God and the Illegal Alien
United States Immigration Law and a Theology of Politics

A fresh response to the problem of illegal immigration in the United States through the context of Christian theology.

Robert W. Heimburger (Author)

9781316629833, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 12 July 2018

260 pages
22.7 x 14.9 x 1.4 cm, 0.35 kg

'I enjoyed this book very much, and I would recommend it to my fellow Americans …' John S. W. Park, Law and Politics Book Review

Today in the United States, millions of men, women, and children are considered 'illegal aliens' under federal law. While the presence of these migrants runs against the law, many arrive in response to US demand for cheap labor and stay to contribute to community life. This book asks where migrants stand within God's world and how authorities can govern immigration with Christian ethics. The author tracks the emergence of the concept of the illegal alien in federal US law while exploring Christian ways of understanding belonging, government, and relationships with neighbors. This is a thought-provoking book that provides a fresh response to the difficult issue of illegal immigration in the United States through the context of Christian theology.

Introduction
Part I. The Immigrant as Alien: 1. How the alien emerged: allegiance, English law, and federal immigration law
2. Coming near to distant neighbors in God's world
Part II. The Alien as Unlawfully Present: 3. How aliens became illegal: sovereignty, Chinese migration, and federal immigration law
4. The humble guard: governing immigration under God
Part III. An Unlawfully Present Alien from a Neighboring Country?: 5. How nationals of neighboring countries became illegal aliens: non-discrimination, Mexican migration, and federal immigration law
6. Justice and mercy among neighbors
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Human rights & civil liberties law [LNDC], Immigration law [LNDA1], Citizenship & nationality law [LNDA], International human rights law [LBBR], Law & society [LAQ], Human rights [JPVH], Migration, immigration & emigration [JFFN], Religion & politics [HRAM2], Philosophy of religion [HRAB]