Fugelsang contrasts the Christian right’s anti-immigration rhetoric about immigrants with the Bible’s consistent commands to welcome and show compassion to strangers. While acknowledging that societies need immigration restrictions, he argues that Christians should not use Scripture to portray refugees and asylum seekers as morally suspect. The Old Testament repeatedly commands the Israelites to treat foreigners with kindness because they themselves were once foreigners in Egypt. God explicitly forbids oppressing immigrants and commands equal treatment under the law. Jesus extends this compassion in the New Testament, making a despised Samaritan the hero of a central parable and warning in Matthew 25 that nations will be judged by how they welcome strangers.

Christian nationalists attempt to support restrictive positions by citing Romans 13 on obeying governing authorities. In April 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions invoked this passage to justify separating migrant children from their parents, with White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders calling the policy “very biblical.” Fugelsang challenges this interpretation by pointing to broader biblical themes of hospitality and by noting that asylum seekers may seek legal protection under international and domestic frameworks. He also addresses interpretations of the Tower of Babel story as endorsing national separation and argues that Nehemiah’s wall—built for restoration, not exclusion—is not directly comparable to modern border policies.