How does God view illegal immigration?

from the old testament

• Foreigners coming to reside in Israel had to follow the Law God gave to the nation. For instance, alien residents were required to observe the Sabbath (Leviticus 25:6), the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:14-20), and the Feast of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29).
• Foreigners were to offer sacrifices correctly (Leviticus 17:8-9), not eat blood (Leviticus 17:10-12), remain sexually pure (Leviticus 18:26), and not worship idols (Leviticus 20:2). Any who broke Israel's laws were to face the same punishment as an Israelite (Numbers 15:16)—they were to be "cut-off" from society.
• Law-abiding foreigners were welcome in Israel. Leviticus 19:34 explains why: "You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God."
• Aliens were not allowed to own land permanently because Israel was God's inheritance for the Jews, but immigrants were to be provided for (Leviticus 23:22; Deuteronomy 10:18; 14:29).
• Numerous times, God placed the alien in the same category as the widow and the orphan and directed the Israelites to provide for them fairly and generously (Deuteronomy 27:19).
• God cares about the aliens: "For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing" (Deuteronomy 10:17-18).

from the new testament

• Romans 13:1-7 says that residents of a nation are required to obey the laws of that nation. Those who enter a country illegally or hire immigrants who don’t have proper paperwork are not following that command.
• Ultimately, regardless of what country Christians are born in, those who are in Christ are citizens of heaven under one King of kings (Philippians 3:20-21; Ephesians 2:19).

implications for today

People like to stake claims. Kids fight for the front seat of the family car. Students choose their seats on day one of class, and there they stay for the rest of the term. We erect fences in our yards, and the personal touches to our work offices make it “ours.” That inclination may be why the illegal immigration issue causes so much tension: Should others ignore our “stake” by entering our home country without following the proper channels?

The Old Testament shows us the Lord’s compassion in allowing foreigners to live with His people and worship Him. But the New Testament tells us that we’re to obey governing authorities unless doing so conflicts with God’s Word. Where does illegal immigration stand with this? We are called to obey the laws of the land including how to legally enter and remain in a country. We are to hire people legally to work for us. We are also called to show compassion to all people, especially the vulnerable. Preaching the Gospel and showing kindness does not require us to know a person’s immigration status.

This tension calls us to live with both conviction and compassion. We honor God when we respect the laws He has allowed governing authorities to establish, yet we also reflect His heart in the way we treat immigrants. We can choose to see all people as neighbors God places in our path to reflect Him and a kingdom with a true and good king where no illegal citizen will enter.