Tag: immigration reform

WASHINGTON (RNS) With a July 4 deadline looming for an immigration reform vote on Capitol Hill, politicians and clergy at the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast Thursday (June 20) pushed lawmakers to reach common ground.

“It’s the right thing to do, it’s the Christian thing to do but it’s also an incredibly practical thing to do,” said Vice President Joe Biden, addressing about 550 attendees.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (RNS) With the Statue of Liberty as a backdrop, the “Nuns on the Bus” on Wednesday (May 29) kicked off a national tour for immigration reform aimed at giving a faith-based push to legislation that’s now hanging in the balance in Congress.

I have to say I am glad that this type of immigration reform was not created in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s or I would not be here. One of my grandfathers came from Poland just after World War 1 and the other had parents who moved from Canada and then left him an orphan in Texas. I also have a large branch of the family that is one-half French Canadian.

I have spent most of my life valuing the effort of hard work, whether it is in myself, or in others. I believe that hard work can get anyone to anywhere.

One of the most important evidences of our faith and morality is how we treat our fellow human beings, so I believe that any effort to resolve immigration issues must be approach first and foremost from that perspective. We are all God's children and need to treat each other accordingly.  Secondly, families are fundamental; immigration laws and enforcement should do everything possible to keep families together.

On Wednesday more than 100 people gathered in downtown Spokane to march for immigration reform.

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.