Would Jesus be deported from the United States?

(Note: this post was originally published on the Do justice. blog)  

In Matthew’s Gospel, the birth of Jesus is quickly followed by migration under perilous circumstances. Joseph is warned in a dream about a brutal policy soon to be implemented by the political regime in power. Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus flee to Egypt where they find safety until God eventually calls them back to dwell in Nazareth after circumstances have changed. This story always makes me wonder: what if Mary, Joseph, and Jesus had been stopped at the border? What if they were kept in a detention center? What if baby Jesus was deported from Egypt back into a very dangerous and unstable situation?

I talked about this story at a rally to support sanctuary efforts at my university. It was a diverse crowd. I spoke from my faith convictions as a disciple of Jesus Christ but with great unease about what “Christianity” has become and what “Christians” justify. I was honest with the people in front of me. Would a large number of self-identifying Christians in the U.S. today deport the Holy Family itself if they crossed our border? Probably.