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Why evangelicals want immigration reform this year
With the significant exception of Native Americans, most of us can trace our ancestry to another country or continent. We are indeed a nation of immigrants and their descendants. It is a checkered history, as evidenced by congressional apologies for injustices committed against both Native and African Americans. But there can be little doubt that our nation has achieved its current prosperity in large part due to our embrace--fitfully at times--of immigrants.
To be sure, each succeeding wave of immigrants--whether German, Italian, Irish, Chinese or Mexican, to name just a few--has had its critics. Those already here imagined that the newcomers would threaten their jobs or dilute their culture. In fact, just the opposite has been true. Immigrants have always brought energy, hope, and vision, which have fed the continual renewal of both our economy and our culture.
President Obama is right to join those in both parties, in the faith community and in civil society who have long been calling for reform of our broken immigration system. Our system has failed to keep up with the demand for both work and family reunification. Decade-long waiting periods and absurdly inadequate quotas have resulted in a de facto immigration system in which large numbers of employers and workers bypass the formal immigration regime altogether. This has eroded respect for our laws, compromised security on our borders, and created a large body of second class citizens. We want and need their labor, but we fail to provide a workable system to admit an adequate number of immigrants legally. We consequently fail to offer them the rights and protections enjoyed by other Americans.
Our current system contradicts our nation's deepest values. The teachings of almost every religious tradition uphold the virtue of corporate as well as individual hospitality. The Hebrew Scriptures command not only hospitality, but love--because God himself loves the sojourner. Jesus went out of his way to honor the despised Samaritans and fully identified himself with the foreigner. Those who welcome strangers are said to be entertaining angels.
Evangelicals support immigration reform because we treat the biblical injunctions to welcome the stranger not merely as good advice but as divine instruction for our good. Further, we recognize that human beings are unique and precious individuals created in the image of God, with great dignity and potential to bless their neighbors. We see the hand of God in the movement of peoples throughout history.
As immigrants have joined our churches and communities, they have become our friends, our co-workers, and indeed, our brothers and sisters. We grieve when families remain separated for decades, when workers are treated unfairly, and when our neighbors lack the basic protection of the law. For these reasons and many others the National Association of Evangelicals, representing 40 denominations with more than 45,000 congregations, has joined other faith communities in asserting the moral imperative of enacting meaningful immigration reform now.
Republicans and Democrats have recently demonstrated a poor track record of working together. We can think of no greater opportunity for them to put aside partisanship and enact immigration reform this session that will strengthen our recovering economy, restore the rule of law and reinforce our nation's best values. In the end, our nation's greatness will be marked by how we treat the most vulnerable, including the stranger, among us.
Along with partner organizations, we sponsored a meeting in Phoenix, Arizona this week to study the Scriptures, pray and call our leaders to action on immigration reform. Evangelical leaders also led similar events in Denver, Miami, Santa Ana, Chicago and Memphis. We heard noted civil rights leader John Perkins and civil rights historian Troy Jackson challenge evangelicals to stand with immigrants in the struggle for justice. Evangelicals may have largely missed the civil rights battles of the 1960s, but we do not intend to repeat our mistake in 2010.
By
Galen Carey
|
January 28, 2010; 3:15 PM ET
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Posted by: riwasko | February 3, 2010 4:10 PM
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If Mr. Carey is truly interested in defending the NAE's position on this issue, it would have been helpful for him to explain what specific proposals it favors, instead of hiding behind vague calls for "immigration reform" or "meaningful immigration reform." And since some critics of the NAE say it is actually calling for amnesty legislation, it's disappointing that Mr. Carey failed to address that issue, either to refute it or defend it.
Posted by: InterAlia | February 3, 2010 1:02 PM
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I am torn. On one hand we must do something about immigration reform; the process must be more effective and certainly not separate families. However, as believers we must NEVER encourage or support those who have broken the law. Just as the church member who tells me he is AWOL from the Navy - I must direct him back to the Navy to surrender himself and make right the law he has broken. To grant him unconditional amnesty is not right and does not allow God to demonstrate His power in the situation. Even though the authority is dysfunctional in how it handles immigration process NEVER gives us a right to violate the laws or help to facilitate. YES we need reform and equal to this, those who are illegally in this country needs to go to their native country and legally start the process. This is where the church can come around them and assist them and even SUPPORT them through the process and PRAY and ask God to show favor. If these illegals have come to a saving faith and are trusting god then they will accept that doing that which is right in God's sight is more important than living in the comforts of the USA.
Posted by: jmitchell2 | February 3, 2010 11:12 AM
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Evangelicals--like those from other Christian traditions--are finding that immigrants are integral members of our churches. As those of us who are not immigrants, and have not had to interact with an absolutely broken immigration system, get to know our knew immigrant neighbors, we're beginning to understand the desperate need for immigration reform that is both good for immigrants as well as for our economy and society as a whole.
Posted by: MattSoerens | February 1, 2010 5:41 PM
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What's truly sad is one can believe the Church as it has been caught up in the Political wave. Yes even Jesus said give to Ceaser what is Ceaser's give to God what is God's. As we listen to the hate and racism spilled by all religious groups in the name of God it's sick. Our Law Makers were Religious as a Poster while committing the greatest sins. Religious Values and Teachings have been lost as God is watching and sad.
Posted by: qqbDEyZW | January 31, 2010 11:45 PM
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Lost in the immigration debate is the reason why it is needed. Wealth is not static but created from ideas, and those ideas are most likely to come from the young. In America we have sacrificed 50 million of our young in the name of convenience and shot ourselves in the economic foot. So to make up for it we have to turn to immigration, not just from south of the border but across the world. Look at who those are now leading our research programs, key professors in universities, et al. The American Anglo population is dwindling. We can't have it both ways and then cry foul.