Seeking Truth in Today's Troubled World

The recent statement by the Clark County School District in Nevada pledging to protect and educate children regardless of their immigration status is a classic example of sentiment triumphing over reason. While compassion and concern for children are laudable qualities, they must be balanced against the practical realities of law, resource allocation, and the unintended consequences of such policies.

Education is not free. The resources required to provide quality education—teachers, facilities, textbooks, and countless other necessities—come from taxpayers, many of whom struggle to make ends meet themselves. When school districts prioritize the needs of individuals who are in the country illegally, they effectively shift the burden onto the backs of legal residents and citizens who had no part in creating this dilemma. Is it fair to impose these costs on law-abiding families without their consent?

Moreover, this decision undermines the very concept of the rule of law. If a public institution like a school district openly defies federal immigration laws, what message does that send to students? Are we teaching young people that laws are optional, to be followed only when convenient or politically expedient? Such lessons erode the foundations of a civil society.

Proponents of these policies often invoke morality, but morality detached from consequences is little more than self-indulgence. Good intentions are no substitute for sound policy. By creating incentives for illegal immigration, such as offering education without regard to legal status, we encourage more families to circumvent the legal immigration process, putting their children at risk and straining public services.

This is not merely an academic issue; it has real-world implications. The federal government has a duty to enforce immigration laws to preserve national sovereignty and maintain an orderly system for those who wish to come here legally. School districts that act in defiance of this duty are not simply educating children; they are actively undermining the efforts of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and contributing to the broader challenges of illegal immigration.

Compassion must be accompanied by clarity. If we truly care about children—both those here illegally and those here legally—we must advocate for policies that discourage illegal immigration in the first place. This includes enforcing the law and ensuring that our limited resources are directed toward those who have abided by the legal framework.

Sentimentality may win applause in the short term, but the long-term costs—to taxpayers, to the rule of law, and to the very fabric of our society—are far too high. Clark County School District would do well to remember that good governance is not about taking the easy or emotionally satisfying path but about making the difficult decisions that serve the long-term interests of the nation.

In Christ’s service,

~JH