Interfaith Call Urges for Just, Humane Immigration Policy
Religious leaders and organizations have stepped up to address the issue of comprehensive immigration reform, calling on the President and Congress to show compassion to those outside the U.S. borders and establish a humane immigration system.
Religious leaders and organizations have stepped up to address the issue of comprehensive immigration reform, calling on the President and Congress to show compassion to those outside the U.S. borders and establish a humane immigration system.
Faith-based leaders on a wide scale of religious communities put their pens together to sign an interfaith statement after discussing the critical topic at the June 28 “Interfaith Roundtable: Addressing Immigration Policy in a Faith-Based Context,” hosted by World Relief.
The Senate Judiciary Committee also heard testimonies at an Oct. 18 hearing regarding the homeland security threat presented by illegal immigration and the need to create new legal channels that would help reduce the strain of the immigration system.
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While President Bush has enforced stringent border security for reasons of national security threats and economic strains that are imposed by illegal immigration, religious leaders drew attention to the impediments that have prevented foreigners from achieving legal status.
"While we support the right of the government to enforce the law and protect the national security interests of the United States, we recognize that our existing complex and unworkable immigration system has made it nearly impossible for many immigrants – who seek to support their families or reunite with loved ones – to achieve legal status," stated the interfaith letter.
Calling for the enactment of an immigration system that would facilitate legal status and family unity, the undersigned leaders urged Bush and Congress to reform the "outmoded" system with the following:
• An opportunity for hard-working immigrants who are already contributing to this country to come out of the shadows, regularize their status upon satisfaction of reasonable criteria and, over time, pursue an option to become lawful permanent residents and eventually United States citizens;
• Reforms in our family-based immigration system to significantly reduce waiting times for separated families who currently wait many years to be reunited;
• The creation of legal avenues for workers and their families who wish to migrate to the U.S. to enter our country and work in a safe, legal, and orderly manner with their rights fully protected;
• Border protection policies that are consistent with humanitarian values and with the need to treat all individuals with respect, while allowing the authorities to carry out the critical task of identifying and preventing entry of terrorists and dangerous criminals, as well as pursuing the legitimate task of implementing American immigration policy.
"As faith-based leaders and organizations, we call attention to the moral dimensions of public policy and pursue policies that uphold the human dignity of each person, all of whom are made in the image of God," said the statement.
With Senate Court nominations and other issues now on the Senate Judiciary table, the committee will not compose an immigration bill until at least January, according to Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), a leading proponent of changing immigration policy.
"It is our collective prayer that the legislative process will produce a just immigration system of which our nation of immigrants can be proud," said the undersigned leaders and organizations.
To view the Statement in Support of Comprehensive Immigration Reform, visit http://www.wr.org/ourwork/whatwedo/reform.asp
