Why Is Mercy Missing?
- Politics: Leaders often take tough positions to win votes.
- Fear and misunderstanding: Some worry immigrants threaten jobs or safety, leading to less empathy.
- Bureaucracy: Complicated systems leave little room for kindness or flexibility.
The lack of mercy isn’t just about laws—it’s also about how society treats immigrants. Many face prejudice and discrimination, making it harder to feel welcome.
What Showing Mercy Could Look Like
Mercy doesn’t mean ignoring rules. It means adding humanity and kindness to the process. Here’s how we could do that:
- Keep families together during legal proceedings.
- Make sure detention centers treat people decently and provide needed services.
- Speed up asylum cases and help those escaping danger.
- Offer pathways for longtime undocumented immigrants to become citizens.
Mercy is also about how we treat people daily—in our neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces. Small acts of kindness can make a big difference.
A Call for Compassion
The lack of mercy for immigrants is a missed chance to show empathy and humanity. Immigration isn’t just about politics; it’s about real people. Treating immigrants with dignity and kindness helps everyone and makes communities stronger.
America has always promised opportunity—a place to build better lives. To keep that promise, mercy needs to shape our policies and attitudes. Compassion isn’t weakness; it’s strength. It lets us see past fear and embrace the humanity that connects us all.
Minister A Francine Green
February 2026
Bibliography
- “Immigration Detention and the Human Cost.” American Civil Liberties Union, 2023.
- “Family Separation and Immigration Policy.” Migration Policy Institute, July 2022.
- Stetzer, Ed. “How Should Evangelicals Respond to Immigration?” Christianity Today, June 21, 2018.
- “The Impact of Immigration Policies on Asylum Seekers.” Human Rights Watch, 2024.
- “Mercy and Compassion in Migration.” National Immigration Forum, 2025.
- “Understanding the Experiences of Undocumented Immigrants.” Pew Research Center, August 2023.
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