If the heading and theme of the first Trump administration was “Make America Great Again,” Trump 2.0 seems to be defined by the phrase “common sense.” Trump often uses the phrase.
It is in the Republican platform and MAGA journalist Roger Kimball recently wrote an article entitled “The Revolution of Common Sense.” But is Trump’s immigration policy “common sense?”
I once felt the best strategy against immigration hardliners was by appealing to scripture, as Bishop Marion Budde at the Inaugural Prayer Service did. To be clear, Budde certainly took a heroic stand by speaking truth to power and deserves our praise.
However, the most effective strategy to use today in defense of our immigrant brothers and sisters is that of common sense. So here are some common sense arguments against deporting immigrants who have not committed serious crimes.
Common Sense Argument 1: Don’t hurt people who didn’t hurt anybody.
Trump often focuses on crime in defending mass deportations. It is certainly justified to deport serious criminals, but not undocumented people who haven’t committed these crimes.
An immigrant who attends our schools and our houses of worship, who works hard and has nothing to do with these serious crimes, shouldn’t be punished for the crimes of other people. We should all only face the consequences of our own actions. That is plain old common sense.
Common Sense Argument 2: Invading Afghanistan made sense, but invading Iraq did not.
After the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, George W. Bush was right to invade Afghanistan over its government’s responsibility. Bush’s approval was 90% when he overthrew the Taliban.
However, Bush got carried away when he invaded Iraq, and his approval cratered. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11.
Saddam Hussein was a tyrant, but he didn’t attack our country. We should have left him alone. Bush ruined his legacy and squandered our post-9/11 unity by doing so.
Similarly, immigrants who comport themselves well should be left alone. They haven’t done anything to us.
They often lead exemplary lives and contribute to the economy and their communities. Their stories are inspirational and heartwarming.
They are infinitely more admirable than Saddam Hussein, so if we shouldn’t have attacked him, we definitely shouldn’t do these immigrants any harm. That is plain old common sense.
Common Sense Argument 3: Drugs shouldn’t be legalized, but we should leave Willie Nelson alone.
The arguments for legalizing drugs are phenomenally unwise. I give you Portland as exhibit A. We should not legalize drugs.
However, this does not mean the authorities should harass harmless pot smokers like Willie Nelson, who is a national treasure. Authorities can use discretion in enforcing the law.
Likewise, we shouldn’t open the borders. The MAGA folks are correct, I believe, that the Biden administration was much too lenient on the border. It let in some hardened criminals who have done real and significant harm.
However, once again, it only takes a little common sense to realize that going after hardened criminals does not mean we ruin the lives of the good people who are our friends, neighbors and students.
So many of my own students have been so sweet, kind, hard-working and good. They have been treasures. Common sense says there’s something really cruel about someone who hurts good people just because he can.
But what about the law?
Of course, immigration hardliners believe they have a “trump” card in what they see as the most common sense question of all: “What part of ‘illegal’ do you not understand?”
But even a cursory or common sense examination of the Golden Rule reveals that many of us would likely jump the border for our family if we were in a desperate enough situation. We pledge to our loved ones to climb the highest mountains and swim the widest sea for them. The border is nothing.
If breaking one law makes someone illegal, many of our heroes were “illegals.” In American history, all the Founding Fathers broke England’s laws, including Thomas Jefferson and the other signers of the Declaration of Independence. The great Harriet Tubman and everyone who worked the Underground Railroad broke the law.
Each January, we honor our greatest “illegal,” Martin Luther King Jr., a champion of civil disobedience. “Never forget that everything the Nazis did was legal,” thundered King in “Letter From a Birmingham Jail.” Conversely, “giving aid and comfort to Jewish people in Nazi Germany was illegal.”
Another hero of the Christian Right, Brother Andrew, broke the law repeatedly by smuggling Bibles into Communist countries. Very few conservatives were troubled by his lawbreaking. Which brings us back to Scripture, which is chock full of “illegals.”
Moses broke the law when he refused Pharoah, who changed his mind and demanded the Jews return to Egypt. Parting the Red Sea? God Almighty broke Egyptian law when he drowned Pharoah’s army.
Daniel broke the law, as did Shadrach, Meshak and Abednego when they refused to bow to the demands of unjust rulers.
In the New Testament, Our Savior died a criminal, and Brother Andrew pointed out that the resurrection itself was illegal. The Roman authorities most definitely didn’t want that stone moved.
Finally, all the Christian martyrs, starting with Stephen and including Peter and Paul, died for breaking the law as they spread the word of God. Were all these American and Christian heroes wrong to break the law?
Of course not! It’s just common sense.
So the distinction between legal and illegal isn’t remotely the last word in this argument.
McKenzie is a Methodist in Calhoun, Georgia, who teaches high school and holds a doctorate in political theory from the University of Florida.