RELIGIOUS VOICE NOW PART OF THE DEBATE

As the much anticipated Congressional debate on Immigration Reform draws near, religious leaders are stepping up efforts to bring a more humane, thoughtful voice to the issue.
The Arizona Republic published an article on October 19 quoting Bishop Minerva Carcaño, Desert Southwest Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, as follows:  “We truly are with you…And we believe that God is on your side too.” 

On October 8, testimony was given to the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security by key religious leaders on Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington D.C. testified that “Our nation requires an immigration system that marries legal immigration with our long-term economic needs, the principle of family unity, and basic human rights.  This will help restore the rule of law to our immigration system.  Now, our immigration system accomplishes none of these goals…In truth, the church position in favor of reform seeks to restore the rule of law and provide order and legality to an otherwise chaotic system.” 

Cardinal McCarrick outlined the key elements the U.S. Catholic Bishop’s Committee on Migration believes should be addressed in any immigration reform legislation:
1.   Bring the undocumented population in this country out of the shadows and give them a chance, over time, to achieve permanent residency and citizenship.
2.   Preserve family unity by strengthening family-based immigration.
3.  Create legal avenues for migration, so that migrant workers, who labor in   many important industries in our nation, are able to enter the country legally and in a sage and orderly fashion.
4.  Give immigrants their day in court by restoring due process protections  removed in 1996 legislation.

Reverend James A. Tolle, Senior Pastor of The Church on The Way in Los Angeles with over 20,000 members and more than 50,000 affiliated churches also testified before the Subcommittee.  Reverend Tolle spoke to the Senate stating: “In Seeking Comprehensive Immigration Reform, I am motivated by the phrase in the Declaration of Independence which states that ‘all men are created equal…with certain unalienable rights.’  Unalienable rights are those human rights which transcend law and the preferences of other people….My pursuit of comprehensive immigration reform comes from Leviticus 19:34, which states, ‘ The stranger who dwells with you shall be unto you just as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself.”

Values reflection, including exploration of the religious foundations of our commitment to Comprehensive Immigration Reform, will help our state and nation successfully grapple with a broken immigration system that must be fixed.