Law, Order, and the Sword of the State: A Biblical Case for Immigration Enforcement

By Michael Harvey - Harvest Community Church, Petroleum Valley Campus Pastor

In today’s polarized climate, few issues divide Americans more deeply than immigration and border enforcement. Passions run high on both sides, often with strong moral arguments attached. Yet for Christians navigating this debate, Scripture offers timeless wisdom about the role of government and law. In Romans 13, the Apostle Paul reminds believers that “the governing authorities have been established by God” and that the state “does not bear the sword in vain.”

Paul’s words were written under an empire far more severe than modern democracies, yet his principle still holds: societies function when lawful order is upheld. Governments have both the right and the responsibility to enforce laws that sustain peace and protect their citizens. In America, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is one such instrument. Its mission—to uphold immigration law, combat human trafficking, and safeguard national security—is a legitimate extension of the state’s God-given authority to maintain justice.

Critics often portray ICE as heartless or oppressive, but enforcing law is not an act of cruelty; it is an act of accountability. compassion for the foreigner, which scripture also commands, does not nullify the need for order—it calls for it to be carried out justly. A nation that ignores its borders endangers both its citizens and the vulnerable migrants who are too often exploited by cartels and smugglers. The rule of law provides protection for all who live within it.

Romans 13 does not exalt power—it restrains it with purpose. government, when faithful to its moral duty, becomes a servant “for your good.” Christians can and should call for humane immigration reform, fair treatment, and family preservation. Yet we should also affirm that enforcement itself is not opposed to God’s will. Justice and mercy are not enemies but partners in creating a society where peace can thrive.

To support a lawful system is not to deny grace; it is to make room for grace to operate safely. When ICE fulfills its mandate rightly—upholding law, protecting life, and defending the innocent—it acts within the biblical framework Paul described. The state does indeed bear the sword, not as a symbol of oppression, but as a safeguard for order in a fallen world.

What Toxic Empathy Gets Wrong

In this cultural moment, a counterfeit compassion—often called “toxic empathy”—has taken hold of much of the immigration conversation. Toxic empathy is an emotional response that elevates feelings over facts, intentions over consequences, and immediate relief over long-term good. It sees every act of enforcement as an act of hatred, and every demand for border security as a denial of the Gospel.

This toxic empathy insists that if someone is suffering or poor, the only “Christian” response is to remove all barriers, suspend enforcement, and redefine law in the name of kindness. It rarely asks hard questions about what happens downstream: the encouragement of dangerous journeys, the enrichment of cartels and traffickers, the strain on already fragile communities, and the exploitation of migrants by employers who use their illegal status against them.

While toxic empathy sounds compassionate, it quietly denies Romans 13. If the governing authority bears the sword from God, then to demand that the state refuse to wield that sword—ever—is to oppose not just a policy but a biblical principle. Toxic empathy effectively tells the government, “You must behave as if you are the church,” offering unbounded welcome without judgment, even though Scripture assigns different roles to church and state.

The Dangers of Compassion Without Boundaries

Compassion detached from boundaries often ends up harming the very people it claims to protect. When enforcement is weakened or made inconsistent because it “feels mean,” more people are incentivized to attempt illegal crossings, risking assault, trafficking, dehydration, or death. Families may be encouraged, directly or indirectly, to send children on perilous routes with smugglers because they believe borders are porous and laws won’t be applied.

Meanwhile, citizens—especially the poorest—bear the brunt of rapid, unmanaged influxes of people: overwhelmed schools and hospitals, wage pressure in low-skill sectors, and fraying social trust. The result is predictable backlash, which can foster resentment not just toward illegal immigration, but toward immigrants in general, including those who came lawfully. Toxic empathy, in its rush to feel kind, ironically helps fuel future cruelty.

Ordered Love and True Christian Witness

The Christian alternative is ordered love. Ordered love says that God has designed overlapping spheres of responsibility: the state to uphold justice and maintain order, the church to proclaim the gospel and model sacrificial mercy, and the family and individual to practice hospitality and care. It does not ask the state to become the church, nor the church to become the state.

From this perspective, believers can:

Support clear, consistent immigration enforcement as part of the state’s Romans 13 calling.

Advocate for reforms that make legal immigration fair, orderly, and realistic, so law-abiding people have a path that does not involve crime or deception.

Oppose cruel or needlessly harsh practices, insisting that even enforcement be carried out with respect for human dignity.

Serve immigrants tangibly—teaching language skills, providing legal aid connections, offering friendship and support—regardless of their status.

In this framework, compassion does not mean erasing borders or excusing law-breaking; it means seeking the true good of both neighbor and nation under God’s moral order. The Christian is free to weep over suffering at the border, to pray for just leaders and wise policies, and to recognize that mercy and justice are not enemies but allies in the hands of a righteous God.

To put it simply: Romans 13 guards us from toxic empathy. It reminds us that love for the stranger must never come at the cost of abandoning the God-given role of the state. A Christian perspective on immigration enforcement refuses the easy comfort of feelings alone and instead pursues a harder, holier path—one where the sword of the state and the tears of the church both have their proper place.