The Good Samaritan
- Bob O'Brien
- Nov 10, 2025
- 4 min read
In the last few months, we have written a number of articles about the extremely negative effects of former President Biden’s open border policy. We have argued that the huge influx of migrants have caused: depressed wages for poor and middle class American citizens; a significant increase in housing costs for poor and middle class Americans; a substantial increase in the sex trafficking of women and unaccompanied children; the enrichment of the Mexican cartels who are flooding our country with Fentanyl and killing our children; an increase in crime; and increased national security concerns.
It is now obvious that President Trump’s policies have closed our border to new migrant crossings, and we believe that this, along with the increase in deportations, will alleviate and start to reverse the incredible harm caused by President Biden’s immigration policy.
In contrast, Democratic politicians, especially those in “sanctuary” cities and states, have blasted Trump’s immigration stance, and have taken steps to resist the deportation of migrants. However, it’s not just the politicians who are upset. Recently, Chicago Cardinal Blasé Cupich, a good man I know, respect and admire, denounced Chicago-area immigration raids and detentions, saying the Catholic Church "stands with migrants…We stand with a mother who crosses borders to feed her children. We stand with the father who labors in silence to build a better future. We stand with the young person who dreams of safety and a better future. Our parishes and schools will not turn away those who seek comfort, and we will not be silent when dignity is denied in the enforcement of the law, it is essential that we respect the dignity of every human being.”
We understand the Cardinal’s view, for it accords with long standing Catholic traditions as exemplified in the parable of the Good Samaritan, where Jesus tells the story of a man who is attacked by robbers, stripped of his clothes and left half-dead. After the important officials, the priests and Levites, pass him by, a Samaritan stops to help, bandages his wounds, takes him to an inn, and pays for his care.
Yet, we have to push back a little. Maybe we are being too practical, but it seems obvious that the Good Samaritan had enough money to take care of the poor, beaten man. In contrast, the United States is fast going broke. Cities, states and the Federal government are borrowing billions and trillions of dollars; and they still cannot afford to pay for some of the basic needs of American citizens, let alone subsidizing migrants from all over the world who are seeking “a better future” in the United States. As evidence, I note that the sanctuary states of California and Illinois have started to face the reality of their huge fiscal problems, and they are reacting by cutting back the health programs they recently promised the migrants. See the following stories: California Closes $12 Billion Budget Deficit With Hit to Migrants - Newsweek. Facing a budget shortfall, Illinois Gov. Pritzker proposes cuts to immigrant health program | AP News
We agree with the good Cardinal that “it is essential that we respect the dignity of every human being.” And maybe it is true that the ICE immigration raids, in and of itself, and that poorly furnished detention centers do not preserve the dignity of those immigrants being arrested. However, just one year ago, President Trump was elected, and he won both the popular vote and the Electoral College, and he was very clear that he would carry out mass deportations of those who entered the country illegally. Not that long ago, Democrats agreed with Trump. During the Obama Presidency, more than 3.1 million illegal immigrants were deported, making it the highest number of any U.S. president in history.
We don’t think the immigration raids would be necessary if Democrats in the sanctuary states would start cooperating with the Federal government. They could start by working with the President to accomplish his first priority - deporting criminals. Recently, President Trump wrote the following. “The FBI…is doing an incredible job. Since January 20th, more than 28,000 Violent Criminals have been arrested...with over 6,000 illegal weapons seized, more than 1,700 child predators and 300 human traffickers taken off the streets, 5,000 innocent children rescued, 2,000 Criminal enterprises disrupted, 1,900 kilos of Fentanyl (Enough to kill 125 Million people!) taken out.” What’s wrong with that? We think that all Americans should be happy that the bad guys are being shipped out of this country, and we applaud the President for doing so.
Instead, you get people like Chicago’s mayor, Brandon Johnson, who promises to arrest ICE officers doing their job, and who is calling for citizens to “resist” and “fight” federal law enforcement. Tellingly, Mayor Johnson doesn’t say how he is going to financially support all the migrants he wants to protect, for the sanctuary city of Chicago is facing a $1 billion deficit. and the Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra, and Pace, is now expecting an almost $900 million shortfall by 2028.
But what about all those poor migrants who aren’t criminals, the ones that paid off the Mexican Cartels, so they could cross our open border to seek a better life? We think President Biden’s policy was intrinsically immoral, for he basically invited over 12 million people to come here, and he promised there would be plenty of government programs to help them. Now cities, states and federal government are reneging, for they don’t have the funds to support those migrants as they promised.
Here's an idea that would offer more dignity and might work better than the immigration raids. This past March, President Trump enacted a program that offered a $1,000 exit bonus and a free plane ride home to any undocumented immigrant who would use the Custom and Border Patrol Home App (it’s free) to self deport to their home country. Those who agree to do so would have priority when they work through legal channels to re-enter our country.
Reportedly over 1.6 million immigrants have taken up the President’s offer. Perhaps when Congress agrees to re-open the government, Democrats will work with Republicans to increase that amount, and thus incentivize more migrants to leave and go home.
For links to our recent immigration articles, see below.
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