“Heaven Has Strict Immigration Laws. Hell Has Open Borders!” By Chris Knight (Florida)

 Illinois church sparks holy immigration debate with fiery sign, that is for sure.

In what might be the most unexpected theological take on border security, New Hope Community Church in Palatine, Illinois, has stirred up divine controversy with its bold sign: "Heaven Has Strict Immigration Laws. Hell Has Open Borders." Because nothing says Sunday worship quite like an existential take on immigration policy, right?

Pastor James Pittman, the mastermind behind the sign, insists that this is all about salvation, not politics. According to him, the message isn't about U.S. immigration laws but rather a clever (or clumsy?) way to make people think about their spiritual journey. Basically, he's not saying your visa application for Heaven will be denied—but you better have the right paperwork (read: faith and repentance).

To clarify the church's intent, New Hope Community posted on Facebook, essentially saying, "Relax, everyone. We're just trying to save souls, not debate immigration reform." But as with all things on the internet, the message went over about as well as a Bible study in a nightclub.

Backlash: Thou Shalt Not Make Controversial Church Signs!
Naturally, some community members didn't take kindly to the sign's wording, interpreting it as a political stance rather than a spiritual one. Cue the online outrage machine! Negative Yelp reviews started rolling in, with critics questioning the church's intent.

And in one of the best plot twists of 2025, some particularly angry social media users labelled Pastor Pittman—a Black man—a white supremacist. Yes, you read that correctly. It turns out, in today's world, all it takes to be accused of white supremacy is putting up a church sign that some people don't like.

As the digital torches and pitchforks came out, the church had to disable comments on its Yelp page to stop the flood of one-star reviews from the keyboard warriors of righteousness.

Despite the backlash, Pastor Pittman isn't budging. The sign stays, and he's open to discussions about it—assuming those discussions involve actual conversations and not just angry internet mobs. So, if you were hoping he'd repent for his church marquee sins, you might have to wait until the next sermon.

In the end, whether you see this as a brilliant metaphor for salvation or the worst PR move since the Crusades, one thing's for sure: New Hope Community Church has officially entered the religious controversy hall of fame.

Now, if only we could get an official statement from Heaven's border patrol on whether angelic visas are still being processed…

Yes, it is a perfect explanation of why open borders is the road to hell!