The crisis at our southern border exists mainly because of confusion between immigration policies and the process of naturalization. Very simply, the U.S. Constitution only grants to the federal government the authority to adopt uniform laws of naturalization. This means that the federal government gets to establish the laws determining how immigrants may become citizens. The Constitution does not, however, grant the federal government any authority to prohibit the states from adopting laws for dealing with immigrants within their own borders, especially those who are present illegally and are in no way seeking to become U.S. citizens.

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The Obama administration went after the ability of states to enact such legislation. The case of Arizona v. United States was wrongly decided, in my opinion, and Justice Scalia’s dissent exposed many of the errors in the majority decision. This case so desperately in need of overturn has fueled the federal government’s overreach regarding immigration and has occasioned chaos in many border states.

The heart-wrenching sight of those masses at our border and the resultant chaos, confusion, and lack of order all suggest hopelessness. To be sure, as Christians, our hurt and concern do not extend solely to the struggles of American citizens, but we also know that God is not the author of confusion. It is the Enemy who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Unfortunately, the border is becoming a breeding ground of death and destruction for migrants and American citizens alike.

Many who are encouraged to make the trek to the U.S. face untold dangers and hardships. Their pain and suffering are tangible. But not only do porous borders harm those who are sold a deceptive bill of goods to come here, they also occasion waves of criminal activity. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, the amount of fentanyl seized in 2022 was enough to kill off the entire population of Houston three times over. Houston’s population is about 2.3 million, so there was enough fentanyl smuggled into Texas to kill roughly 7 million people.

As sufferings and turmoil increase worldwide, the crisis at our southern border increases correspondingly. Some 2.4 million people have poured over our borders so far this year. This makes the placement (in many cases, the displacement) of immigrants in U.S. cities record-breaking.

The small Texas border town of Eagle Pass, with a population of 28,000, has seen as many as 2,500 immigrants enter per day. Mayor Rolando Salinas Jr. has declared a state of emergency because so many migrants are simply being released to roam the streets of Eagle Pass. In frustration, Salinas has said: “They are coming in with no consequence.”

The current situation is untenable. And this becomes more evident when the sorrows of those hoping for a better but seemingly elusive future are juxtaposed with the burdens of local communities, burdens that those communities are simply unable to bear. And it’s not only the local governments that are incapable of providing for these migrants; the federal and state governments are struggling under similarly insufficient resources. These realities have become glaring, given the Biden administration’s policies of bringing in migrants without processing them into shelters, but only releasing them onto the streets homeless.

Tragic as all of this is, though, it pales when compared with the plight of the millions of unaccompanied minors, or the minors being brought in by adults who are not their parents. Arguably, the mishandling of these children through the policies of the Department of Health and Human Services makes our government complicit in the sickeningly profitable industry of child sex trafficking. The HHS failure to protect these vulnerable children has been made public through brave whistleblowers and recent grand jury indictments in Florida. The HHS is now attempting to codify its failed policies into formally adopted rules. These rules are currently open to public comments through Dec. 4, 2023.

These rules are so numerous that the appalling HHS practices and mishandlings get buried and hidden in the sheer mass. But the illogical, inexcusable prohibitions on key questions that enable the vetting of sponsors so that children might not be released into the hands of traffickers must be stopped. Such “rules” must not be adopted, but rather exposed, along with any insidious hidden agendas. Learn more here. You might also want to view this expose.

It is crucial that we pray for a miraculous move of God at our borders. It is equally crucial that we speak out whenever we see injustice. And speaking out is even more urgent when that injustice is being perpetrated against those unable to speak for themselves. We must become the voice of these precious children to see them rescued from the evil hands of their captors. If the HHS has no interest in protecting these kids, then it is we who are their last hope. Undoubtedly, the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ is toward these little ones. And we have been given the opportunity to become His voice on their behalf. Please join me by adding yours.

Share a prayer below for the rescue of endangered migrant children everywhere. 

Cynthia Dunbar is an attorney, an author, a constitutional scholar, a Regent University professor of government, a former law professor at Liberty University, an ordained minister through the Federation of Ministers & Churches International, and an IFA board member. She and IFA President and CEO Dave Kubal co-host Constitutional Corner. Follow Cynthia on X or Instagram; view her videos on Freedom Focus; or schedule her here to speak at your next event.

Jacumba, California — Child migrants attempting to cross to the U.S. from Mexico sit in a makeshift shelter while detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (Photo by Nick Ut/Getty Images)