NC Religious Coalition for Justice for Immigrants

The vocation of the church of Jesus Christ is not to avoid, neglect, or shun individuals or groups about whom society harbors ambivalence and misgivings. The ministry of the church is to open our doors to anyone who knocks, to give food to the person who is hungry, water to the person who thirsts. For a Christian, no human being is legal or illegal.

Let us be honest. Let us acknowledge that today, immigration to the wealthy countries of Europe and North America is the result of an unequal distribution of wealth between the North and the South of our world. We cannot deny, nor should we forget, this basic fact.

For these reasons, the Waldensian Church opposes both wholesale discrimination against persons who find themselves in violation of current immigration law and efforts to deny such persons basic human rights—housing, health care, and access to education. Let us be honest. Let us acknowledge that measures that target “illegal immigrants” cause families and individuals irreparable suffering and marginalize thousands of persons in our society. Why are we surprised when the persons whom we have deemed “illegal” turn in anger and desperation to illegality?

For these reasons, the Waldensian Church opposes laws that criminalize immigration. We agree that immigration reform is needed but think that legislation should offer immigrants viable options: a legal pathway into Italian society or a consensual and assisted return to one’s country of origin.

For Italy, immigration is a new phenomenon. Only within the past thirty years has the number of immigrants exceeded the number of people who emigrate. In the meantime, the world has changed. The phenomenon of immigration today is different than it was decades ago. The situations and experiences of people who left Italy in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries and the stories of individuals and families who immigrate to Italy in the Twenty First Century are like apples and oranges. Apart from a shared thread of hardship and suffering, the experiences are different. Each deserves to be understood and respected in its own right.

Immigration today is the result of a global, economic imbalance. Accordingly, immigration is a reality that requires skillful and compassionate oversight. The forging of a just immigration policy is the responsibility of elected legislatures. However, let us be honest. Let us acknowledge and confess that for the church, immigrants are men, women and children to whom, according to the Gospel, we owe hospitality and solidarity.

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Faith and Our New Neighbors

A Brief History

Canada and the United States are immigrant nations formed out of persons migrating to find a better life. Until the 19th century, there were no restrictions on immigration to our two countries, and people came and contributed their labor and skills to help our nations thrive. Labor was needed for mining, agriculture, industry, western expansion, and to help our great cities flourish. Our nations have depended on newly arrived immigrants for their development.

Historically, the words on the Statue of Liberty have been a symbol of the welcome that the United States extended to immigrants. Those words expressed not only the need of Europeans to immigrate, but also the United States’ desire to use Europeans’ energy and talents. In Canada, there was relatively free immigration throughout the British Commonwealth until the 1960s, and Canada received immigrants from many other Commonwealth countries.

As immigration to both countries became more ethnically and racially diverse, anti-immigrant forces surfaced, and various immigration restrictions were imposed on new immigrants. Discriminatory laws were passed, fundamental rights were violated, mob violence erupted, and immigrants were locked up in inhumane conditions.

The 21st century has brought new demands for even more immigrant workers to work in the agriculture, construction, slaughterhouse, janitorial, hotel, and restaurant industries. Immigrants are willing to work in jobs that many U.S. and Canadian citizens reject. While our economies depend on the labor of these immigrants, we often tend to be very critical of the immigrants that come for these employment opportunities, especially those who come to our countries without proper documentation or who overstay their temporary visas.

Disciples are an immigrant denomination, having been formed by and for immigrants on the frontier and growing in size, in recent years, through the addition of immigrant congregations. Throughout our history, Disciples have had specific ministries of welcome to immigrants coming to the United States and Canada. That ministry has been carried out by congregations, regions, and general ministries. For about 25 years, the Disciples, in cooperation with other denominations through Church World Service, have also funded a full-time staff person in Washington, DC, to work on making U.S. immigration legislation and regulations more hospitable to immigrants.

Guidance from Scripture

The Bible is a story of God's intimate involvement with people as they live out their history. It is a story of movement and change as people and nations grow, mix, and take on various characteristics. It is a story of constantly renewed hopes for a better future. Yet, it is a story of God intervening and sending people out in new directions when life begins to look too settled, too full of routine, too full of pleasures, or too weighed down by sin. Hebrews 11 reviews the changes in direction experienced by the Hebrew people and affirms the people of God as "strangers and exiles on earth."

In the Bible, the presence of a stranger is seen as an opportunity for hospitality – the sharing of one's home and resources. Over and over, we find stories of strangers being welcomed. Abraham welcomed the strangers by the Oaks of Mamre who turned out to be messengers from God who blessed him with the promise of a son. From the time of the exodus, God continually reminded the people that they should care for the stranger with justice and compassion, because they were once strangers in Egypt. Sojourners, at times, stayed for months or even years. Moses and Jacob are examples who contributed their labor to their hosts, and each found a wife in their host’s family. God commanded the Israelites to set aside cities of refuge in Canaan as places of asylum for those who fled from persons seeking to kill them. The widow of Zarephath welcomed Elijah into her home when she had only one meal to offer, but God filled her pantry as fast as it was emptied and Elijah remained for many days. The foreigner Ruth was generously welcomed by Boaz, Naomi's kinsman.

Mary, Joseph, and Jesus found safety in Egypt where they fled to escape the slaughter of the innocents. When Jesus sent out his disciples to teach and heal in his name, he instructed them to take little with them and trust in the hospitality of those they would meet along the way. In the story of the Good Samaritan we see that it is the stranger in the land (the Samaritan) who comes to the rescue of the man beside the road. When Jesus described the last judgment, there was explicit identification of Jesus with the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the prisoner, and the sick. It was in responding to such persons, the disciples were told, that they would know they were responding to Jesus. On the road to Emmaus the hospitality of the disciples resulted in Jesus making himself known to them in the breaking of bread. As people of faith we are constantly reminded to welcome the stranger and trust the outcome toGod. It is in living out this faith commitment that we engage in generosity to strangers and immigrants with the confidence that God will take care of our needs.

WHEREAS, immigration has played a major role in the development of our countries and the advancement of our economies; and

WHEREAS, immigration is often a desperate means of survival forced on people by poverty or persecution; and

WHEREAS, Canada and the United States are rich nations in comparison to many other countries around the world, whose citizens are seeking a better life; and

WHEREAS, scripture shows us that we are all neighbors in this world, who are called to reach out in hospitality to each other; and

WHEREAS, many of our new Disciples congregations are immigrant churches; and

WHEREAS, the United States is currently engaged in a political struggle over proposed immigration reform legislation; and

WHEREAS, immigrants cannot put their needs on hold until just, humane and compassionate legislation is passed;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the General Assembly calls upon all Disciples members, congregations, regions, and general ministries to, from a faith perspective with intentionality:

1.) Reflect on current immigration issues;

2.) Embrace and form relationships with immigrants, especially Disciples immigrant congregations;

3.) Advocate immigration reform legislation that is just, humane and compassionate; and

4.) Provide hospitality that meets the needs of our immigrant neighbors in the areas of food, clothing, housing, healthcare, education, employment, legal assistance, and refuge; and

THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the General Assembly affirms its support of the daily efforts to welcome our new neighbors that are taking place in many congregations and regions and by the Southwest Good Samaritan Ministries in Texas, Humane Borders in Arizona,the Central Pastoral Office for Hispanic Ministries, the Office of North American Pacific/Asian Disciples, the New Church Ministry Team of Church Extension, and Refugee and Immigration Ministries of Disciples Home Missions.

The Church of the Brethren

A Statement Addressing the Concern of Undocumented Persons and Refugees in the United States
Adopted by the Church of the Brethren, 1982

Introduction

The United States often has been described as a "Nation of Immigrants." Except for Native Americans and persons brought here against their will, the country has been Populated by those who left their homelands for social, political, religious, or economic reasons. Even so, the U.S. has a history of ambivalence toward immigrants and refugees. In times of prosperity we offer hospitality: in times of recession or depression we react with hostility. It is especially felt by those citizens who are unemployed that too many immigrants have already come. The tension between these two groups of people can be resolved in the context of the Stewardship of God's gifts, the knowledge that all resources come from God and are not the unqualified property of those holding them, and the recognition that all possessions are held in trust for the benefit of all humanity.

Historical Background

For the first hundred years of our history anyone could come to this country to stay; immigration was unrestricted. In 1852 the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo changed the immigration status of those who inhabited the Southwest. A border was created that divided families, beginning an ambivalent policy toward Immigration from Mexico and other Latin American countries. A period of restrictive Immigration thus began that lasted until 1920. Other restrictions were placed on Catholics, Chinese, Koreans and ultimately in 1917 upon all Asians.

From 1921 to 1964, numerical restrictions on immigrants were developed. The first specific limitation by country was imposed in 1921, holding the annual immigration to three percent of the foreign born persons of a given nationality who resided in the United States according to the 1910 population census. This quota effectively excluded not only Asians but also Africans and persons from other countries and continents.

The basic law governing current U.S. Immigration policy is the Immigration Nationality Act of 1952. Focused on a fear of communism, the Act set forth many repressive restrictions. From 1965 to 1980, minor revisions of immigration law were adopted. In an attempt to reduce discrimination, Congress substituted a limit of 20,000 immigrants per country for the National Origins System. The most recent reform effort, the Refugee Act of 1980, has produced mixed results in which refugees from Indochina are resettled under government plans while others seeking refugee status from Haiti and El Salvador are turned away. Further, many people wait in long backlogs to rejoin their families while others with no relatives in this country enter immediately.

Inability to enforce the existing law has led to a large population of undocumented persons, that is, those who enter the U.S. illegally or have overstayed their visas. Lacking legal status and fearing deportation these persons have become easy prey for those who want cheap labor or who offer unsafe working conditions. The outcry of the exploited and unemployed is increasing.

In light of these developments, matters of justice become a pressing concern in regard to U.S. immigration-refugees policy. It is clear that intercultural tensions, foreign policy, human rights, and the domestic economy all converge in immigration and refugee policy. A Christian response to these concerns becomes ever more urgent.

Theologies and Biblical Understandings

Through the media we see both generous and selfish concerns in the proposals advanced. In the midst of this Babel of fear, misunderstanding, generosity, and pride, we behave that the Gospel speaks a clear word of God's love for all people. We seek to be faithful to the Word and call upon members of the Church of the Brethren to respond as it has done in the past to serve the spiritual and social needs of migrating; immigrating and refugee persons.

The concepts of stranger, alien, and sojourner furnish useful metaphors for interpreting the biblical and theological heritage of our church and God's actions in human history. In the biblical tradition the alien is under the special protection of God. The alter is among those who receive the special protection because they do not have land. This means that the alien is to be dealt with in the same manner as the native. This is true of religious rights and of civil rights. Furthermore, that which is set aside for the alien, the widow, and the orphan (such as the gleanings of the crops) is not an act of charity but an obligation on the part of Israel, who, in truth, is an alien in God's land.

The situation of the alien is described in the Old Testament in Genesis 15:13; in God's promise to Abram. Here we see immigration from Canaan to Egypt because of hunger. Moses's story is a political kind of immigration. Moses was an alien in the land of Midian. That is the reason he called his son Gershom because "I have been an alien in a foreign land" (Exodus 2:22 RSV). And after the account of Moses leading the Israelites from Egypt, there is the command again and again to be good to the alien, sojourner, immigrant, or refugee in your midst, "for remember that we were sojourners, aliens in the land of Egypt." (See Exodus 22:21; Leviticus 19:13-34; Deuteronomy 10:11; 1:16; 24:14; 24:17; 27:19.)

In the New The statement the protection for the immigrant-refugee is very real, especially in the book of Hebrews. A great cloud of witnesses is offered as the image and shape of the pilgrim community of God - strangers, sojourners and exiles always on the move (Hebrews II). The epistle concludes on a note familiar to the Gospels. The lasting city is to be found where Jesus suffered, died and redeemed the world (Hebrews 13:7-16). It is Hebrews also which provides the best text of hospitality: "Continue to love each other like brothers and sisters, and remember always to welcome strangers. For by so doing, some have entertained angels without knowing it" (Hebrews 13:2). In the parable of the Good Samaritan we are told to love our neighbor as we love ourselves and, by extension, to care for others in every way. God's actions culminate when all of God's people are "reconciled one to another, no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints and workers of the household of God" (Ephesians 2:19).

The primary truth of faith as we consider immigrants and refugees today is that Christ has made another appearance among us, as Himself an immigrant and refugee in the person of political dissidents, the economically deprived, and foreigners on the run. We are to join them as pilgrims in search of that city yet to come, with foundations of love and justice whose architect and builder is God.

Public Policy Concern

In formulating an immigration policy, the American people are confronted with the profound plight of other peoples. Political and economic realities offer no ready or simple solutions. Proposals for immigration law reform pose fundamental conflicts between the ideal and the practical. Nonetheless, out of obedience to our heritage and the Gospel mandate, the Church of the Brethren affirms legislation and public policies which welcome and promote the welfare of immigrants and refugees.

Therefore, we call upon the United States government:

To encourage and support non-violent movements for human rights in all nations, thus reducing the pressure on persons to migrate.
To lead in promoting the economic well-being of other nations, the protection of human rights, and the peaceful settlement of disputes. We are grateful for past achievements in these fields, hope for further success, and state our conviction that the sacrifice of some of our own wealth and prestige is a worthwhile investment to achieve these ends.
To promote international understanding through a policy of freedom of travel, freedom of press, and freedom of residency. We hope that through understanding; the people of the world as real persons, we become strongly committed to the peace which God commands.
To support and harbor refugees from war, oppression, famine, and natural disasters. We favor federal government support and coordination of resettlement programs and cooperation with voluntary agencies to assure orderly, successful resettlement. We also favor generous temporary care for refugees who, upon fleeing their homeland, find their first asylum in the United States. We welcome refugees on their own merits without regard to the politics of the government from which they are fleeing. We take into account the right of free choice of those being resettled. To reorganize the Immigration and Naturalization Service to efficiently process immigrants' claims for status by standards of fair procedure, to adequately fund the agency to assure its proper operation, and to seek staff who will be sensitive to cultural differences of immigrants in special situations of need. There should be procedures for waiver of requirements where that would provide a more just solution.
To make provisions for admissions beyond the annual ceiling and to review the numerical limits periodically, taking into account economic, social, political, ecological, agricultural and demographic national and global conditions.
To bring about a general amnesty for those people who once entered the United States as "undocumented aliens" but have settled peacefully among their neighbors. These persons should be given legal status as quickly and simply as possible to assure that they will not be further exploited.
For a more careful enforcement of immigrant law, particularly against those who seek to benefit from exploitation of "undocumented aliens." We oppose any enforcement method likely to increase discrimination against undocumented people because of ethnic or racial characteristics, such as identification cards or other documents as a prerequisite to employment. We express hope that obedience to the law can be secure without unnecessary losses of freedom from government supervision. We believe that government policies, such as we have outlined, will help to secure justice for citizens and immigrants to the United States.
To make itself an example of freedom, justice and compassion. In seeking to achieve these goals the governments should accord immigrants and refugees proper legislation to assure full and equal protection of their human rights, such as labor rights of collective bargaining, occupational safety and health, wage and pension protection. We oppose the use of immigration policy to discriminate against others for political, religious, racial or social reasons. We believe that the United States should have a commitment to work for the establishment of just and equitable relationships among all nations which would contribute to the well-being of all peoples and hence to the elimination of one of the possible causes of involuntary immigration.

Response of Church of the Brethren Members

We recognize that God's call goes beyond mere justice secured by the government, and our traditional role as a Church of the Brethren has been to promote a neighborly spirit in the community both individually and through our congregations.

We need to affirm that everything belongs to God and that we are part of an immigrant people who are looking for better land. Our brother and sister immigrants are reminders of who we are and whom we serve. The refugees and immigrants bring needs with them but they also bring considerable skills, rich cultures, and great spirits which can enrich us all. We look forward to a time when all people will be free to move from one nation to another and to choose their homeland without restriction. If that seems impossible to us now, it is only because sinful greed and fear still divide the nations East and West North and South, poor and rich, crowded and spacious.

We believe that responsiveness to the needs of immigrants and refugees embraces both our personal and corporate lives.

Therefore, we call on members of the Church of the Brethren:

To consider our biblical responsibility and confront our sinful greed and fear.
To witness and work in public policy and to service ministries of the church, and in their personal lives, for the welfare of God's people on the move.
To continue its historical role as a leader in resettlement of refugees and immigrants and to continue to assist in temporary care of refugees.
To continue to raise our consciousness and that of society regarding the needs of immigrants and refugees.
To build international and intercultural understanding through learning with and about immigrants and refugees and their homelands; to encourage newspapers, television and other media to promote understanding between communities and new arrivals; to practice ourselves and encourage others to practice a policy of creating economic opportunities for immigrants and refugees; to be peacemakers wherever tensions are present between groups threatened by violence.

The biblical tradition regarding the alien guides our response as Church of the Brethren people when we deal with the aliens in our land. We believe that we can continue to act according to our expressions of faith and mutuality with other faith traditions, and be willing to share our expressions and experiences of the Christian faith without self- righteousness We live with the hope that we will some day have a community of justice, peace and love.

This hope gives us the courage to be faithful to the One who calls us to live out that hope through love for our neighbors and our enemies. We pray for God's help as we seek to do justice, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with God among peoples of all nations.

The Church of the Nazarene

Compassionate Response to U.S. Immigration Legislation

The Church of the Nazarene in the US and Canada is increasingly becoming an international body. In addition, the growth in the six world regions and the flattening of our world make domestic immigration policies critically germane and relevant.

The Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Act of 2005 (H.R. 4437) has unintended consequences and seeks to criminalize the undocumented person who lives and works in virtually every community, district, and neighborhood. One in twenty American workers is in the U.S. illegally. Adding wives, children and other family members, estimates for undocumented immigrants range between 9 and 11 million.

H.R. 4437 would make it a federal crime to offer services or assistance to undocumented immigrants. The Bill would broaden the immigrant-smuggling law so that people who assist or shield undocumented immigrants would be subject to prosecution. Furthermore, the legislation would make it a federal crime to live in the U.S. illegally, turning millions of undocumented immigrants into felons, ineligible to acquire legal status.

Obviously, most previous and current border control efforts to control undocumented immigration have failed miserably.

Each year from 1990 to 2004 there were between 480,000 and 660,000 undocumented immigrants entering the U.S. In all, nearly 9 million undocumented immigrants arrived after 1990.
Since the mid-1990s, the number of undocumented immigrants entering the country has been slightly larger than the number of immigrants coming legally.
From 1995 through 2004, more than 2,640 migrants have died while attempting to cross the border. In the last four years there has been on average more than one death per day.

This reality poses both opportunities and responsibilities for Nazarenes in the U.S. Our faith calls us to evaluate the proposed legislation as to its effect on human life and the dignity of the human person. All policy decisions have human consequences and moral content; they help or hurt people, strengthen or weaken family life, advance or diminish the quality of justice in our land.

We seek not to make some political or ideological point but to lift up the human and ethical dimensions of immigration policies, aspects too often neglected in public discussion. We bring to this task a dual heritage of Nazarene social teaching and traditional American values.

Biblical Perspectives

The fundamental conviction of our faith is that human life is fulfilled in the knowledge and love of the living God in communion with others.
The ethic of welcoming the stranger and sojourner was woven into the very fabric of the Israelite confederacy (Exodus 23:9).
The radical love of God is embodied by Jesus Christ in the story of the Good Samaritan, in which the love of God is expressed through the compassion of a stranger (Luke 10:33-34).
We are called to make a fundamental “option for the poor.” These priorities are not policies; they are norms that should guide us in formulating and implementing policy.

WHEREAS, as of March 2004, only 30% of the undocumented population arrived in the U.S. after 2000 which means 70% of undocumented immigrants had been in the U.S. more than 4 years; and

WHEREAS, our Judeo-Christian commitment calls us to provide help and protection to sojourners living among us; and

WHEREAS, undocumented persons possess certain inalienable rights through the International Declaration on Human Rights and the Constitution of the United States Bill of Rights; and

WHEREAS, being an undocumented person is not a crime, and there is dire need for amnesty for the undocumented immigrants living in the U.S; and

WHEREAS, the majority of undocumented immigrants are married couples, many with children, and the employment rate is nearly 100%; and

WHEREAS, we believe that successful, comprehensive immigration reform can be achieved by combining border-security controls and realistic workplace and earned-citizenship initiatives;

Therefore, be it resolved that the Church of the Nazarene move to create a task force to be responsible for evaluating the results of current US immigration policies.

In addition to the above initiative we urge Nazarenes:
1. to denounce and oppose the rise of insensitive reactions against undocumented immigrants, and to support any and all efforts to build bridges;
2. to provide pastoral care and crisis intervention to undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers;
3. to provide technical and financial assistance to local churches in compassionate ministry with undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers;
4. to monitor immigration policies and practices in order to ensure fair and adequate process in regard to asylum petitions, judicial review, refugee resettlement priorities, and immigrant categories;
5. to become more informed and active citizens, using their voices and votes to speak for the voiceless, to defend the poor and the vulnerable and to advance the common good.

We look forward to a fruitful exchange among differing viewpoints and pray that all will take to heart the urgency of our concerns; that together we will test our views by the Gospel and our denominational heritage; and that we will listen to other voices in a spirit of mutual respect and open dialogue.

Holiness must never be limited to the sanctuary or to the moments of private prayer. It is achieved in the midst of the world, in family, in community, in friendships, and in citizenship. Through their competency and by their activity, holiness persons have the vocation to bring the light of the Gospel to public policy, so that the world may be filled with the Spirit of Christ and may more effectively attain its destiny in justice, in love, and in peace.

Community Relations Council, Durham-Chapel Hill Jewish Federation

Statement on Comprehensive Immigration Reform

With the possibility that the United States Congress will again consider legislation to address the complex problem of undocumented migration to the United States, we write this to urge our elected federal representatives to take a comprehensive approach to these difficult issues. Strong House and Senate leadership on immigration reform is crucial if our nation is to move beyond the decades-old failed strategy of expanding enforcement without reforming our nation’s immigration laws to realistically serve our security, economic and humanitarian interests.

As a Jewish community organization, we look both to the teachings of our Jewish religious and ethical tradition, and to core American values relating to immigrants, for guidance on immigration reform. They call on us to “welcome the stranger,” and provide an effective legal immigration system guided by the rule of law, as well as fair and compassionate treatment.

A comprehensive approach to immigration reform must recognize and respond to the reality that 1) approximately 11 million undocumented individuals currently reside in the United States; 2) unrealistic immigration laws and ineffective border enforcement policies have indirectly resulted in thousands of deaths and increasing violence in the border regions; and 3) that extensive backlogs for family immigration visas have led to prolonged and inhumane separation of families. Furthermore, the failure to reform our immigration laws perpetuates a system of illegal migration and undermines government efforts to target enforcement resources on those criminals and terrorists who pose grave dangers to the country.

Comprehensive Immigration Reform legislation that results from Congressional deliberation should include provisions that provide:
• Border protection policies that are consistent with American humanitarian values and effective against illegal migration, thereby allowing the authorities to carry out the critical task of identifying and preventing entry into the United States of terrorists and dangerous criminals;
• Opportunities for hard-working immigrants, who are already contributing socially and financially 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 must wait many years, to be reunited with loved ones; and
• 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.

Together with the numerous other national and local Jewish organizations holding similar views on this issue, the Community Relations Council of the Durham-Chapel Hill Jewish Federation firmly believes that Congress can and should ensure that our country's immigration laws are reformed in a comprehensive manner that will make the United States stronger and safer, while honoring our tradition as a nation of immigrants.

Community Relations Council, Durham-Chapel Hill Jewish Federation

September 29, 2009

We Were Strangers Too: Why We Must Speak Out for Greater College Access

Our Jewish values and religious teachings, coupled with lessons from our history, call us to strongly speak out in favor of allowing qualified undocumented students to enroll in North Carolina’s community colleges and public universities, and against the current state community college policy barring such enrollment. As people of faith and conscience, we believe that our calling is to welcome immigrants, offering them hospitality and justice.

In the Bible, it states: “Do not mistreat the stranger living in your land, but treat him just as you treat the native among you. Love strangers as you love yourselves, because you were strangers once in the land of Egypt. (Leviticus 19:33-34). The Bible also commands us all: “Justice, justice shall you pursue.” (Deuteronomy 16:20).

Enabling immigrant students to attend public colleges and universities would give an equal opportunity to those young people who have grown up in North Carolina, and been educated in North Carolina public schools, to continue their education. Justice, and love of the stranger, require no less.

This is also about investing in the future of North Carolina and the people who live, work and raise families here. It is about policies that promote a vibrant economy as well as a cohesive and just society. These are high school students who have attended elementary and secondary schools in this state for most of their lives, are likely to remain in the state and are high achieving and highly motivated to succeed. By allowing these students to pursue higher education, the state can benefit from their talents as bilingual and bicultural workers and professionals who will contribute to the state's collective productivity and economic growth.

It is crucial that all people of faith and conscience engage in this discussion regarding access to higher education for undocumented immigrant students. We encourage our Jewish, Christian and Muslim brothers and sisters to step up and welcome the stranger who is also our neighbor. People of good will must not be silent; they must speak out in favor of legislation that supports our shared values and against proposed bills that sow anti-immigrant prejudice and misunderstanding.

For people of faith, the stranger reflects an opportunity, not a problem. In the words of Elie Wiesel, who experienced first-hand the unjust enmity of those who viewed him as a “stranger,” as “other”: “The stranger suggests a world to be believed in, enhanced, or saved. In the Jewish tradition, the stranger may very well be someone important: a prophet in disguise, one of the hidden just men, or even the Messiah. He must be accepted for what he is, the way he is.”

The Episcopal Church (USA)

Fundamental Immigration Principles

Resolved, That the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church receive “The Alien Among You” in the Blue Book Report of the Standing Commission on Anglican and International Peace with Justice Concerns; and, while recognizing the duty and right of a sovereign nation to protect and defend its borders, adopt the following fundamental principles included in “The Alien Among You” as the policy of The Episcopal Church.

Undocumented aliens should have reasonable opportunity to pursue permanent residency.
Legal workers should be allowed to enter the United States to respond to recognized labor force needs.
Close family members should be allowed to reunite without undue delay with individuals lawfully present in the United States.
Fundamental U.S. principles of legal due process should be granted all persons.
Enforcement of national borders and immigration policies should be proportional and humane.

And be it further resolved, that the 75th General Convention of The Episcopal Church deplore any action by the Government of the United States which unduly emphasizes enforcement, including militarization of the border between the United States and Mexico, as the primary response to immigrants entering the United States to work; and be it further

Resolved, That The Episcopal Church undertake a campaign to educate Episcopalians as to the plight of refugees, immigrants, and migrants, which will include information about the root causes of migration; and be it further

Resolved, That this campaign call the church to commit to welcoming strangers as a matter of Christian responsibility, to advocate for their wellbeing and protection and to urge its members to resist legislation and actions which violate our fundamental beliefs as Christians, including the criminalization of persons providing humanitarian assistance to migrants.

Immigration: Economic Justice Implications

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That the 76th General Convention recognize that all people living in the United States are entitled to protection provided by due process of law and that all immigrants and their families are entitled to receive protection granted by our laws and Constitution; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention call for a moratorium on roadside checkpoints and raids carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at work sites, transportation systems, community gatherings, places of worship, lawful assemblies and private residences leaving families torn apart and children parentless and negatively affecting businesses, workers, and communities; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention advocate for a return of congressional consideration and implementation of comprehensive immigration reform which will allow millions of undocumented immigrants who have established roots in the United States and are often parents and spouses of U.S. Citizens to have a pathway to legalization and to full social and economic integration in to the United States; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention deplore conditions found in immigration detention centers and the over-reliance on a costly prison-like detention system for immigrants, and urge the uses of alternatives to detention, and calls for accountability and oversight to ensure detainees are provided with humanitarian treatment, adequate food and medical care and sanitary conditions; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention call for termination of any program which allows or funds local enforcement agencies to enforce immigration law, and return that enforcement to Federal Immigration Agents, leaving local law enforcement agencies the work of keeping

communities safe and dedicating their resources to that end, and provide for a sense of safety for immigrant victims of crimes to come forward and report without fear of detention and deportation, and be it further

Resolved, That in as much as youth are a priority of the Episcopal Church, the 76th General Convention support the provision of conditional legal status for undocumented youth who arrived as infants and/or children and have grown up as members of our communities and schools, providing for them the opportunity to pursue higher education and/or serve the United States so they can become full contributing members of our communities and could eventually become U.S. Citizens.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Immigration
Adopted by the ELCA, 1998

We recognize and rejoice that our church along with our country continues to change with the steady arrival of newcomers in the United States. Persons who have recently come from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and other areas of the world are enriching congregations throughout the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). We celebrate the liturgy in 33 languages; we worship and sing in Spanish with our new Libro de Liturgia y Cántico. Newcomers are increasingly assuming leadership roles in our congregations, synods, affiliated educational and social ministry agencies, and churchwide ministries. We are beginning new congregations in immigrant communities. We thank God for these developments, and we remember Paul's admonition: "Welcome one another, just as Christ has welcomed you, to the glory of God" (Romans 15:7).

We also recognize the obstacles and difficulties our church and society face in welcoming newcomers. Too often we are slow in, tire of, or even resist fostering a hospitable environment for newcomers. Too often we perpetuate the racism, the fear of, and the animosity toward newcomers that show themselves in our society. Our country's history exhibits an ugly strain of exclusionary attitudes and policies toward newcomers who differ from the majority. In times of economic downturns especially--as happened in the early 1990s--this strain becomes more pervasive and leads to laws that unduly restrict immigration and threaten the well-being of newcomers.

The presence of newcomers in our church and society heightens our awareness of these realities and of the experience of new immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in the United States. This awareness makes us more appreciative of the gifts our new neighbors bring and of the barriers as well as the opportunities they encounter. It deepens our belief that "all people are God's creatures, sinners for whom Christ died" and our responsibility to respect the human dignity of all. [1] This is a fitting time for us to examine anew our attitudes toward newcomers, to strengthen our church's ministry among, with, and for the most vulnerable of newcomers, and to continue to advocate for immigration, refugee, and asylum laws that are fair and generous.

Drawing on Our Experience

How do we who are residents learn to welcome newcomers more graciously? As members of a church with immigrants and with roots in immigrant churches in a nation of immigrants, we are familiar with old and new stories about newcomers. We have heard how persons left their homes for economic or political reasons, journeyed into an uncertain future, and struggled in a strange land to begin a new life. There are stories of hardship, tragedy, courage, resourcefulness, and blessing. There are stories of hostile receptions and welcoming embraces, of tensions between immigrants and their children over how to live in a new culture, and of conflicts over what language to use in home and church.

Recalling these stories may help those of us whose families have been in this country for a generation or more to empathize with today's newcomers. When a young immigrant woman is exploited by her employer, are we outraged?

We would have been if that woman were our own mother or grandmother shortly after her arrival.When a beautiful array of people from around the world become citizens, do we rejoice? We would have when our own family became citizens. When leaders in our society promote negative stereotypes of newcomers or make them a "scapegoat" for social or economic ills in times of anxiety, are we appalled? We would have been to hear our own ethnic groups degraded when they first arrived. When we learn how our society is being strengthened and renewed by the contributions of newcomers, are we grateful? Earlier generations were grateful for the contributions of those who entered this country through Angel and Ellis Islands or Miami. Recalling that our families were once the "stranger" -- and remembering our Lord's call to love our neighbor as ourselves -- can expand our moral imagination, enable us to see the new "stranger" as our neighbor, and open us to welcome today's newcomers.

Our church also has a history of hospitality for refugees. Following World War II, when one out of every six Lutherans in the world was a refugee or displaced person, Lutherans, with the participation of 6,000 congregations, resettled some 57,000 refugees in the United States. [2]

In the decade after the fall of Saigon in 1975, Lutheran congregations sponsored over 50,000 refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. During the 1980s various congregations provided sanctuary for persons whose lives were endangered by wars in Central America. [3] In exercising hospitality to the stranger, many testified that they received more than they gave -- as if they had welcomed angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2). Their experience invites us to be gracious hosts as well as humble guests, that is, learners from the newcomers among us. The leaders and congregations that have given us this legacy remind us that hospitality for the uprooted is a way to live out the biblical call to love the neighbor in response to God's love in Jesus Christ. They recall for us God's command to Israel: "The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the stranger as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God" (Leviticus 19:34). [4] They direct us to where Jesus said he is present: "I was a stranger and you welcomed me" (Matthew 25: 35). They call on Martin Luther to ask us: "How do we know that the love of God dwells in us? If we take upon ourselves the need of the neighbor." [5] Our desire is to carry on their faith and practice, their exemplary way of faith being active in love. "We pledge to continue our church's historic leadership in caring for refugees and immigrants." [6]

Strengthening Our Ministry with the Most Vulnerable

We in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America minister with the most vulnerable of the newcomers through congregations and the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS). Where possible, we work ecumenically. Our ministry resettles refugees, advocates on behalf of detained asylum seekers, assists unaccompanied children, offers pastoral and legal counsel to persons without legal status, aides persons with the citizenship process, and helps newcomers learn to live in a new country. This ministry requires compassion and competence, is time-consuming, sometimes heart-breaking, and frequently unrecognized. Opportunities abound for members, congregations, pastors, bishops, and all the expressions of our church to support, strengthen, and expand this ministry.

Refugees are persons who have been forced to leave their country "because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution." Through Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service in partnership with the federal government, Lutherans help to resettle more than 10,000 refugees yearly (75,000 are allowed to enter the United States, 1998). Because congregations working with the LIRS network enrich refugees' resettlement experiences, we encourage efforts that call upon and train members to assist refugees.

Persons fleeing dangerous situations in their countries arrive daily in the United States. These asylum seekers lack legal status for entering the country. To receive an opportunity to seek a grant of asylum (a legal protective status), they must prove a "credible fear of persecution."

Because of the difficulty in proving this fear, many asylum seekers are detained while their case is being processed. Thousands of persons, including children and women, are in detention, most of whom are indigent; they are often isolated from pastoral and legal services and subject to abuse and neglect. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service joins with other organizations to advocate on behalf of detained persons. In areas where there are detention centers, congregations are encouraged to work with these organizations to provide services for the detained and to seek alternatives to detention (for example, group homes).

Unaccompanied minors also enter the United States, either as refugees or without legal status. These children may be orphans, separated from their parents by war or disaster, abandoned, or even smuggled into the country. Whatever their status, they should be seen first and foremost as children and youth in need of protection and care. The LIRS network provides foster care and related child welfare services, facilitates family reunification, and advocates on national and international policy issues affecting unaccompanied children.

Newcomers without legal documents also are among the most vulnerable. Congregations are called to welcome all people, regardless of their legal status. [7] Persons who once were or now are without documents are members of our congregations, and we want them to feel and know that in the Church they are part of a safe and caring community. We encourage bishops and synods to show their support for congregations composed of or working with immigrants who may or may not have documents.

Some congregations provide congregationally-based immigration services. They offer legal and para-legal advice and assistance to newcomers; even when the legal options are limited, their counsel keeps vulnerable people from becoming the victims of unscrupulous exploiters. These congregations offer English language courses and instruction on how to become a citizen. They help immigrants with housing, jobs, and health care. They accompany families with pastoral care and invite them into a worshiping community. They may look to other congregations for pro bono lawyers, teachers of English as a second language, nurses and doctors, and to secure other needed services. Lutheran child care centers and schools increasingly are serving newcomers.

Those who minister with vulnerable newcomers should not be isolated or disconnected from one another. In order to support and strengthen our church's ministry with immigrants, we encourage churchwide units to continue to work with congregations, synods, and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service to provide opportunities for these pastors and lay leaders to learn from and support one another. [8]

Pastors and congregations beginning to minister with newcomers in their communities and wanting a basic knowledge of immigration laws and terms can contact Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service.

Newcomers in our church, pastors and congregations ministering with immigrants, and the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service also are educators in our church and advocates for those who cannot speak for themselves. Out of their daily experience, they can teach the rest of us about the gifts newcomers bring to our church and country, the often harsh consequences of recent (1996) immigration and welfare laws on family life, or the way immigrants who lack legal status are taken advantage of in working situations. They keep before us -- so that we do not forget -- the grim realities many immigrants face and the strength of character and resourcefulness newcomers demonstrate. They inform us of conditions in other countries and what the role of the United States has been. They provide our church with experience and knowledge to take part in public deliberation on immigration, refugee, and asylum policies.

Advocating for Fair and Generous Laws

Immigration, refugee, and asylum policies express who we are as a nation, influence the nation's future character, and affect the lives of millions of people. We encourage our members, in light of our history and our ministry with newcomers, to join with other citizens in our democratic society to support just laws that serve the common good. Our advocacy needs to take into account the complexity of issues, the diversity of interests, and the partial or relative justice of laws at the same time that it counters appeals rooted in hostility, racism, prejudice, indifference, and simplistic solutions. We draw on the best of our nation's traditions as a refuge and haven for the persecuted and destitute when we affirm that "we support a generous policy of welcome for refugees and immigrants," and that we "will advocate for just immigration policies, including fairness in visa regulations and in admitting and protecting refugees. We will work for policies that cause neither undue repercussions within immigrant communities nor bias against them." [9]

The following objectives, set forth in a 1969 statement of the Lutheran Council in the United States of America, have been important for Lutheran church bodies and organizations for nearly forty years and have given content to our understanding of fair and generous immigration laws:

1. To admit to our permanent population a steady proportion of newcomers:

a. by facilitating the reunification of families;

b. by facilitating the entry of persons possessing special skills or other capacities needed by the American economy and culture;

c. by assuming the United States' proper share of international responsibility for the resettlement of refugees and other persons urgently in need of the compassionate haven of a new homeland;

d. by admitting persons who choose the United States as their new homeland and who impart to their American neighbors an understanding of the culture, attitude, and interests of other races and peoples of the world.

2. To admit annually a reasonable number of the persons described above on an objective basis of selection which, while discriminating, will not be discriminatory with respect to race, national origin, color, or religion, testifying thereby to the United States' recognition of the interlocking and mutual interests of all nations with regard to the migration of peoples, the interaction of cultures, and respect of universal human rights.

3. To provide reasonable access to nationality and citizenship for all immigrants admitted for permanent residence. [10]

With this understanding Lutheran advocacy supported the landmark 1965 immigration law that ended the four-decade-old quota system of admitting immigrants on the basis of their national origin and race. In place of that earlier policy that favored European nations, Lutheran advocacy supports the concept of one variable cap for immigrants that in principle gives residents of all nations equal opportunity to immigrate. (In 1998 that cap is set at approximately 900,000 people.) Our advocacy will continue to insist that family reunification should be the primary objective of immigration laws. It will oppose efforts to reduce the percentage of people admitted for family reunification reasons as well as costly financial requirements that prohibit immigrants with limited resources from being reunited with family members. It also will oppose policies and practices that actively recruit workers from developing countries to their detriment and to our country's benefit.

Among the many issues related to immigration policy, we highlight the following areas of concern where we think our country's laws can and should be improved:

Facilitating citizenship

We welcome the desire of immigrants to become citizens. We advocate for Congress to provide the necessary resources and direction for the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to ensure a reasonable, effective, and short process for citizenship. We call on the Immigration and Naturalization Service to address the backlog of applications and the lengthy wait and unnecessary administrative hassles many immigrants endure. We support the Immigration and Naturalization Service in its efforts to develop a climate of service for its clientele.

Benefits for lawful permanent residents

Although Congress has restored some benefits for legal immigrants who arrived before 1996, more should be done. The denial of benefits to permanent residents favors wealthier immigrants and creates unwarranted barriers for poorer ones. Most permanent residents are an integral part of our society who abide by the law, pay Social Security and taxes, and contribute to the economic and cultural life of their communities. In order to help assure their well-being, especially of their children, we support legislation that gives them access to the same benefits citizens receive.

Newcomers without legal status

While most newcomers are legal permanent residents or naturalized citizens, a significant number of people, including many agricultural workers, lack legal documents. Many undocumented persons have been here for years. They live under the fear of deportation. Those who become eligible to adjust their status are only allowed to do so by leaving the United States and then waiting years to re-enter. They often fear returning to a troubled land, and if they were to return, it would mean for many indefinite separation from their families in the United States. The existence of a permanent sub-group of people who live without recourse to effective legal protection opens the door for their massive abuse and exploitation and harms the common good. We urge leaders and citizens to seek feasible responses to this situation that offer flexible and humane ways for undocumented persons who have been in this country for a specified amount of time to be able to adjust their legal status.

Refugee policy

Although there are tens of millions of refugees throughout the world, the number admitted into the United States has been decreasing. We believe that our country has a responsibility to increase the number of refugees it admits. We also are concerned that race not be a prejudicial factor in decisions about resettlement, and we urge our government to do more to provide African refugees a fair opportunity to be resettled in our country. We also support fair and compassionate legislative solutions to the precarious plight of refugees whose present temporary legal status is threatened.

Asylum

We advocate for a reliable, consistent, and sensitive implementation of the law governing asylum seekers. At present INS districts treat similar cases in vastly different ways. We oppose practices that create unreasonable obstacles and unattainable standards of proof for those seeking asylum. We support efforts to ensure that due process is followed and that the conditions of detention are humane. We call upon the Immigration and Naturalization Service to recognize the particular vulnerabilities of children by developing child-appropriate standards and procedures. We encourage that agency vigorously to use the channels of communication it has developed with refugee organizations to improve processes and conditions for asylum seekers.

Border with Mexico

We recognize the right of all countries to control their borders and their duty to protect their citizens from the illegal entry of drugs and criminals. But we have serious doubts about the rightness and effectiveness of current policy to erect imposing barriers between the United States and Mexico. We support the search for alternatives to this policy that would more appropriately reflect the relationship of two friendly nations whose peoples and economies are increasingly interdependent. Whatever the policy, border enforcement should always respect the human dignity of persons attempting to cross the border.

The newcomers in our church from around the world remind us that all of us in the Church of Jesus Christ are sojourners, "for here we have no lasting city, but we are looking for the city that is to come" (Hebrews 13: 14). As we journey together through the time God has given us, may God give us the grace of a welcoming heart and an overflowing love for the new neighbors among us.

The Mennonite Church (USA)

Mennonite Church USA Churchwide Statement on Immigration

Introduction
Mennonite Church USA has roots in seventeenth-century churches planted by immigrants from Europe. Our church continues to grow and be enlivened by immigrants who join us from many countries. As Christians, we believe we are called to welcome these sojourners in our congregations and communities, especially as our government creates increasingly harsh immigration laws in the name of fighting terrorism. Assumptions about identity make some people more vulnerable to political biases and discrimination than others. Our concerns about the status of immigrants in this country relate to how people are treated based on race, nationality, ethnicity, and religious identity. We reject our country’s mistreatment of immigrants, repent of our silence, and commit ourselves to act with and on behalf of our immigrant brothers and sisters, regardless of their legal status.

Biblical Background
The Bible offers us some valuable insights about welcoming strangers, and in our context immigrants are viewed as strangers. “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do [the stranger] wrong. The stranger who sojourns with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love [the stranger] as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt...” (Leviticus (19:33, 34). We affirm that God has called us to welcome immigrants, because all of us are sojourners (Exodus 23:9, Deuteronomy 24:17, 18). We believe that when we welcome strangers, we welcome Jesus (Matthew 25:35).

Immigrants in the United States
We may not realize it, but our nation depends economically and culturally on the contributions of immigrants. Immigrant entrepreneurs, professionals, and artists contribute to the United States’ wealth and diverse culture. Immigrant laborers often work the least desirable jobs.

For many immigrants, however, the opportunities of living in the United States are offset by hardship and discrimination. They work the most difficult and dangerous jobs for the lowest pay, and immigrants without documents are frequently cheated out of wages and denied compensation for work-related injuries. Unfair immigration policies make it difficult to travel across borders, unjust quota systems discriminate against citizens from some countries, and families are divided by long delays in document processing. Immigrants in poverty are denied most welfare and healthcare benefits. Because our society tells us to fear some immigrants more than others, an increasingly militarized U.S./Mexico border has led to reports of abuse by border guards and hundreds of deaths in the desert.

Since September 11, 2001, the Bush Administration, with the support of others in the government, has issued new policies and enforced old laws that strike fear in the hearts of immigrant communities, creating the perception that any contact with government officials or social service agencies might result in arrest or deportation. Middle Eastern males across the United States are being forced to register and are deported if their papers are not in order. Haitians and other Caribbean peoples arriving by boat are being detained without regard for their civil rights and deported even when they have credible fear of persecution at home. The new Department of Homeland Security, whose stated mission is to guard the nation against terrorists, now handles immigration and refugee enforcement and services. Our government’s policies lead us to view these strangers as a threat to our safety and economic security.

Immigrants in our congregations
Immigrants – documented and undocumented – are members of many Mennonite Church USA congregations. Immigrant churches face a society whose policies and practices discriminate against immigrants and people of color. Immigrant churches with undocumented members are deeply affected by the poverty and fear experienced by many members of their communities; often churches share the costs of food, shelter, and clothing, assist in job searches, and support families when members are deported. Undocumented church leaders are often unable or afraid to travel to larger church gatherings without identification. Congregations without immigrant members are finding their communities changed by immigration and are struggling with how to respond.

Our commitment
We affirm individuals and churches that are already working against poverty and fear in immigrant communities. We affirm those who are speaking to the government about our nation’s unjust immigration policies. We affirm the church’s work with anti-racism, while we acknowledge that much more work remains. We also affirm the church’s support of agencies that are addressing the roots of international inequality, which cause people to emigrate. However, we understand that because the United States controls more material resources than any other country, people will continue to immigrate here in search of economic and political stability. Because of our nation’s abundance, because God has called us to welcome the sojourner, and because of the richness that immigrants bring to the Mennonite Church USA, we commit ourselves to action with and on behalf of our immigrant brothers and sisters.

We invite Mennonite Church USA congregations to consider the following actions:

1. Build relationships with newcomers in our communities. Facilitate the mutual sharing of immigrants’ stories and contributions in our churches and neighborhoods.
2. Plan congregational learning tours in our communities, including immigrant neighborhoods, churches, and workplaces, as well as government offices that serve immigrants.
3. Partner with immigrant congregations to plan church services or community events.
4. Offer church facilities and volunteers for documentation services, English classes, ethnic celebrations, or other outreach programs.
5. Engage in mutual aid to offer food, shelter, clothing, and other resources to undocumented and documented immigrants.
6. Learn about issues affecting immigrants by reading newspapers or magazines, joining national immigration rights organizations, or contacting church agencies that work with immigration issues.
7. Join study tours to the U.S./Mexico border, refugee camps, or detention centers to learn more about U.S. immigration and refugee policies.
8. Advocate for just and humane policies for immigrants and refugees by contacting local, state, and national elected officials.

The National Association of Evangelicals

Resolution on Immigration (2009)

The significant increase in immigration and the growing stridency of the national debate on immigration compel the National Association of Evangelicals to speak boldly and biblically to this challenging topic. The complexity of immigration issues provides an opportunity to mine Scripture for guidance. A biblically informed position provides a strong platform for the NAE to make a contribution in the public square that will be explicitly Christian. Out of commitment to Scripture and knowledge of national immigration realities comes a distinct call to action.

Biblical Foundations
Discussion of immigration and government immigration policy must begin with the truth that every human being is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-28). Immigrants are made in the image of God and have supreme value with the potential to contribute greatly to society. Jesus exemplifies respect toward others who are different in his treatment of the Samaritans (Luke 10:30-37; John 4:1-42).

The Bible contains many accounts of God’s people who were forced to migrate due to hunger, war, or personal circumstances. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the families of his sons turned to Egypt in search of food. Joseph, Naomi, Ruth, Daniel and his friends, Ezekiel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther all lived in foreign lands. In the New Testament, Joseph and Mary fled with Jesus to escape Herod’s anger and became refugees in Egypt. Peter referred to the recipients of his first letter as “aliens” and “strangers,” perhaps suggesting that they were exiles within the Roman Empire. These examples from the Old and New Testaments reveal God’s hand in the movement of people and are illustrations of faith in God in difficult circumstances.

Migration was common in the ancient world. Outsiders were particularly vulnerable. They stood outside the kinship system that regulated the inheritance of property. They did not have extended family to care for them in case of need. The Law recognized their helplessness and stipulated measures that served as a safety net. The motivations behind this generous spirit were that the people of God were not to forget that they had been strangers in Egypt (Exodus 22:21; Leviticus 19:33-34) and that God loved the foreigner (Deuteronomy 10:18-19). The New Testament adds that all believers are spiritual sojourners on earth (Phil. 3:20; 1 Peter 2:11). Christians should show compassion and hospitality to outsiders (Rom. 12:13; Heb. 13:2).

The Bible does not offer a blueprint for modern legislation, but it can serve as a moral compass and shape the attitudes of those who believe in God. An appreciation of the pervasiveness of migration in the Bible must temper the tendency to limit discussions on immigration to Romans 13 and a simplistic defense of “the rule of law.” God has established the nations (Deut. 32:8; Acts 17:26), and their laws should be respected. Nevertheless, policies must be evaluated to reflect that immigrants are made in the image of God and demonstrate biblical grace to the foreigner.

National Realities
Immigration is a worldwide phenomenon. People migrate due to economic globalization, armed conflicts, and a desire to provide for their families. The United States of America is a country founded by immigrants, and its history has been characterized by waves of immigrants from different parts of the world. Immigrants will continue to be an essential part of who we are as a country. Our response to immigration must include an understanding of this immigrant history and an awareness of the positive impact of multiple cultures on national life over the last 250 years. The challenge today is to determine how to maintain the integrity of national borders, address the situation with millions of undocumented immigrants, devise a realistic program to respond to labor needs, and manifest the humanitarian spirit that has characterized this country since its founding.

The problems related to immigration are many and complicated. In many instances the arrival of a large number of immigrants has compromised the border. Some communities now struggle with significant stress on infrastructures in education, health care, social services, and the legal system. At the same time, many jobs and industries rely on immigrant workers. Current quotas do not grant enough visas to meet these needs, nor does federal immigration law provide sufficient opportunities to others who also come seeking gainful employment. Many immigrants who obtain legal entry yearn to be reunited with families, but backlogs under family-based immigration law result in excessive periods of family separation.

Due to the limited number of visas, millions have entered the United States without proper documentation or have overstayed temporary visas. While these actions violate existing laws, socioeconomic, political, and legal realities contribute to the problematic nature of immigration. Society has ignored the existence of an unauthorized work force due to the economic benefits of cheap immigrant labor. Without legal status and wary of reporting abuses, immigrants can be mistreated and underpaid by employers. Deportation of wage-earners has separated families and complicated the situation for many. Most undocumented immigrants desire to regularize their legal status, but avenues to assimilation and citizenship are blocked by local, state, and federal laws. This has generated an underground industry for false documentation and human smuggling.

These quandaries offer fresh opportunities for the church. Immigrant communities offer a new, vibrant field for evangelism, church planting, and ministry. Denominations have launched efforts to bring the gospel to these newcomers, establish churches, and train leaders for immigrant believers. Millions of immigrants also come from Christian backgrounds. These brothers and sisters in Christ are revitalizing churches across the country and are planting churches and evangelizing. Their presence is a blessing of God. These spiritual realities remind evangelicals that an evaluation of recent immigration cannot be reduced to economics and national security issues.

Call to Action
Motivated by the desire to offer a constructive word for the country’s complicated immigration situation and guided by the Scripture, the National Association of Evangelicals calls for the reform of the immigration system. We believe that national immigration policy should be considerate of immigrants who are already here and who may arrive in the future and that its measures should promote national security and the general welfare in appropriate ways. Building upon biblical revelation concerning the migration of people and the values of justice and compassion championed in For the Health of the Nation: An Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility, we urge:

That immigrants be treated with respect and mercy by churches. Exemplary treatment of immigrants by Christians can serve as the moral basis to call for government attitudes and legislation to reflect the same virtues.
That the government develop structures and mechanisms that safeguard and monitor the national borders with efficiency and respect for human dignity.
That the government establish more functional legal mechanisms for the annual entry of a reasonable number of immigrant workers and families.
That the government recognize the central importance of the family in society by reconsidering the number and categories of visas available for family reunification, by dedicating more resources to reducing the backlog of cases in process, and by reevaluating the impact of deportation on families.
That the government establish a sound, equitable process toward earned legal status for currently undocumented immigrants, who desire to embrace the responsibilities and privileges that accompany citizenship.
That the government legislate fair labor and civil laws for all residing within the United States that reflect the best of this country’s heritage.
That immigration enforcement be conducted in ways that recognize the importance of due process of law, the sanctity of the human person, and the incomparable value of family.

Resolution on Immigration (2006)

It is appropriate for the borders of the United States to be secured in order for immigration to conform to the laws of the United States. As people of faith we support immigration reform that reflects human dignity, compassion, and justice integral to a nation under God.

Apart from issues related to governmental jurisdictions, we believe the gospel compels us to minister to all who live and work within our country. Let us secure our borders, care for all families, and seek further expressions of Godly compassion and justice. We further reaffirm the statement made by the NAE in the Resolution on Immigration of 1995:

As Christians, we are called to joyfully share our faith and hope with all people. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are guided by love. The Bible repeatedly declares God’s love and care for all people, and requires that “The same law shall apply to the native-born as to the alien living among you” (Exodus 12:49). Similarly, “You are to have the same law for the alien and the native-born. I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 24:22).

The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) is deeply concerned by a growing spirit of hostility towards immigrants and refugees who have become residents in our communities. While we recognize that some of our constituency feel strongly concerning issues of justice and law, we are all compelled by the love of Christ to act with compassion to our neighbors. Therefore, we pledge to eliminate the spirit of racism in any of our responses. While we recognize the right of nations to regulate their borders, we believe this responsibility should be exercised with a concern for the entire human family in a spirit of generosity and compassion (Deuteronomy 10:19, Leviticus 19:34). Furthermore, we acknowledge that immigrants and refugees contribute much to the continuing strength and vitality of local communities and our country by their commitment to work, education, and the family.

We call upon our government, therefore, to maintain reasonable and just admissions policies for refugees and immigrants. As evangelicals responsible to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39), we are called to show personal and corporate hospitality to those who seek a new life in our nation.

Passed by a unanimous vote of the Board of Directors of the NAE in its business session, October 12, 2006.

The National Council of Churches

Resolution on Immigration and a Call for Action
Approved November 2008

INTRODUCTION

This resolution and call to action about the issue of immigration from a faithful Biblical perspective is a collaboration of the member communions of the National Council of Churches USA and Church World Service, with local and regional ecumenical bodies of the United States. Millions of people are on the move around the world: some by choice, some under duress, but most out of dire, life-or-death necessity. All desire to make a better life for themselves and their families, as have millions of immigrants to our shores from past eras. Many perceive this country as the best or only choice available to them. How our nation responds to this growing challenge is clearly one of the great moral issues of our time.

As we witness the consequences of an outdated and ineffective immigration system, we are compelled to stand in solidarity with those impacted by our nation’s policies. The current U.S. immigration process separates family members, many who have waited decades to be reunited, and hurts productivity as those wishing to work in this country, also endure lengthy backlogs. Such a system leaves many facing the choice between feeding their children and crossing a border illegally. Reaching a point of desperation, many risk their lives to cross the desert, where hundreds of them die every year.

Thousands of immigrants have been arrested in mass raids and hundreds of thousands have been detained or deported, with little or no access to legal counsel. Children have been detained in detention centers lacking proper educational or religious services, and at least 83 people have died in such facilities due to inadequate medical treatment. Such “enforcement” measures leave children without parents, families separated withoutknowledge of loved ones’ whereabouts, and those who arrived as infants deported to countries they never called home. Many immigrants who endure detention and deportation are lawful permanent residents; many seek asylum from persecution; and still others simply seek the better life the United States promises.

Unfortunately, when these issues are discussed, polarized sides have blamed immigrants for the nation’s problems, rather than uniting to enact policies that are beneficial to all persons. Anti-immigrant sentiment has become such an accepted norm throughout the United States that some local laws bar immigrants from receiving social services and deny funding to charitable organizations that do not check immigration statusprior to administering services. Local police act as immigration officials, resulting in racial profiling and awidespread fear of reporting crimes, which compromises community safety, yet law enforcement turns a blindeye to employer exploitation of immigrants.

These issues stem from underlying, global causes of migration, such as war, environmental exhaustion, poverty, and inequitable trade and development policies that are often ignored. This presents us with a noble challenge – to work together to address the underlying global causes of migration at the same time we improve the ways we answer the knock at our church doors.

Our calling to participate fully as people of faith in the democratic process is clear to us as Christians whenever concerns about morality, social justice and compassion meet at a crossroads with decision-making that may lead either to healing, or further fracturing of our society and the world. In this context the Church asserts its freedom and responsibility to express theological understandings about moral questions. At thecenter of our engagement of social questions is the Church’s mandate to “proclaim, in word and deed, thegood news of Jesus Christ in the midst of a fractured world.”

We admire the Christian witness that has been an inspiration to us and the world, yet also confess that the Church has not always lived up to its own principles. Too often we have heard a silence from the Church in debates having implications for human welfare and social and economic justice. We recall with regret past controversies in our society regarding war and peace, genocide, slavery, women’s suffrage, workers’ protections, civil and human rights, and economic and social injustice, where the Church has fallen short of its calling to preach, teach and be a blessing in the world. The Church’s historic silences or complicity was not necessarily always deliberate; often it could be attributed to misinformation or ignorance, or to a focus on other pastoral concerns; but regardless, the silence is sin. Today (as in all other times) the Church is called to

rise in unequivocal defense of the stranger, the sojourner, the widow and orphan, and our most vulnerable neighbors.

As we consider the causes and realities of human migration, we together affirm these shared religious convictions concerning God’s creation and commandment to love one another:

1) God created human beings in God’s image, and as such each person is a precious and sacred reflection of the Creator.

2) The land on which we live is not ours, but God’s. God made all of us stewards of creation, and called us to act with justice, mercy, and wisdom.

3) God’s people are a pilgrim people. Throughout Biblical history, the people of God have been sojourners, refugees, and migrants,. God protected them as they moved, multiplied, and maintained the earth. The Bible teaches us to defend, protect, and honor the rights and humanity of the sojourner, stranger, refugee, and immigrant.

4) Our sacred instructions to welcome the stranger remind us to show hospitality to immigrants. God’s Word reminds us of the rich blessings we receive from God and of our obligations to share these blessings.

5) The Church, when it welcomes the stranger, provides an uplifting moral and spiritual witness.

While we respect and adhere to the laws of the U.S. Government, ultimate authority belongs only to God and not the State. As we seek to love our neighbors and welcome the stranger, we also seek laws that are humane and just, as are the laws of God. In light of the highest political ideals grounded in justice, equality and freedom:

1) We embrace the deeper theological conviction that we are not separate and distinct from other human beings, but are a part of the same interconnected, interdependent, human family. We reaffirm previous National Council of Churches USA policies that call on the United States to do its share to alleviate human suffering in other lands by admitting refugees and immigrants and providing sanctuary to persons needing to relocate.

2) We acknowledge the ease with which we as human beings are prone to fear people who we consider “other”, yet, our faith challenges us to overcome such natural fear of those who are not like us. This fear of the “other” has had tragic consequences in the United State and the world. This nation fought with itself to overcome a legacy of slavery, struggled in every generation against racial, ethnic, gender, and religious discrimination, and today may again succumb to fear, xenophobia, and racist impulses directed against new immigrants.

3) We are reminded that the United States is a nation of immigrants and other displaced peoples, and has been so since its inception; this reality enriches our culture and strength as a country. And yet the immigration of immigrants and others in North America began a massive displacement of indigenous peoples with consequences that continue today.

4) We recognize that there is an urgent need for increased awareness about trafficking in human beings, and about the economic and sexual exploitation of migrants. We recognize the need for effective enforcement against human traffickers and smugglers, and the defense and protection of victims of such crimes.

5) We recognize that government may have legitimate, morally justifiable reasons for denying immigration to certain persons.

6) We recognize that as religious leaders and educators we play an important role in helping the public understand immigrants and immigration policy.

CONTEXT OF THIS RESOLUTION:

These concerns and understandings lead us to respond when we see human beings, made in God’s own image, driven from their homes by necessity, violence, poverty, hunger, political or religious oppression, and when migrating people find only more trouble and pain when they arrive at our doorstep.

As Christians we acknowledge and lift up the compassionate, committed, and creative ministry that goes on every day as the Church defends and protects migrants.x We know of the energy and resources devoted by the Church to respond in loving and helpful ways to the needful knocks at the Church’s doors. The Church, working though Church World Service, the National Council of Churches USA, local and regional ecumenical bodies, membercommunions and congregations, continues to respond faithfully to a call to minister to immigrants and refugees, inthe name of the One who came to bring healing to a broken world.

We understand our call to care for the most vulnerable among us, and in our current context, these most vulnerable include millions of undocumented neighbors who live and work in our midst. We also affirm the importance of family unity for citizens, visa holders, and documented and undocumented immigrants, as a priority throughout the U.S. immigration system. Our nation’s official treatment of immigrants continues to be a grave affront to the mandates of Christian faith, which does not abide bad treatment of the stranger, the visitor, or those who seek asylum from persecution.

Our faith-inspired legacy calls us to reexamine our immigration policies and services in light of the current situation, and to work for swift federal reform that is humane, just and sustainable.

CALL TO ACTION:

We call for moral leadership that stands firm in the conviction that our nation, consisting of diverse peoples, should remain deeply committed to struggle against racial, ethnic and religious discrimination. We see prejudice as a particularly dangerous and existential threat to our diverse nation, and to human life across the world. Therefore, we commit ourselves to strive together for a society that treats immigrants, who are beingthreatened in this time, as fully deserving of all the civil and human rights afforded by the U.S. Constitution and international agreements.

We call on the President and Congress of the United States to:

1) Protect legally the unity of immigrant families by making family reunification a priority for both citizens and the immigration process, and by rejecting proposals that separate families, such as the denial of citizenship to children born in the United States and point systems that put family-based and employmentbased immigration applicants in competition with each other.

2) Facilitate generous laws enabling immigration by individuals who seek to work in the United States and their families; ensure full protection of their rights; and allow them to travel to their native countries and return to the United States as they wish, without unnecessary fees or lengthy waiting periods.

3) Adopt new immigration laws that include a humane and just process by which undocumented immigrants can earn their lawful permanent residency and eventually apply for citizenship.

4) Defend and extend internationally agreed-upon human rights to those who are persecuted by increasing assistance to displaced persons worldwide, welcoming more refugees and asylum seekers to the United States, and robustly funding resettlement and integration, and other services for refugees, asylees, and other migrants.

5) Preserve and extend the domestic legal, civil, and human rights of immigrants, both children and adults, regardless of immigration status. These rights include fair wages, educational opportunities, access to social services, equitable treatment under U.S. law, and protections against worker exploitation and other forms of mistreatment.

6) Reform the visa system to increase the number of family-based and employment-based visas, efficiently process visas to reduce the backlog, and increase staff and resources to process applications in a timely manner.

7) End mass immigration raids on places of employment, as well as mass deportations, the deportation of lawful permanent residents, the forced separation of families, and government-sponsored border militarization and wall construction.

8) Implement equitable trade and development policies, including increased humanitarian assistance funding, that protect the way of life of persons who need to emigrate in order to survive; and recognize their international rights to emigrate or to remain in their native country in safe and humane conditions.

We call on The Church

And most importantly, as brothers and sisters in faith, we call on fellow Christians in congregations, church agencies, and local and regional ecumenical bodies to:

1) Lead in prayer, teaching, and preaching about the biblical, spiritual and moral basis for compassionate hospitality toward immigrants.

2) Pray, study and search our hearts and minds with respect to our own attitudes and preconceptions regarding immigrant peoples, and, to provide opportunities for our churches and communities to confront the sins of racism, xenophobia, and ethnic or cultural prejudice against our fellow human beings.

The North Carolina Council of Churches - Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Support for Comprehensive Immigration Reform

PREFACE

As people of faith and conscience, we recognize that while the issue of immigration is complex, our calling is to welcome the stranger and offer hospitality and justice to the migrant and refugee, regardless of legal status. We remember the words of Leviticus 19:33-34 when God tells the Israelites,

“Do not mistreat foreigners living in your land, but treat them just as you treat your own citizens. Love foreigners as you love yourselves, because you were foreigners one time in Egypt.”

As nearly all citizens in the United States today are descended from immigrants from other nations, we are reminded to offer support to newer immigrants who contribute to our economy and culture but who suffer discrimination, abuse, and hardship as a result of their status as undocumented residents.

Our country’s current immigration system is broken. The number of undocumented persons living in the United States has tripled since 1990 from 4 to 12 million, with 300,000 to 500,000 new arrivals each year. During that same time period, more than 2,700 migrants have died in the deserts of the American Southwest. North Carolina has experienced the fastest growth rate of Latinos in the nation, many of whom are undocumented. Congressional debate on immigration reform has often focused on piecemeal, enforcement-only policies that ignore the root causes of migration, keep families separated, and contribute to human suffering. The current political debate also has spawned an increase in anti-immigrant emotion and alarming rhetoric.

It is important that the religious community respond to the immigration crisis by offering advocacy and welcome in the face of rising anti-immigrant sentiment. Religious communities must also look to our scripture and faith traditions which call us to welcome the stranger, promote hospitality, and seek justice. Congregations should call for legislative reforms which are fair, humane, and address the root causes of migration. Many denominations and religious groups, including member bodies of the North Carolina Council of Churches, have issued statements and resolutions calling for a comprehensive immigration reform that includes the following components:

The status of undocumented persons currently living in the U.S. must be addressed. Undocumented workers and their families must have reasonable access to paths for permanent residency. Immigration proposals which ignore or criminalize the 12 million undocumented persons in our midst do not account for the reality that these people are here as part of the work force. Treating them as criminals only drives them further underground. Bringing them out of the shadows is a better solution.

Immigration reform must be through employment and family-based programs that allow workers and their families to enter the U.S. in a safe, legal, orderly, and humane manner. Workers’ rights must be recognized and should include basic rights to organize and collectively bargain, safe travel between the U.S. and homelands, and achievable paths to residency. Immigration reform should bring a greater share of the immigration flow through legal channels in response to recognized U.S. labor needs.

Family unity and reunification should be given paramount importance. Our current laws are out-of-date. The wait times for close family members to reunite have stretched into many years, leaving families needlessly separated and often attempting illegal and dangerous ways to enter the United States. More legal channels should be available for those coming here to join close family members without undue delay.

Although the U.S. has the right to control its borders, border enforcement alone should not be the basis for a solution to the immigration crisis, and border enforcement policies must be proportional and humane.

Fundamental U.S. principles of legal due process should be granted to all persons.

Comprehensive immigration reform must also address root causes for migration to the United States from other countries. This means promoting national policies that support fair trade, sustainable economic development in home countries, and protection of low-skilled workers and those fleeing persecution and violence.

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS the God of scripture calls us to welcome the stranger from an alien land and offer hospitality and justice to the sojourner; and

WHEREAS Jesus abolished distinctions between Jews and outsiders and declared that those who welcomed strangers welcomed the Christ; and

WHEREAS the North Carolina Council of Churches has a long history of advocacy on behalf of farm workers and low wage laborers and has consistently supported North Carolina’s oppressed and excluded populations in struggles for equality, dignity, and basic human rights; and

WHEREAS North Carolina has experienced the largest percentage increase in its Latino population from 1990 to 2000 of any state in the country and whereas many of those persons are undocumented immigrants; and

WHEREAS there has been a large increase in the diversity of North Carolina’s immigrant population from around the world; and

WHEREAS the current legal immigration system at the federal, state and local levels is broken and contributes to the human suffering of migrants and their families,

THEREFORE be it resolved that the Executive Board of the North Carolina Council of Churches, acknowledging similar positions taken by its member judicatories, encourages the U.S. government to enact comprehensive immigration reform that includes reasonable pathways to permanent residency; increased legal avenues for workers to enter the United States in a safe and orderly fashion; reunification without undue delay of families separated by migration; effective, proportional and humane enforcement of national borders and immigration policies; the right of due process for immigrants; and policies which address the root causes of migration.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Executive Board of the North Carolina Council of Churches deplores any governmental action which unduly emphasizes enforcement as the primary response to immigrants entering this country or which criminalizes persons providing humanitarian assistance to migrants. In addition, we encourage the state and local governments of North Carolina to provide for fair treatment and protection of our state’s immigrant population. We call on our member judicatories and congregations to stand with immigrants as a matter of Christian responsibility, to advocate for their well-being and protection, and to educate our members about issues affecting immigrant peoples.

Resolution adopted by the N.C. Council of Churches Executive Board,December 5, 2006

The North Carolina Council of Churches - Local Immigration Enforcement

Statement on Local Immigration Enforcement

In the wake of failed attempts by Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform, states and localities have increased their own efforts to enforce current immigration laws and, in some cases, to implement new programs designed to reduce immigration. In North Carolina, these recent efforts have created a more hostile environment toward immigrants. Many immigrants – both documented and undocumented – today live in fear of arrest and possible deportation. Even though recent studies have shown that crime rates among immigrants are significantly lower than those among U.S. citizens, enforcement-only anti-immigrant measures are increasing across the state. These steps continue to generate fear within immigrant communities and hostility towards immigrants in non-immigrant communities.

The North Carolina Council of Churches continues to deplore “any governmental action which unduly emphasizes enforcement as the primary response to immigrants entering this country or which criminalizes persons providing humanitarian assistance to migrants. In addition, we encourage the state and local governments of North Carolina to provide for fair treatment and protection of our state’s immigrant population. We call on our member judicatories and congregations to stand with immigrants as a matter of Christian responsibility, to advocate for their well-being and protection, and to educate our members about issues affecting immigrant peoples” (quoted from our 2006 statement entitled, “Support for Comprehensive Immigration Reform”).

Theological Background

As Christians, we believe that all people are created in the image of God. The view that all human beings are created in God’s image necessarily entails a special concern for those whom society would render most vulnerable, including immigrants. Much of the Hebrew Bible, for example, is concerned with protecting the most vulnerable against abuse by those with power. These protections included the establishment of cities of refuge and gleaning provisions for the hungry, as well as specific commands to treat immigrants with respect and love.

Furthermore, Jesus and early Christians continued the tradition of protecting the most vulnerable in society. Jesus touched lepers, welcomed children, embraced outcasts, and denied a bloodthirsty mob of its brand of “justice” against an accused adulteress. Christian tradition is clear that any abuse of power, including intimidation or unfairness towards the vulnerable, will not stand in the eyes of God and must not be ignored or tolerated by God’s people.

Just as our tradition insists on the special care for and protection of the marginalized, it too highlights the need for both just laws and just measures of enforcement. There is a need for order in human societies to uphold the common good and to ensure that those with few resources are not abused by those with power. In theological language, the reality of human sin requires some degree of law enforcement for the sake of society’s common interest and order. Thus, in both Testaments we find affirmation of social institutions – including various forms of law enforcement – that serve the common good. Of course, we recognize that our tradition has always wrestled with the proper role of the state, human systems of justice and particular law enforcement tactics. This process of communal discernment about such matters continues to take place, and the conversation takes on many different forms depending upon the societal context.

To be sure, Christian tradition affirms that police and other institutions of justice have a vital role to play in our society, especially when they act in good faith to serve the common good and to protect the vulnerable against abuse. As North Carolinians, we are indeed deeply thankful for the policewomen and men who serve our communities, protecting individuals and society from criminal behavior. However, to the degree that particular law enforcement tactics tend to prey on those with less power in general and immigrant communities in particular, we are compelled to speak as people of conscience and faith.

We call on the Department of Homeland Security to suspend home and workplace immigration raids.

As Christians, we are deeply concerned about the humanitarian costs associated with these raids, as workers lose their livelihood, family members are forcibly separated, and children are left behind. Raids continue to cause great human suffering as immigrants are forced further into society’s shadows. Enforcement efforts that target hardworking families remain misguided. All sides of the political spectrum agree that the current immigration system is essentially broken, and we continue to call on federal officials to support comprehensive immigration reform (see our 2006 statement entitled, “Support for Comprehensive Immigration Reform”). Here, we join our voice with that of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and other religious leaders who have called for a suspension of home and workplace immigration raids.

We call on North Carolina’s local law enforcement entities, including sheriff’s departments, police departments and county commissioners, to stop implementing the 287(g) program. In addition, law enforcement checkpoints and other practices should not unduly target immigrant neighborhoods or places of worship.

The 287(g) program, which is currently in effect in eight counties in North Carolina, basically deputizes local law enforcement officials to enforce federal immigration law. This program is deeply flawed for at least three reasons. First, it severs the bond of trust that is necessary for law enforcement to serve and protect immigrant communities. Immigrant communities (both documented and undocumented) have become hesitant to report crimes to the police because they fear that they will be deported. This fear applies to both crime victims and witnesses. Second, the implementation of 287(g) has been done with very little oversight. It has been difficult for immigrant rights advocates to determine exactly who is in charge, how funds have been spent, and whether the program has targeting law-abiding immigrants. Finally, we are concerned about the potential for racial profiling. While officials publicly state that they are only going after gang members and hardened criminals with 287(g), this is simply not true. The reality on the ground is that many – in some cases a majority – of the people being processed through 287(g) are being stopped for misdemeanors and minor (non-DUI) traffic violations. Overall, we find that 287(g) and other enforcement actions which target immigrants only heighten the vulnerability of immigrant communities.

We demand that all of our leaders reject all forms of stereotyping and scapegoating immigrants and the use of dehumanizing and offensive language.

Elected officials at the local, state and national level have a moral responsibility to elevate the public debate on contentious issues such as immigration. We recognize that people of goodwill have different opinions about the best direction for immigration policy. At the same time, our commitment to the dignity of all people demands that we treat all immigrants with respect and reject all forms of racial and ethnic prejudice. We will not tolerate mean-spirited or misguided attacks on immigrants.

Adopted by the Executive Board of the NC Council of Churches,December 2, 2008

The Presbyterian Church (USA)

Resolution Calling for a Comprehensive Program for Immigrants Living and Working in the U.S.

Note: The following resolution was approved by the PC(USA) in 2004.

The Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) recommends that the 216th General Assembly (2004) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) do the following:

Approve the Resolution Calling for a Comprehensive Legalization Program for Immigrants Living and Working in the United States, and call upon the members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its governing bodies to take the following actions:

Advocate the establishment by law of a comprehensive legalization program for undocumented persons already living and working in the United States.
Advocate the reform of current immigration policies and procedures to ensure a more timely and humane process, with special attention to family reunifi cation and to those persons who have been waiting for their immigrant visas and for naturalization.
Adamantly oppose the exploitation of any and all workers as a violation of the humane and just treatment due to all children of God.
Join with interfaith and secular organizations that are working for comprehensive legalization.
Direct the Office of the General Assembly (OGA) to communicate the above actions to the president of the United States, members of the United States Congress, the United States Customs and Immigration Service (USCIS), and the national and international ecumenical organizations to which the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) relates.

The Reformed Church in America

Position on Immigrants and Immigration

The wellness and safety of immigrants in the United States, legal and illegal, is an issue of the kingdom of God and it matters to the Reformed Church in America (RCA) and to Reformed churches… As public policy continues to be debated and citizens weigh in, may the scriptural witness of the RCA and its members continue to consistently advocate for the rights of the poor and oppressed… As the church continues to embrace the vision of being a multiracial and multiethnic community, may the RCA faithfully and hospitably extend the welcome and love of Christ to the illegal immigrant populations in the United States and advocate for legislation that will protect and serve them.

The Roman Catholic Church

The following excerpts are from Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope, a joint statement from the Catholic Bishops of Mexico and the United States.

Why We Speak
We speak as two Episcopal conferences but as one Church, united in the view that migration is necessary and beneficial. At the same time, some aspects of the migrant experience are far from the vision of the Kingdom of God that Jesus proclaimed: many persons who seek to migrate are suffering, and, in some cases, dying; human rights are abused; families are kept apart; and racist and xenophobic attitudes remain. (Page 1, Paragraph 2)

As pastors to more than sixty-five million U.S. Catholics, we witness the human consequences of migration in the life of society every day. We witness the vulnerability of our people involved in all sides of the migration phenomenon, including families devastated by the loss of loved ones....and children left alone when parents are removed from them. (Page 1-2, Paragraph 4)

Migrants and immigrants are in our parishes and in our communities. In both our countries, we see much injustice and violence against them and much suffering and despair among them because civil and church structures are still inadequate to accommodate their needs. (Page 2, Paragraph 5)

To Whom We Speak

We speak to migrants who are forced to leave their lands to provide for their families or to escape persecution. We stand in solidarity with you. We commit ourselves to your pastoral care and to work towards changes in church and societal structures that impede your exercising your dignity and living as children of God. (Page 3, Paragraph 9)

We speak to public officials in both nations, from those who hold the highest offices to those who encounter the migrant on a daily basis. We thank our nations presidents for the dialogue they have begun in an effort to humanize the migration phenomenon. (Page 3, Paragraph 10) We ask our presidents to continue negotiations on migration issues to achieve a system of migration between the two countries that is more generous, just, and humane. (Page 48, Paragraph 104)

Finally, we speak to the peoples of the United States and Mexico. Our two nations are more interdependent than ever before in our history, sharing cultural and social values, common interests, and hopes for the future. Our nations have a singular opportunity to act as true neighbors and to work together to build a more just and generous immigration system. (Page 3, Paragraph 12)

Catholic Social Teachings

All persons have the right to find in their own countries the economic, political, and social opportunities to live in dignity and achieve a full life through the use of their God-given gifts. In this context, work that provides a just, living wage is a basic human need. (Page 15, Paragraph 34)

The Church recognizes the right of sovereign nations to control their territories but rejects such control when it is exerted merely for the purpose of acquiring additional wealth. More powerful economic nations, which have the ability to protect and feed their residents, have a stronger obligation to accommodate migration flows. (Page 15, Paragraph 36)

The Church recognizes that all goods of the earth belong to all people. When persons cannot find employment in their country of origin to support themselves and their families, they have a right to find work elsewhere in order to survive. Sovereign nations should provide ways to accommodate this right. (Page 15, Paragraph 35)

Those who flee wars and persecution should be protected by the global community. This requires, at a minimum, that migrants have a right to claim refugee status without incarceration and to have their claims fully considered by a competent authority. (Page 16, Paragraph 37)

Regardless of their legal status, migrants, like all persons, possess inherent human dignity which should be respected. Government policies that respect the basic human rights of the undocumented are necessary. (Page 16, Paragraph 38)

Policy Recommendations:

Globalization and Economic Development

Now is the time for both the United States and Mexico to confront the reality of globalization and to work toward the globalization of solidarity. Both governments have recognized the integration of economic interests through the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It is now time to harmonize policies on the movement of people, particularly in a way that respects the human dignity of the migrant and recognizes the social consequences of globalization. (Page 31, Paragraph 57)

The creation of employment opportunities in Mexico would help to reduce poverty and would mitigate the incentive for many migrants to look for employment in the United States. The implementation of economic policies in Mexico that create living wage jobs is vital, especially for citizens without advanced skills. (Page 32, Paragraph 61)

Family-Based Immigration

The U.S. legal immigration system places per-country limits on visas for family members of U.S. legal permanent residents from Mexico. Spouses and parents thus face a difficult decision: either honor their moral commitment to family and migrate to the United States without documentation, or wait in the system and face indefinite separation from loved ones. This is an unacceptable choice, and a policy which encourages undocumented migration. A new framework must be established that will give Mexican families more opportunities to legally reunited with their loved ones in the United States. (Page 33-34, Paragraphs 65-66)

Legalization of the Undocumented

A broad legalization program of the undocumented would benefit not only the migrants but also both nations. Legalization represents sound public policy and should be featured in any migration agreement between the United States and Mexico. In order to ensure fairness for all nationalities, the U.S. Congress should enact a legalization program for immigrants regardless of their country of origin. (Page 35, Paragraphs 69-70)

Employment-Based Immigration

In order to prevent future abuse of workers, any new temporary worker program must afford Mexican and other foreign workers wage levels and employment benefits that are sufficient to support a family in dignity; must include worker protections and job portability that U.S. workers have; must allow for family unity; must employ labor-market tests to ensure that U.S. workers are protected; and must grant workers the ability to move easily and securely between the United States and their homelands. It must employ strong enforcement mechanisms to protect worker = s rights and give workers the option to become lawful permanent residents after a specific amount of time. Reform in worker programs must be coupled with a broad-based legalization program. (Page 36-37, Paragraphs 72, 75)

Enforcement Policies

Alarmingly, migrants often are treated as criminals by civil enforcement authorities. Misperceptions and xenophobic and racist attitudes in both the United States and Mexico contribute to an atmosphere in which undocumented persons are discriminated against and abused. Reports of physical abuse of migrants by U.S. Border Patrol agents, the Mexican authorities and, in some cases, U.S. and Mexican residents, are all too frequent, including the use of excessive force and the shackling of migrants = hands and feet. (Page 39, Paragraph 80)

In order to address these excesses, both governments must create training mechanisms that instruct enforcement agents in the use of appropriate tactics for enforcing immigration law. We urge the U.S. and Mexican governments to include human rights curricula in their training regimens so that immigration enforcement personnel are more sensitive to the handling of undocumented migrants. (Page 41, Para. 85)

We urge both the U.S. and Mexican enforcement authorities to abandon the type of strategies that give rise to smuggling operations and migrant deaths. Care should be taken not to push migrants to routes in which their lives may be in danger. We also urge more concerted efforts to root out smuggling enterprises at their source using a wide range of intelligence and investigative tactics. (Page 43, Paragraph 89)

Due Process

In 1996, the U.S. Congress eviscerated due process rights for migrants with the passage of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA), which authorizes the detention and deportation of migrants for relatively minor offenses, even after they have served their sentences. We urge the U.S. Congress to revisit this law and to make appropriate changes consistent with due process rights. We also urge the Mexican government to honor the right to due process for all those who are in the country, specifically documented and undocumented migrants who do not now enjoy due process and who may be removed from the country for arbitrary reasons. (Page 44, Paragraphs 92-93)

Protection of Asylum Seekers

We restate our long-held position that asylum seekers and refugees should have access to qualified adjudicators who will objectively consider their pleas. We urge both countries to take a leadership role in the Regional Conference on Migration ( Puebla Process) and to work with our Central American neighbors to ensure that asylum seekers and refugees throughout our hemisphere have access to appropriate due process protections consistent with international law. (Page 46, Paragraph 99)

Pastoral Recommendations

The Church should encourage these broad-based efforts to provide both a comprehensive network of social services and advocacy for migrant families. A special call is issued for lawyers in both our countries to assist individuals and families in navigating the arduous immigration process and to defend the rights of migrants, especially those in detention. (Page 22, Paragraph 44)

Ideally, local parishes should ensure that sacramental preparation is available to people on the move, making special provisions for them given their transitory lives of following work wherever it leads. (Page 23, Paragraph 47)

Careful and generous cooperation between dioceses is important to provide priests and religious who are suited for this important ministry. Guidelines for their training and reception by the host diocese must be developed jointly with the diocese that sends them. (Page 25, Paragraph 50)

Conclusion

We recognize the phenomenon of migration as an authentic sign of the times. We see it in both our countries through the suffering of those who have been forced to become migrants for many reasons. To such a sign we must respond in common and creative ways so that we may strengthen the faith, hope, and charity of migrants and all the people of God. (Page 47, Paragraph 102)

We ask our presidents to continue negotiations on migration issues to achieve a system of migration between the two countries that is more generous, just, and humane. We call for legislatures of our two countries to effect a conscientious revision of the immigration laws and to establish a binational system that accepts migration flows, guaranteeing the dignity and human rights of the migrant. (Page 48, Paragraph 104)

We stand in solidarity with you, our migrant brothers and sisters, and we will continue to advocate on your behalf for just and fair migration policies. We commit ourselves to animate communities of Christ's disciples on both sides of the border to accompany you and your journey so that yours will truly be a journey of hope, not of despair, and so that, at the point of arrival, you will experience that you are strangers no longer and instead members of God's household. (Page 49, Paragraph 106)

The Southern Baptist Convention

On The Crisis Of Illegal Immigration
June 2006

WHEREAS, The crisis of illegal immigration in the United States impacts tens of millions of people in many different ways; and

WHEREAS, Christians have responsibilities in two realms: as citizens of the nation (Matthew 22:21) and as citizens of the heavenly Kingdom (Philippians 3:20; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:9); and

WHEREAS, As citizens of the nation, Christians are under biblical mandate to respect the divine institution of government and its just laws, but at the same time, Christians have a right to expect the government to fulfill its ordained mandate to enforce those laws (Romans 13:1-7); and

WHEREAS, As citizens of the heavenly Kingdom and members of local congregations of that Kingdom, we also have a biblical mandate to act compassionately toward those who are in need (Matthew 25:34-40), love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39), and to do unto others as we would have them do unto us (Matthew 7:12); and

WHEREAS, The federal government’s failure to fulfill its responsibility in the area of illegal immigration, during both Democratic and Republican administrations, has caused severe consternation among a sizable constituency of Americans and has led to the crisis we now face; and

WHEREAS, The federal government has not only failed to control the borders but failed in its responsibility to enforce the immigration laws, not only with regard to the individuals who are here illegally, but also with regard to the employers who knowingly hire them; and

WHEREAS, There are reportedly 12 million immigrants and counting who are living and working in America without legal status, many of whom have children who are American citizens by birth; and

WHEREAS, Many of these hardworking and otherwise law-abiding immigrants have been exploited by employers and by others in society, contrary to James 5:4; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Greensboro, North Carolina, June 13-14, 2006, urge the federal government to provide for the security of our nation by controlling and securing our borders; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the United States Congress to address seriously and swiftly the question of how to deal realistically with the immigration crisis in a way that will restore trust among the citizenry; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the federal government to enforce all immigration laws, including the laws directed at employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants or who are unjustly paying these immigrants substandard wages or subjecting them to conditions that are contrary to the labor laws of our country; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge citizen Christians to follow the biblical principle of caring for the foreigners among us (Deuteronomy 24:17-22) and the command of Christ to be a neighbor to those in need of assistance (Luke 10:30-37), regardless of their racial or ethnic background, country of origin, or legal status; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage Christian churches to act redemptively and reach out to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of all immigrants, to start English classes on a massive scale, and to encourage them toward the path of legal status and/or citizenship; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we encourage all Southern Baptists to make the most of the tremendous opportunity for evangelism and join our Master on His mission to seek and save those who are lost (Luke 19:10) among the immigrant population to the end that these individuals might become both legal residents of the United States and loyal citizens of the Kingdom of God.

The Union for Reform Judaism

Immigration
Adopted by the General Assembly,1995

Immigration issues continue to receive prominent attention on national and local levels. In the wake of the electoral success of Proposition 187 in California, the United States, a land of successive generations of immigrants, is lurching toward a new phase of anti-immigrant sentiment that will affect areas of American life ranging from employment and education to social services and personal liberties.

The Union of American Hebrew Congregations has long supported a fair and generous immigration policy. Our people were and continue to be immigrants to this nation. We have benefited from its open doors, and suffered when they were closed. We struggled to adjust to a society that did not always welcome our arrival. We understand the problems faced by today's immigrants, as well as the difficulties attributable to the problem of illegal immigration.

Our tradition demands of us concern for the stranger in our midst. We know that the alien and the foreigner should be treated with respect and welcomed, for we were strangers in the land of Egypt. Yet we also must support the territorial integrity of the United States and the governance of its laws. As the United States Commission on Immigration Reform explores the current state of immigration policy and suggests improvements to be made in the system, and as new legislation is proposed to confront issues raised by legal and illegal immigration, we support those efforts that compassionately seek to regulate and to aid newcomers to this land but we oppose those that will unduly restrict immigration or burden the lives of legal immigrants.

The Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations

A Call to Conscious, Humane Treatment of Immigrants
1995 Resolution of Immediate of Witness

BECAUSE we covenant as Unitarian Universalists to affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person; and

BECAUSE we covenant as Unitarian Universalists to promote justice, equity, and compassion in human relations; and

WHEREAS passage of Proposition 187 in California in 1994 has spawned imitations of that legislation in multiple states, and inspired national legislative proposals which would deny essential health, education, and welfare services to undocumented workers, and restrict such services also to legal immigrants who are not citizens;

WHEREAS subsequent to the passage of Proposition 187 there have been numerous documented instances of increased anti-immigrant hostility, strong evidence that the climate of fear has intensified in and around immigrant communities, and documentation that the passage of the California proposition has fostered the rebirth of new levels of xenophobia in the general population; and

WHEREAS as Unitarian Universalists we cannot in conscience condone the systematic refusal of humane social services to needy persons and their families based on immigration status, national origin, or citizenship;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the 1995 General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Asso-ciation demands from both state and federal lawmakers humane solutions to the very complex social issues relating to undocumented persons in this country, and a just application of human rights at both the state and national levels for all people living within our borders; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 1995 General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association urges individual Unitarian Universalists in the United States to serve those directly harmed and others affected by the passage of any legislation which would deny human beings the basic services warranted to all members of a free and just society.

The United Church of Christ

A Call for a More Humane US Immigration Policy; End Migrant Deaths; Support Immigrant Communities
(Resolution of Witness)

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Jesus and the scriptures give us clear instruction on how we are to treat the
foreigner and neighbors in need; and

WHEREAS, the Biblical heritage of the Judeo Christian tradition specifically identifies
the “stranger” in our midst as deserving of our love and compassion; and

WHEREAS, we have been called by the one God to tear down all the borders we have
built between us so that we may see each person as a child of God, so that we may learn
to love and welcome all of God’s children as members of one family and one world; and

WHEREAS, our consciences are affronted by federal policies and actions that detain
immigrants, that prosecute undocumented workers, that fracture families and prosecute
those who would give them aid; and

WHEREAS, more than 3,000 men, women and children have died attempting to cross
the US/Mexico border since the implementation of the blockade strategy of border
enforcement and there is little evidence that this policy has been effective in slowing the
tide of illegal immigration; and

WHEREAS, many of us are in local churches and communities where we are aware of
migrant peoples, but largely unaware of their personal, communal, and national stories;
and

WHEREAS, the United States is affected by the presence of new immigrants from all
over the world, and

WHEREAS, although countries have the right to control their own borders, it is not an
absolute right; the Church recognizes a basic God given right for shelter, food, clean
water and other basic necessities; and

WHEREAS, the blockade strategy of border enforcement has created an underground
market for the smuggling of human beings which exploits its vulnerable victims, and has
encouraged an upsurge in vigilante activities, fosters an anti-immigrant atmosphere and
represents the potential for violence; and

WHEREAS, current immigration policy forces upon migrant families potentially deadly
choices which separate and dislocate them from one another, precluding free travel and
mobility to return to their families; and

WHEREAS, migrant workers and their families enter the United States to live and work,
and the current immigration policy makes that passage dangerous, illegal, disorderly, and
inhumane, with very few of the basic rights afforded to all workers under international
law; and

WHEREAS, approximately ten to twelve million undocumented workers and their
families currently living in the United States are pressured to live covertly, without rights,
and in vulnerable situations all over the United States; and

WHEREAS, the root causes of this migration lie in environmental, economic, and trade
inequities between the United States, Mexico, and all of Latin America, policies which
reduce tariffs and taxes that would support the poor in Mexico and Latin America;
eliminate agricultural subsidies and low-interest loans for the poor in Mexico and Latin
America while keeping those subsidies in the United States and in Canada; reduce social
spending for health care, food stamps, and welfare reform in Mexico and Latin America;
liberalize land ownership policies, thus limiting the ability of the poor in Mexico and
Latin America to own or share in the land; deregulate environmental and labor laws in
Mexico and Latin America; and limit the rights of Mexican and Latin American workers
to protest or seek remedies for wrongs done to them; and

WHEREAS, the fragile desert environment has sustained severe damage as a result of
migrant and responding enforcement patrols moving through remote desert regions; and

WHEREAS, General Synod XIII of the United Church of Christ (1981) adopted a
Pronouncement on Immigration calling upon all settings of the church to:
a. advocate for the rights of immigrants;
b. aid undocumented immigrants in attaining legal status;
c. aid immigrants in reunification with their families and in placement in areas
of the country most favorable for their productive participation in society;
d. assist in meeting the social welfare needs of immigrants; and
e. be inclusive of immigrants in existing and new churches; and

WHEREAS, General Synod XXIV of the United Church of Christ adopted a resolution
supporting Humane Borders, a faith-based group that offers assistance to those in need by
maintaining water stations on and near the border and recognizing that there is more that
can be done within and by the United Church of Christ regarding border issues; and

WHEREAS, the United Church of Christ proudly declares an extravagant welcome to all
who seek to be in relationship with Jesus Christ;

THEREFORE LET IT BE RESOLVED that General Synod Twenty-six of the United
Church of Christ declares that the Militarized Border Enforcement Strategy of the United
States government has been ineffective and inhumane.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that UCC congregations with their congressional
representatives, advocate for a policy that allows immigrant workers and their families to
live and work in a safe, legal, orderly and humane manner through an Employment-
Focused immigration program (as opposed to employer focused) that guarantees basic
international workers’ rights to organization, collective bargaining, job portability,
religious freedom, easy and safe travel between the United States and their homeland,
achievable and verifiable paths to residency, and a basic human right of mobility.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the conference ministers be urged to participate in
delegations and immersion programs, and that UCC congregations seek out opportunities
for face to face dialogue with immigrant communities.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the congregations and pastors of the UCC study
the immigration issue through discussion and reflection of films such as “El Norte” and
“Babel” and books such as “The Devil’s Highway” by Luis Alberto Urrea.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that congregations and pastors form grass roots
organizations working in conjunction with established groups such as:

Border Links
Presbyterian Border Ministry
Samaritan Patrols
Illinois Maya Ministry
The New Sanctuary Movement
Center for Education and Social Transformation

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that General Synod XXVI urges the Covenanted
Ministries of the UCC and the various settings of the Church to seek opportunities for
building and participating in existing interfaith coalitions and partnering with global and
U.S. organizations/institutions that advocate for justice and provide services for those in
the undocumented community most in need, e.g. abandoned immigrant children, abused
women, and families facing or in the deportation process.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we reaffirm the action of General Synod XIII on
the resolution JUSTICE IN IMMIGRATION and General Synod XXIV resolution
supporting HUMANE BORDERS.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that General Synod XXVI calls upon the leaders of
Conferences, Associations and congregations to extend an extravagant welcome and
radical hospitality to and continue to minister and care for all who come to our doors.

FUNDING
Funding for the implementation of this resolution will be made in accordance with the
overall mandates of the affected agencies and the funds available.

IMPLEMENTATION
Members of the United Church of Christ are requested to be the primary implementers of
this resolution.

The United Methodist Church

Immigrants and Refugees: To Love the Sojourner
A Resolution of The United Methodist Church

1. Biblical/Theological Basis

The Bible is full of stories of sojourners, strangers without homes, whom God called people to protect. The Israelites - God's chosen people - were themselves sojourners for 40 years after the exodus from Egypt as they sought the promised land. God did not let the Israelites forget that they had been without a homeland for such a long time; the ethic of welcoming the sojourner was woven into the very fabric of the Israelite confederacy. It was more than an ethic, it was a command of God. "Do not mistreat or oppress a stranger; you know how it feels to be a stranger, because you were sojourners in the land of Egypt" (Exodus 23:9).

A "sojourn" implies uprootedness; sojourners are uprooted people. At times uprooted people in the Bible were looking for a home, but other times they were not. Often they were telling those that would listen that the real home was a spiritual home - with God providing accompaniment. Sojourners were messengers. The message they sent then as well as today is that the Spirit of God is with each of us as we sojourn through life. We are all on a journey, and God is with us. Such was the message of Moses and many of the prophets; such was the message of John the Baptist, a voice crying in the wilderness; and such was the message of Jesus Christ, whose own life was characterized by uprootedness. The infant Jesus and his family had to flee to Egypt to avoid persecution and death; they became refugees sojourning in Egypt until they could come home. Jesus was a person on the move. Jesus' ministry occurred throughout the countryside of Judea, and his life was marked by uprootedness: "Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head" (Matthew 8:20). Jesus made a point of spending time with the poor, the powerless, the despised and rejected. Jesus did so while spreading the word of God's steadfast love, the same love spoken of in the Book of Hosea: "And I will betroth you unto me forever; yes, I will betroth you unto me in righteousness, and in justice, and in loving kindness, and in mercies" (Hosea 2:19).

Jesus embodied the love of God to the world and modeled how we are to act with love and compassion for the sojourner. In fact, Jesus' most pointed description of how human beings should behave once they are aware of God's love is in the story of the Good Samaritan in which the love of God is expressed through the compassion of a stranger: "But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him" (Luke 10:33-34). This is the radical love of God as expressed by Jesus Christ. It transcends race, nationality and religion and is a love that cries for justice and peace; it is a love that is sorely needed today.

2. Global Uprootedness

We live in a world where there are over 22 million people who are refugees, another 26 million who are internally displaced, and millions more who seek asylum or are migrants looking to find a way out of poverty. No nation can afford to turn a blind eye toward these realities. People who must flee their lands because they have no choice are today's uprooted populations. They are given different labels depending on their circumstances: refugees - persons who have been officially recognized by the United Nations as having a well-founded fear of persecution because of their political affiliation, religion, race, nationality or membership in a particular social group or opinion; asylum seekers - those who have left their homelands and are applying for political asylum in the country to which they have fled (in the United States, applying for asylum is a right which can be exercised); internally displaced - people who are displaced within the borders of their own lands because of civil strife but who cannot receive the protection of the international community because of the principle of national sovereignty; economic migrants - those who flee dire poverty in search of employment and a way to feed their families. No matter what label they are given, they are usually vulnerable people in need of compassion and protection. Most of them are women and children; often the women are subjected to the brutality of sexual violence.

Even when refugees are allowed to return home they face monumental problems such as the possibility of being killed or maimed by land mines, millions of which have been left behind by former combatants. An example is Angola, a country which has more land mines than any other in the world. It is estimated that 20 million mines were laid during the 20-year civil war there. Today, it is estimated that 70,000 Angolans have required amputations because of contact with mines. It is also estimated that there are between 150 and 200 land mine victims every week in Angola.

It is clear that the uprooted are vulnerable and need the protection of the international community. Their numbers are growing as more people worldwide become victims of wars, economic injustice, and environmental degradation. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), it is estimated that one out of every 130 people worldwide has been forced into flight. Because of civil wars and ethnic-based conflict, political repression and gross human rights violations, refugees are being produced at a rate of 10,000 per day. The 1990s is fast becoming the "decade of uprootedness."

Most refugees come from the South and remain in the South, often in countries of first asylum where conditions are barely humane. It is a myth that all people on the move wish to come to the nations of the North, but those who do, come because it is their last hope for life. They have no choice. The nations of the industrialized North who are better equipped to provide safe haven to uprooted persons are currently lacking the moral and political will to do so. Instead, the governments of these nations are reacting to a worldwide rise in xenophobia and racism by sharply curtailing existing programs benefiting newcomers and by instituting restrictive legislation designed to satisfy the nativists in their constituencies. Uprootedness is seen by the governments of the industrialized North as a problem to be dealt with by force rather than as a complex phenomenon needing coherent and humane solutions on a global scale. Uprooted people are looked upon as the cause of societal problems and are being blamed for increasing economic difficulties. Consequently, even refugees fleeing persecution are denied their human rights and the protection they need to save their lives, and they are summarily excluded and ostracized by governments. In Europe, many governments are implementing policies that are designed to prevent asylum seekers from successfully finding refuge within their borders. In Norway, for example, according to law, asylum seekers may not apply for asylum unless they have close ties with Norway.

Such a law dispenses with equity in asylum procedures. The recent increase in the number of uprooted persons demonstrates that the international community, including the churches, must focus more attention on understanding and alleviating the causes of forced human uprootedness, as well as responding to the consequences.

3. Immigration and Asylum in the United States

Nearly all the citizens of the United States have ancestors who emigrated from other parts of the world. Since the 17th century, millions of immigrants went to the United States, often to seek freedom from religious persecution and broader opportunities in a new land. No other nation has welcomed so many immigrants from so many parts of the world, and no other nation has taken such pride in its immigrant roots. Nevertheless, the history of immigration policy in the United States has been heavily influenced by economic and labor force needs, as well as by systemic racism. The United States has at times encouraged the presence of immigrants who could provide the cheap hard labor to build canals and railroads, help with the harvesting of crops, and supply industry with needed workers. At other times, however, United States laws have systematically excluded immigrants because of racial, ethnic, religious or other prejudicial reasons. Examples are the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the Immigration Act of 1924, the Immigration Act of 1965, and the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

While the United States has a long history of immigration, its experience as a country of first asylum is relatively new and appears minor in comparison to that of many other countries of the world. Countries in Africa have opened their borders to millions of asylum seekers, while the United States has only had to work with numbers of asylum applications in the hundreds of thousands. The 1980s and early 1990s witnessed an influx of persons seeking asylum in the United States from Central America, including Haiti and Cuba. All of these groups fled a combination of dire poverty, government repression or persecution, and general strife in their homelands. This influx of refugees to the United States was unexpected, and many - particularly the Haitian, Salvadoran, and Guatemalan people - were denied the protection of asylum they so desperately needed.

In the United States, the federal government is proposing legislation to prevent further influxes of migrants and asylum seekers reinforcing the borders and instituting restrictive measures. The United States has engaged in a policy of forced repatriation of unwanted Central Americans, Haitian, Cuban, and Chinese asylum seekers in violation of international law. It has also engaged in detention practices and forced repatriation of Chinese people and others without benefit of fair and equal protection under law. Current legislative initiatives seek to reduce family immigration by 32 percent, slash refugee admissions by over 50 percent, introduce a national identification system, and bar legal immigrants' access to government assistance, leaving them vulnerable when they fall on hard times.

In California, the passage of Proposition 187, an initiative which would deny public education to the children of undocumented persons, would also deny them non-emergency health care and require government employees, private individuals, and providers to report individuals whom they suspect are undocumented to the authorities. The implementation of the initiative is currently pending in court. In the meantime, those who look or sound foreign already suffer from discrimination in both the workplace and in daily life.

Immigrant bashing, a particularly virulent form of anti-immigrant bias, seems stronger than ever in this atmosphere of misinformation, mistrust, and fear of economic instability. Unwilling to face the reality of their leaders' failure to deal expeditiously and honestly with their nation's adjustment to the new global society, many people in the United States have let themselves be vulnerable to the hysteria that says they are no longer in control of their borders or their destiny.

Therefore, we call upon The United Methodist Church, in collaboration with other ecumenical organizations, to urge the government of the United States:

1. To encourage and support international economic policies that promote sustainable development; and that use capital, technology, labor, and land in a manner that gives priority to employment for all people and the production of basic human necessities, thereby reducing migration pressures.

2. To alleviate conditions of uprootedness by working toward the elimination of all forms of warfare and by supporting agrarian reform, social justice, and an adequate measure of economic security for all peoples.

3. To take decisive action to eliminate the sale and international trade in land mines and provide technical assistance to facilitate their removal from lands to which refugees are returning.

4. To withhold all support - diplomatic, military and financial - to governments with a documented recent history of abuses and disregard for human rights, particularly the right of asylum.

5. To provide a fair and generous resettlement policy as one of the ways of ensuring meaningful protection and a durable solution for refugees.

6. To adopt reasonable standards for consideration as refugees for those seeking asylum and eliminate within the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) all abuses of civil and human rights including such practices as the violation of due process, denial of bond, and hasty deportation of people who are undocumented or overstayed; and to eliminate restrictive measures applied to asylum seekers at ports of entry, such as summary exclusion without benefit of adequate counseling.

7. To monitor all attempted reforms on immigration and refugee policy and practices in order to ensure fair and adequate process in regard to asylum petitions, judicial review, refugee resettlement priorities, and immigrant categories.

8. To review and reject all legislative measures that propose summary exclusion for bona fide asylum seekers, and to ensure access to counsel and meaningful review of asylum claims by an immigration judge.

9. To ensure protection of the basic human rights of immigrants and refugees such as the right to an education, adequate health care, due process and redress of law, protection against social and economic exploitation, the right to a cultural and social identity, and access to the social and economic life of the nation whether in documented or undocumented status.

As people of faith we are called to justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8). We must work for justice and peace for all people and envision a world where institutions are transformed into true servants of the people, full of the compassion exemplified by Jesus Christ.

Therefore, in addition to advocating for the above measures, we call upon United Methodist churches and agencies:

1. To support international efforts to promote sustainable development policies designed to alleviate human suffering and counteract some of the root causes of forced migration.

2. To advocate for protection of uprooted women and children against all forms of violence and to call for full legal protection of children in the midst of armed conflict.

3. To provide assistance for projects of relief to refugees and displaced persons.

4. To provide assistance for projects of economic development for refugees and returnees.

5. To provide sponsorships for refugees through local congregations.

6. To denounce and oppose the rise of xenophobic and racist reactions against newcomers in the United States and elsewhere, and to support any and all efforts to build bridges between people of diverse ethnicities and cultures.

7. To continue to work with community-based organizations to provide forums for citizens to voice concerns, educate one another, and confront the problems of racism and xenophobia as obstacles to building community.

8. To work with civic and legal organizations to support communities that are now or will be affected by the destructive enactment of policies like California's Proposition 187.

9. To provide pastoral care and crisis intervention to individuals and families who are refugees and asylum seekers.

10. To speak out, make declarations, and adopt resolutions to condemn and delegitimize violence against foreigners.

We recommend that the General Board of Church and Society and the General Board of Global Ministries:

1. Monitor cases of possible human rights violations in the areas of immigration and give guidance to United Methodists in responding to such cases.

2. Advocate for human rights (including political, economic, and civil) for all people, and especially for strangers that sojourn in the land.

3. Advocate against legislation that seeks to establish national identification systems.

4. Continue explorations of solutions to the problems of asylum seekers and undocumented people.

5. Lead United Methodists throughout the United States in the fight against nativism and continue to respond to the current threat against refugees and immigrants.

6. Lead the churches throughout the United States in recognizing the contributions newcomers have made which have culturally and economically enriched the nation.

7. Provide technical and financial assistance to local churches in active ministry with refugees and asylum seekers.

8. Continue the task of educating United Methodists about issues related to refugees, immigrants, and migrants.

9. Organize campaigns to counter and prevent racism, xenophobia, and hostility toward uprooted people.

10. Develop materials to educate the churches on immigration as well as on issues related to refugees and asylum seekers.

11. Assist the churches in advocating for fair and just immigration laws and practice.

12. Support communities and congregations by prayer and action where such measures as Proposition 187 may be implemented at any time in the future, and develop strategies and action plans to counter similar initiatives in other states.