The renewed interest in immigration reform has generated an urgent need to reflect not only on the different policies that govern our society but also on the operative narratives that shape our consciousness about it. Heyer's book makes an important contribution to an increasing body of literature on migration and theology by highlighting some of the core ethical contours of this contentious debate, as well as the narratives connected to people's respective positions. She seeks to examine the challenges surrounding immigration in light of the Christian narrative and to offer the beginnings of a Christian immigration ethic that is marked by kinship and justice. Heyer grounds the debate not simply on the problems and politics around immigration but especially on the people themselves. Beginning with personal stories from the undocumented, she then examines the ways different philosophies, ideologies, and structures influence the existing narrative around migration and result in the dehumanization and exploitation of immigrants.

The manuscript is rich in its research and comprehensive in scope, and the primary focus of the book is theological and ethical. Its five chapters seek to (1) recover the centrality of the person in the immigration debate, (2) examine the role of social sin in the creation of systems that dehumanize and exploit, (3) highlight the centrality of family, (4) promote the vision of a globalization of solidarity, and (5) articulate the contribution of Christian ethics to the overall debate on immigration. Throughout her discussion, Heyer identifies and critiques some of the operative ideologies, utilitarian models, and dehumanizing social structures that shape the complex drama of immigration. She points the way toward constructive approaches that rest on the dignity of the human person, the unity of the nuclear family, the connection to the larger human family, and the creation of just and sustainable systems.

Because migration touches on virtually every aspect of life and is studied by virtually every academic discipline, this book could be used in a variety of courses in multiple fields, including courses that deal with faith and justice, Christian ethics, liberation theology, gender studies, and, more specifically, theology and migration. It could be used at both the undergraduate and the graduate levels, as well as by church-based migration groups interested in an in-depth and serious study of migration issues.

At its core the book prompts readers to reflect on who we are before God and what it means to be human in the world, especially within the context of the challenging social issues of our times, such as immigration. Heyer provokes readers to reflect on the need not only for new policies but also for a new imagination about the issue of immigration and a new way of seeing immigrants themselves.