Pastor Samuel Rodriguez believes Christians must see the ever-complex issues of immigration and the border through a “biblical lens.”
“With Matthew 25 and Leviticus 19, it should be a lens of compassion and the rule of law,” he said, going on to also cite Romans 13. “Obey the government as it pertains to laws that are in there for the preservation of liberties, and rights, and the security of families and homes.”
Rodriguez continued, “Come on, 15 to 20 million illegal entries. Never before in human history has any nation permitted over 10 million people, undocumented, without us knowing who they are, to come into any respective nation.”
The preacher, who also serves as president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, said there are dangerous individuals among those who have entered illegally and that children have gone missing in the mix of people coming through the border.
“We’ve lost 300,000 kids … there are 300,000 unaccounted kids,” Rodriguez said. “We have no idea where they’re at.”
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Not only are these kids missing, but Rodriguez said data says they might also be in grave danger.
“Unfortunately, we know from the data, we know from past history … this breaks my heart even saying this, many of them are probably being sex trafficked as we speak,” he said.
Rodriguez said these factors should lead Christians to defend America’s standing as a “sovereign nation,” while also recognizing the importance of immigrants to the fabric of the country.
The preacher did note that “deportations will take place” in the new Trump administration and said Christians might struggle with the concept of “mass deportations.” But Rodriguez, who indicated he has inside information on coming plans, believes the government will mostly “come after the criminal element.”
“They’re going to come after those that are involved in gangs, the rapists, the murderers, the drug dealers,” he said. “They’re going to come after every illegal immigrant in America that’s involved in nefarious activities. That’s what they’re going to come after — the criminals.”
After that, Rodriguez said they will target single males who have more recently come into the nation. The pastor dismissed concerns the government will target “families [who] have been here for 25 years.”
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“It’s not going to happen,” he said. “And this is Sam Rodriguez. I’m speaking on behalf of Sam Rodriguez here. So, not officially on behalf of any transition team or so forth.”
Rodriguez continued, “There’s going to be an attempt with Congress to find a pathway of integration, not citizenship. At the end of the day, I do believe these individuals who came in here illegally will never receive citizenship, and I’m OK with that.”
Considering these people broke the law, he agrees with this approach. That said, he believes a person who has been here for 25 years, and who has raised children in America, is hardworking, and not living off the government should be able to find a place in the U.S.
“We’re going to find a way to get you a green card, and you never have to worry about living in the shadows again,” Rodriguez said. “And that’s the right way of doing it.”
The preacher also spoke about President-Elect Donald Trump’s performance at the polls among Latino voters, which was stronger in 2024 than in the past two election cycles.
“Forty-six percent of the general Latino population,” he said. “This is way beyond anything we’ve seen in 250 years of American history.”
Rodriguez believes the reason for this shift is that the Democratic Party has left Latinos behind, embracing policies the cohort simply doesn’t embrace. He lamented, from his perspective, a move to the left that has alienated Latino voters.
“This is Marxism,” he said. “It’s socialism. Coming after our kids … that crazy, ludicrous obsession with Drag Queen Story Hour. Just stop sexualizing kids. Get your hands off our kids. Latinos are very pro-familia. … So, when you start coming after our kids, we go, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa — hold on. You’re done. You’re coming after God — meaning our God, our faith and limiting my religious expression — and then you’re coming after my kids?'”
See what else Rodriguez had to say above.
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