Members of The Evangelical Immigration Table say the current system doesn’t meet Christian standards and are calling for a six-point bipartisan solution that:
• Respects the God-given dignity of every person
• Guarantees secure national borders
• Protects the unity of the immediate family
• Ensures fairness to taxpayers and respects the rule of law
• Establishes a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and who wish to become permanent residents.
The Table is made of pastors and heads from World Relief, The Christian and Missionary Alliance, Focus on the Family and dozens of other faith-based organizations.
Members say that although they didn’t all vote the same, they each want legislation that reflects Christian values and are asking for the president to meet with them within the first 92 days of his administration (The word “ger,” which means “immigrant” in Hebrew, appears in the Bible 92 times).
“Immigration is not just a Hispanic issue. Immigration is not just an Asian issue, European issue or African issue. It is a Christian issue. It is a moral issue. And how our country chooses to handle our immigrants reflects the character of our entire nation,” said Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals in a press call this week.
According to the Pew Hispanic Center there are 11.5 million illegal immigrants currently living in the United States.
Julia Stronks political science professor at Whitworth University, said in a recent lecture that numerous illegal immigrants are forced into prostitution (including many children), women and children are often victims of unreported domestic violence and young children are often forced to work in fields.
“In the U.S. there are 100,000 immigrant children who pick the food for us to eat so our food is cheap,” she said. “That number is staggering.”
She said progressives tend to look at immigration as a human rights issue, while conservatives typically look at is a jobs, taxpayer and crimes issue.
“Most Christians sort of go with whatever their political party says, but this (The Evangelical Immigration Table) requires them to build a unified approach,” she said.
Jim Wallis, president and CEO of Sojourners, said the Table is taking politics out of evangelicalism and instead using it as a theological term. “We stand ready and willing to work with both republicans and democrats who are committed to fair and just immigration reform.”
