Welcoming the Stranger - Central Plains Mennonite · PDF fileImmigration Reformbelieves that...

Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform • Sojourners

Welcoming the Stranger

A Toolkit for Christian Education and Action

on Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform • SOJOURNERS • 2

A Toolkit for Christian Education and Action on Comprehensive Immigration Reform

“The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself,

for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” —Leviticus 19:34

Immigration is a deeply relevant issue forboth Americans and Christians. The U.S.is a nation of immigrants, one that hasbeen continually reshaped by newgroups of people bringing diverse cul-

tures, perspectives, and resources. Immigration is also a core issue for

Christians: the biblical story continuallyshows God’s concern for the migrant and theoutcast. The early Hebrews were “strangers inthe land of Egypt” and were asked to remem-ber this heritage by protecting the strangersamong them in the Promised Land. Similarly,throughout the New Testament, Christians arecalled to care for the outcast and the stranger.

The topic of immigration has also occu-pied a prominent and contentious place on ourrecent political landscape. Throughout 2006,we saw hundreds of thousands of immigrants,their families, and concerned allies take to thestreets in support of our immigrant brothersand sisters. However, in 2007, the U.S. Senatecaved to pressures by a vocal anti-immigrantminority and voted down an immigrationcompromise, shutting down the possibility forreal reform for a second year in a row. Thevacuum created in the wake of the federalgovernment’s failure to produce comprehen-sive immigration reform legislation hasspawned a myriad of local initiatives and ordi-nances—some supportive, but most punitive.

It was in this historical moment that a col-lection of denominational groups, faith lead-ers, and secular groups met in Washington,D.C., in December 2006 to discuss how wecould work together to realize comprehensiveimmigration reform. A leadership team formedout of that day-long immigration dialogue andstrategy session, and the fruit of that team was

the decision to create the Christians forComprehensive Immigration Reform (CCIR)campaign. The goal of this campaign is tobring together Christians from across thepolitical and theological spectrum in supportof comprehensive immigration legislation.

We recognize that Congress will not takeup comprehensive immigration legislationagain until after the general election in 2008.However, Christians for ComprehensiveImmigration Reform believes that our faithcompels us to love and care for the strangeramong us, and it is our moral duty to seizethis opportunity to speak up with our immi-grant neighbors in hopes of seeing humaneand holistic immigration reform pass as soonas possible. We recognize the current need toengage more deeply with our fellowChristians and to counter the hateful, anti-immigrant rhetoric that is becoming common-place in the media and is dividing our commu-nities.

We thank you for downloading this toolk-it and for your passion to welcome the stran-ger.

We look forward to working with you tomobilize people of faith as we dig deeper inthe next two years to build broad and deepsupport of immigration reform. For moreinformation about this campaign and our part-ner organizations, please visit our shared Website at www.sojo.net/immigration.

Blessings,

The Leadership Team of Christians forComprehensive Immigration Reform (CCIR)

DEAR FRIEND,

CONTENTS



1. INTRODUCTION..........................................................................4

• Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CCIR)Statement of Shared Principles

• Endorsers (Organizations and Individuals)

2. EDUCATE! .........................................................................................8

• Biblical Overview – “A Stranger at Our Gates:A Christian Perspective on Immigration”

• Issue Overview – “Comprehensive Reform of Our Immigration Laws”

• 10 Common Myths About Immigrants

• Responses to Three Common Arguments AgainstComprehensive Immigration Reform

3. ADVOCATE! ..................................................................................17

• Communicating to Members of Congress and the Administration

• Meeting with Members of Congress and the Administration

• Sample Letter to Your Senator/Representative

4. USE MEDIA TO SPREAD THE WORD!...........................21

• Writing a Letter-to-the-Editor or Op-Ed

• Planning an Event

• Writing a Press Advisory

• Sample Op-Ed

• Sample Press Advisory

5.ADDITIONAL RESOURCES .................................................25

© Copyright October 2007, Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform and Sojourners.

INTRODUCTION



Christians for ComprehensiveImmigration Reform represents acoalition of Christian organizations,churches, and leaders from across thetheological and political spectrum unit-

ed in support of comprehensive immigrationreform. Despite our differences on other issues, weare working together to see comprehensive immi-gration reform enacted this year because we sharea set of common moral and theological principlesthat compel us to love and care for the strangeramong us, including the following:

• We believe that all people, regardless of nationalorigin, are made in the “image of God” anddeserve to be treated with dignity and respect(Genesis 1:26-27, 9:6).

• We believe there is an undeniable biblical respon-sibility to love and show compassion for thestranger among us (Deuteronomy 10:18-19,Leviticus 19:33-34, Matthew 25:31-46).

• We believe that immigrants are our neighbors,both literally and figuratively, and we are to loveour neighbors as ourselves and show mercy toneighbors in need (Leviticus 19:18, Mark 12:31,Luke 10:25-37).

• We believe in the rule of law, but we also believethat we are to oppose unjust laws and systemsthat harm and oppress people made in God’simage, especially the vulnerable (Isaiah 10:1-4,Jeremiah 7:1-7, Acts 5:29, Romans 13:1-7).

The current U.S. immigration system is brokenand now is the time for a fair and compassionatesolution. We think it is entirely possible to protectour borders while establishing a viable, humane,and realistic immigration system, one that is con-sistent with our American values and increasesnational security while protecting the livelihood ofAmericans. The biblical principles above call us tosupport comprehensive immigration reform legisla-tion that includes the following elements:

Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CCIR)STATEMENT OF SHARED PRINCIPLES

• Border enforcement and protection initiatives thatare consistent with humanitarian values whileallowing the authorities to enforce the law andimplement American immigration policy;

• Reforms in our family-based immigration systemthat reduce the waiting time for separated fami-lies to be safely reunited and maintain the consti-tutionally guaranteed rights of birthright citizen-ship and the ability of immigrants to earn natu-ralization;

• An opportunity for all immigrant workers andtheir families already in the U.S. to come out ofthe shadows and pursue the option of an earnedpath towards permanent legal status and citizen-ship upon satisfaction of specific criteria;

• A viable guest worker program that creates legalavenues for workers and their families to enterour country and work in a safe, legal, and orderlymanner with their rights and due process fullyprotected and provides an option for workers togain permanent status independent of an employ-er sponsor; and

• A framework to examine and ascertain solutionsto the root causes of migration, such as economicdisparities between sending and receiving na-tions.

Immigration reform that incorporates these ele-ments, rejects anti-immigrant measures, andstrengthens our American values will enrich thevitality of the U.S. and advance the common good.We stand together in calling the president andCongress to return to humane and holistic immi-gration reform as soon as possible.



OrganizationsChristian Community Development Association

Church World Service, Immigration and RefugeeProgram

Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles

Council on Faith in Action

Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education

Evangelicals for Social Action

Hispanic Coalition for Comprehensive ImmigrationReform

Hispanic Evangelical Ministerial Alliance of theMetroplex (Dallas/Forth Worth, TX)

Mennonite Central Committee, Washington Office

Mennonite Church USA

National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the GoodShepherd

National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference

National Ministries, American Baptist Churches USA

Neighborhood Ministries, Inc. (Phoenix, AZ)

NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby

Presbyterian Church (USA) Washington Office

Red de Pastores and Latino Leaders of SouthernCalifornia (Southern California “La Red” Network ofPastors and Latino Leaders)

Sojourners

United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries

United Methodist Church, General Board of Church andSociety

We Care America

World Evangelical Alliance

World Relief

IndividualsRev. Michael Battle, Ph.D., associate dean for academic

affairs and vice president, associate professor of theol-ogy, Virginia Theological Seminary

Rev. Michael Bohlmann, director of worship arts, DesertView Bible Church (Carefree, AZ)

Pastor Bernie Boudreaux, chairman of the board, CristoVive Christian Social Services, Inc. (Austin, TX)

Dr. Daniel Bustamante, pastor, Templo Jerusalen;Treasurer, AHEM – La Alianza Hispana EvangelicaDel Metroplex (Dallas, TX)

Pepe Caballero, director of programs, Radio Zion (CA)Bart Campolo, executive director, The Evangelical

Association for the Promotion of Education,(Cincinnati, OH)

Dr. Tony Campolo, Baptist evangelist, internationalspeaker, and founder of The Evangelical Associationfor the Promotion of Education (St. David’s, PA)

Noel Castellanos, associate executive director, ChristianCommunity Development Association (Chicago, IL)

Rick Chamiec-Case, executive director, North AmericanAssociation of Christians in Social Work (Botsford,CT)

Robert X. Chavez, president, Alta Vista Faith-BasedInitiative Corporation (TX)

Walter Contreras, director of church planting, CovenantChurch (CA)

Orlando Crespo, national director, Latino Fellowship(LaFe), InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA; associ-ate pastor, New Life in the Bronx Church (Bronx, NY)

Angel Cruz, pastor, Iglesia Evangelica Salem (Irving,TX)

Angel O. Cruz, attorney, Angel O. Cruz & Associates,P.C. (Irving, TX)

Lisa Cummins, president, Urban Strategies (Washington,DC)

Ian Danley, youth pastor, Neighborhood Ministries(Phoenix, AZ)

Kit Danley, president, Neighborhood Ministries (Phoenix,AZ)

Rev. Dr. Yvonne Delk, founding director, Center forAfrican American Theological Studies, SeminaryConsortium for Urban Pastoral Education (SCUPE)(Norfolk, VA)

ENDORSERS(as of August 24, 2007)



Individuals (continued)

Carlos Diaz, pastor, New Life Fellowship (Arlington,TX)

Rev. Jerry Dykstra, executive director, ChristianReformed Church in North America

Jeff Ellis, chairman of elder board, Desert View BibleChurch (Carefree, AZ)

Dr. Joshua Ellorreaga, pastor, Dallas Christian CenterAssembly; vice president, AHEM - La AlianzaHispana Evangelica Del Metroplex (Dallas, TX)

Dr. David P. Espinoza, senior pastor, La TrinidadChurch (Trinity Church); vice-chairman, NationalHispanic Christian Leadership Conference (SanFernando, CA)

Paul D. Espinoza, associate pastor, Healing WatersFamily Center A/G (Wheat Ridge, CO)

Rev. Susan M. Gaeta, Divine Word Lutheran Church;president, Gamaliel National Clergy Caucus

Pastor José García, supervisor, Prophecy Church of God(CA)

Rev. Elenora Giddings Ivory, director, PresbyterianChurch (USA) Washington Office (Washington, DC)

Daniel Garza, president & CEO, CONFIA - Council onFaith In Action (San Antonio, TX)

Lynn Godsey, president, AHEM - La Alianza HispanaEvangelica Del Metroplex (Dallas, TX)

Rev. Mark Gonzales, president, Hispanic Coalition forComprehensive Immigration Reform; public policyliaison, National Hispanic Christian LeadershipConference (Dallas, TX)

Cesar Guel, president, Hispanic Christian CommunityNetwork (Dallas, TX)

Rev. Derrick Harkins, pastor, Nineteenth Street BaptistChurch (Washington, DC)

Pastor Cristian Hernaiz, pastor, The Good News Churchand AVIVLALA (CA)

Dr. Juan Hernandez, president, Hispana, Inc.; senior fel-low, the Reform Institute

Dr. Victor Higueros, senior pastor, Ministerios BethaniaUSA, Inc. (Carrollton, TX)

Dr. Ralph Holland, senior pastor, Mundo De Fe(Carrollton, TX)

Dr. Joel C. Hunter, senior pastor, Northland – A ChurchDistributed (Longwood, FL)

Rev. Dennis Jacobsen, director, Gamaliel NationalClergy Caucus

Jose Jimenez, Metro Organization for People (Denver,CO)

Jeff Johnsen, executive director, Mile High Ministries(Denver, CO)

Tomas J. Lares, chairman/founder, Hispanic AdvocacyCoalition; member, Voices for Justice (FL)

Jaime Lázaro, director and editor, El Inter Newspaper(CA)

Rev. Mark Lopez, pastor, Westside Christian Fellowship(Denver, CO)

Mayra Lopez-Humphreys, LMSW, assistant professor,Department of Social Work, Nyack College (NY)

Ben Lubbon, managing partner, Jude Benedict &Associates (Washington, DC)

Sr. Gayle Lwanga Crumbley, RGS, national coordinator,National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the GoodShepherd (Silver Spring, MD)

Jorge Macias, senior pastor, Neighborhood Ministries(Phoenix, AZ)

Rigoberto Magana, pastor, New Hope ChristianFellowship (Greeley, CO)

Pastor Eliacib Marquez, director, “Nuevo Pacto” CCN(Lakewood,CO)

Dr. Juan Martínez, Hispanic director, Fuller TheologicalSeminary (CA)

Sandy Mason, senior pastor, Desert View Bible Church(Carefree, AZ)

Michael A. Mata, adjunct assistant professor of urbanministries Claremont School of Theology (Claremont,CA)

Dr. Mike Mendoza, pastor emeritus, Templo Juan 3:16(Fort Worth, TX)

Dr. Jesse Miranda, president, AMEN (Alianza deMinisterios Evangelicos Nacionales), NationalAlliance of Evangelical Ministries

René Molina, senior pastor, Restoration Churches (CA)Fidel “Butch” Montoya, coordinator, Confianza, an

association of Latino ministers (Denver, CO)Peter Morales, minister, Jefferson Unitarian Church

(Denver, CO)Ricardo Moreno, national organizer for Latino relations,

Bread for the World (CA)Tom Nees, director, U.S./Canada Mission Evangelism

Department, Church of the NazareneGary Nelson, associate pastor, Vineyard Christian

Fellowship of Scottsdale (Scottsdale, AZ)Dr. Angel L. Nunez, senior vice president, National

Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, BilingualFellowship Churches of America (Baltimore, MD)



Individuals (continued)

Isaiah Oakes, board member, Neighborhood Ministries(Phoenix, AZ)

Clark Ortiz, Clark Ortiz Ministries International, Inc.(Grapevine, TX)

Glenn Palmberg, president, Evangelical CovenantChurch

Belinda Passafaro, executive committee member, LatinoLeadership Circle; co-founder and associate executivedirector, Hermanas SOL (Supporting Opportunitiesfor Latinas) (New York, NY)

Victor Perez, pastor, Believers in Christ Ministries(Bakersfield, CA)

Oliver R. Phillips, director of mission strategy, Churchof the Nazarene

Rev. Efrain Pineda, Jr., senior pastor, Centro CristianoMinistries, (Manson, WA)

Kersten Bayt Priest, assistant professor of Sociology,Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL)

Pastor Carlos Quintero, vice president, United for Christ(CA)

Bro. Sergio Santana, accountant, Santana Accounting &Tax Svc. (Denver, CO)

Rev. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah, Milton B. Engebretson assis-tant professor of church growth and evangelism,North Park Theological Seminary (Chicago, IL)

Richard Ramos, executive director, Latino Coalition ofFaith & Community Initiatives (Bakersfield, CA)

Dr. Albert L. Reyes, president, Buckner Children andFamily Services, Buckner International (Dallas, TX)

Rev. Dennis Rivera, Central Latin American district ofthe Assemblies of God (Denver, CO)

Dr. Paul W. Robinson, director and professor, HumanNeeds and Global Resources (HNGR) Program,Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL)

Rev. Samuel Rodriguez Jr., president, National HispanicChristian Leadership Conference (Sacramento, CA)

Rev. Gabriel A. Salguero, director, Hispanic LeadershipProgram at Princeton Theological Seminary (ConEd);pastor, Lamb’s Manhattan Church of the Nazarene(New York, NY)

Jorge G. Sanchez, president, Cristo Vive ChristianSocial Services, Inc (Austin, TX)

Dr. Lindy Scott, director, Center for Applied ChristianEthics, Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL)

Jim Serrata, chairman, World Hispanic Chamber ofCommerce (Washington, DC)

Dr. Ron Sider, founder and president, Evangelicals forSocial Action

Dr. Helene Slessarev-Jamir, Mildred M. Hutchinsonassociate professor of urban ministries, ClaremontSchool of Theology (Claremont, CA)

William M. Thrall, senior pastor, NeighborhoodMinistries (Phoenix, AZ)

Rev. Romal J. Tune, CEO, Clergy Strategic Alliances,LLC

Geoff Tunnicliffe, international director/CEO, WorldEvangelical Alliance

Tim Tseng, president, Institute for the Study of AsianAmerican Christianity

Peter Vander Meulen, Office of Social Justice andHunger Action, Christian Reformed Church in NorthAmerica (Grand Rapids, MI)

Arturo Vargas, president, Alianza Ministerial (Denver,CO)

Luis Vides, senior pastor, Iglesia Evangelica BethelCasa de Dios (Irving, TX)

Jorge Vielman, co-facilitator, Peace and Justice SupportNetwork, Mennonite Church USA

Rev. Jim Wallis, president and executive director,Sojourners (Washington, DC)

EDUCATE!



During periods of rapid change andeconomic uncertainty, it is often thevulnerable and marginalized peoplewho are blamed for the misfortunethat everyone else experiences or

expects to experience. Today a significant amountof attention and blame for a perceived threat to theAmerican way of life is being directed at immi-grants. As Christians, we must ensure that ourresponse to the issue of immigration is directed bya world view that is shaped by biblical principlesrather than secular rhetoric.

A number of themes relevant to immigrationrun through the Bible. The first theme is that weourselves, as Christians, are aliens on this earth.“...And they admitted that they were aliens andstrangers on earth” (Heb. 11:13). Our status asaliens and strangers forms the basis for our atti-tudes and responses towards those people who liveoutside our society.

A second theme is that our material posses-sions do not really belong to us. The PromisedLand belonged to the Israelites only in the sensethat as host, God allowed the Israelites to dwell inthe Promised Land as His guests (Lev. 25:23).Similarly, as aliens and strangers in the world, thematerial resources of the world do not belong tous. We have what we have because God, as host,has distributed material resources to us, His guests.As recipients of God’s graciousness and generosity,we need to guard against selfishness and posses-siveness which would cloud our attitude towardimmigrants.

A third theme is protection for the alien. Asnon-citizens working in their country of residence,aliens exist outside the social and political networkof the society they are residing in; thus, they arerendered powerless. Aliens are very vulnerable toexploitation. As Christians, we should recall ourroots as aliens and, thus, identify with their plight(Ex. 23:9).

A fourth theme is that, for Christians, no one is

ever to really be considered an outsider. “...Thealien living with you must be treated as one ofyour native-born. Love him as yourself...” (Lev.19:33-34). The Great Commandment is to apply tothe alien, because he or she is our neighbor.

A fifth theme is that, in serving the outsidersof society, we encounter Jesus. Because Christidentified with the stranger, we are to extend thesame treatment to the alien and stranger that wewould extend toward Jesus (Matt. 25:35).

Historically, immigration policies of theUnited States appear to be directed more by racismand economic self-interest than compassion.Immigration quotas favored people groups alreadyestablished in the United States (western and north-ern Europe) while limiting immigrants from Asiaand Africa.1 Sometimes certain people groups wereallowed to immigrate only when they were neededas menial labor for a specific task, e.g., Chineserailroad builders. Today immigration policy favorsthose who bring technical expertise or financialresources with them.2

The present debate over immigration policyand immigrants is often based on stereotypicalfalsehoods. Immigrants do not displace Americanworkers. They usually fill a shortage of skilledlabor or do the menial task that citizens refuse todo.3 Immigrants’ rate of employment is higher thanthe general population, and they work longerhours.4 They receive less general assistance thanthe general population.5 Immigrants pay more intaxes than the social services they receive.6 Thereason state governments are financially burdenedby immigrants is that only one-third of the federalincome tax paid by immigrants is returned to thestate governments who provide public servicessuch as education and emergency medical care.7

As we engage in our society’s debate on immi-gration through forums such as the voting booth,community discussion groups, political parties andchurch in light of the preceding discussion, weneed to raise the following issues:

A Stranger at Our Gates:A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE ON IMMIGRATION

Resolution adopted at General Conference, 1996 • The Evangelical Free Church of America



A. To what extent are our attitudes towardsimmigration shaped by racism? To what extent dowe assume that American culture is identified withnorthern and western European culture; and are weattempting to protect those cultural roots ofAmerica from corruption by “foreign” cultures?Are we afraid that this existing cultural dominancewill be overcome by the “strangeness” ofstrangers? Are we denying that other cultures bringgifts that add to rather than detract from our soci-ety’s culture? Does our cultural identity take prece-dence over our Christian identity so that we fail torecognize that we are fellow aliens with theseimmigrants?

B. To what extent are our attitudes towardsimmigrants shaped by materialism? As aliens andstrangers in this world, what is the theologicalbasis for acting as though America were our prop-erty and we can hence deny access to it? Are webeing overly possessive of our lifestyle or standardof living?

C. Is the fear of running out of limitedresources justifiable? How can we say that there isnot enough to go around in America? Are we moreconcerned with the pursuit of affluence than meet-ing the basic human needs of all human beings?

D. What are the implications of Proposition187-type legislation (as in the state of California)?Does denying or reducing “safety net” and otherpublic benefits to illegal immigrants and theirAmerican born children imply that in our societysome groups of people are not regarded as beingequally human as others even though they partici-pate in the economic functioning of our society?Are some groups of people not deemed worthy toreceive the minimal goods and services we consid-er essential for a very basic level of human exis-tence?

E. What about immigration policy? To whatextent are we responsible for the living conditionsin other countries that motivate people to emigrate?Do the policies of the U.S. government and theU.S. transnational companies contribute to pres-sures on people to emigrate to the U.S.? Does animmigration policy that favors the immigration of

highly skilled people drain other countries of theskills necessary to improve their standard of livingand hence reduce the pressure to emigrate toAmerica?

As evangelicals, we are called by God to aidthe vulnerable. Therefore, we must see the alienand the stranger as individuals made in the imageof God, the object of Christ’s love and as people ofintrinsic worth who are in need of our affirmationand support. ■

________________________________________________________________

1Tim Stafford, “Here Comes the World,” Christianity Today, (May 15, 1995),20.2Diane Drachman, “Immigration Statuses and Their Influence on ServiceProvision, Access and Use,” Social Work40, no. 2 (March 1995), 190.3Stafford, 21.4Frank Sharry, “Myths, Realities, and Solutions,” Spectrum: The Journal ofState Government 67, no. 1 (Winter 1994), 23.5Ibid.6Ibid, 247Ibid.

EDUCATE!



Introduction: Symptoms of a Broken System

Any look at the nation’s immigrationpolicy reveals a system greatly inneed of reform. Outdated policieskeep American families separatedfrom loved ones in other countries.

Employers, faced with an insufficient pool of legalworkers, increasingly rely on hard-working butunauthorized workers. Immigrants trekkingthrough remote desert territory to gain entry to theU.S. die from the heat and lack of water. The rightsof American workers are undermined whenunscrupulous employers have their way with unau-thorized workers who risk deportation if they standup for their rights. Our enforcement personnel,who should be focused on security threats andcriminals, are burdened with the task of chasingfarmworkers, busboys, and nannies. States andcommunities, in the absence of federal action to fixthe broken system, must figure out on their ownhow to deal with a growing undocumented popula-tion. The frustration of the American people growsas politicians, rather than solving the problem, playpolitics with the issue.

For more than two decades, American policymakers have taken the approach of spending evergreater sums of money trying to enforce our bro-ken immigration laws. This approach simply hasnot worked. It has been the failure to face econom-ic and social realities, not failure to provideenforcement resources, that has led to the currentchaotic, deadly system. We need a new approach tomanaging migration, one that recognizes realityand regulates it effectively; an approach that willmake the immigration flow safe, orderly, and legalinstead of deadly, chaotic, and operating outsidethe bounds of the law.

The Problem: Our Immigration Laws are Broken

Currently, there are estimated to be more thantwelve million immigrants here without legalpapers. Each year, an estimated 300,000 or morejoin that population. These people are coming here

to work, to join family members, or both. Manyask: why don’t they just apply to come legally?Some Americans believe that good laws are beingviolated by bad, selfish, impatient people. Thatpoint of view, however, may come from the misun-derstanding that legally immigrating to the UnitedStates is a relatively easy process. In fact, peopletrying to come here to work or join family findthemselves caught in a hodge-podge of outdatedimmigration laws and a famously inept and unpre-dictable immigration bureaucracy. Many rationalpeople are making the decision to risk being in theU.S. illegally in order to work and make money atabundantly available jobs in the U.S. These are notbad people violating good laws; they are rationalpeople making difficult choices to improve theirlives and assist their families.

In the decade and a half since our immigrationlaws were last updated, the number of immigrantvisas available has remained static, while thedemand has grown—from American families seek-ing to reunite with loved ones in other countriesand from American employers seeking workers.Waits can be as long as 22 years for some cate-gories of immigrants in the family preference sys-tem. Faced with years or decades of waiting toreunite with family members, some immigrantsattempt to enter the U.S. illegally or use temporaryvisas for permanent immigration.

Those coming for work face similar obstaclesto coming here legally. America’s economy anddemographic shifts demand more workers, whileour economic ties to Latin America and the rest ofthe world provide the economy with reserves ofwilling workers desiring nothing more than honestwork and honest pay. However, there are very fewvisas available for immigrants to come here andwork if they don’t have particular skills—only5,000 per year. Meanwhile, our economy has beenabsorbing hundreds of thousands. A father seekingwork so he can make a better life for his familymust choose to wait in a decades-long line or riskcapture, humiliation, second-class status—and even

Comprehensive Reform of Our Immigration Laws

EDUCATE!



his own life—in order to provide for his family. The disconnect between the need for worker

and family visas on the one hand, and what ourimmigration system provides on the other, has seri-ous consequences not only for immigrants, but forthe country as a whole. A black market for fakedocuments has grown tremendously. Smugglingcartels have become big businesses, with smug-glers becoming more violent as the stakes havegrown. The rights of American workers are under-mined when there are so many unauthorized work-ers in the workforce fearful of deportation, asunscrupulous employers are able to use this fear tolimit the rights and undercut the wages of all work-ers. In the context of the threat of terrorism, poli-cies that drive the undocumented further under-ground will have enormous consequences for ourability to detect and deter terrorism. If our enforce-ment continues to focus primarily on immigrantworkers, and our economy demands more workersthan we allow in legally, our ability to detect andact against terrorists will be diminished.

Immigrants want to follow the rules and wouldchoose to immigrate legally if that were a realisticoption. The question for us then becomes, shouldwe continue to restrict immigration ineffectively orshould we embrace reality, update our laws, andmanage immigration effectively?

Solution: Comprehensive Immigration Reform

We cannot solve our immigration problemsthrough enforcement alone. We must step back andre-think our immigration system, and make thechanges we need to effectively focus our enforce-ment resources on fighting terrorism and criminals,satisfy the needs of our economy for workers, andgive American families the opportunity to be unit-ed with immigrant members in a timely manner.

Reform that will make our laws more realistic,so they can be effectively enforced, must adhere tothe following principles:

• It Must Provide a Path to Citizenship: Oppor-tunities should be provided for undocumentedimmigrants currently living in the U.S. to receivework permits (or to access educational opportuni-ties) and travel permission once they undergo

background and security checks. Those whochoose to settle in the U.S. should eventually beeligible for permanent residence and citizenship.

• It Must Protect Workers: Wider legal channelsmust be created so needed workers can be admittedlegally to fill available jobs. To avoid the exploita-tion and abuses of past, failed guestworker pro-grams, a new worker program must adequatelyprotect the wages and working conditions of U.S.and immigrant workers. It must also allow workersto change jobs, provide for adequate enforcementof both the program’s rules and existing labor laws,protect law-abiding employers from unscrupulouscompetitors, and provide an option for workers togain permanent status independent of an employersponsor.

• It Must Reunite Families: Immigration reformwill not succeed if public policy does not recognizeone of the main factors driving migration: familyunity. Restrictive laws and bureaucratic delays toooften undermine this cornerstone of our legalimmigration system. Those waiting in line shouldhave their admission expedited, and those admittedon work visas should be able to keep their nuclearfamilies intact. Reform should also ensure that inthe future, close family members are not forced towait years and even decades to reunite with lovedones living in the U.S.

• It Must Restore the Rule of Law and EnhanceSecurity: Enforcement only works when the law isrealistic and enforceable. A comprehensive over-haul will make our immigration laws more realis-tic, permitting an intelligent enforcement regimethat should include smart inspections and screeningpractices, fair proceedings, efficient processing,and strategies that focus on detecting and deterringterrorists and cracking down on criminal smugglersand lawbreaking employers. Such a system willbetter enable the nation to know who is alreadyhere and who is coming in the future, and willbring our system back into line with our traditionas a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws.

EDUCATE!



• It Must Promote Citizenship and CivicParticipation and Help Local Communities:Immigration to America works because newcomersare encouraged to become new Americans. It istime to renew our nation’s commitment to the fullintegration of newcomers by providing adult immi-grants with quality English instruction, promotingand preparing them for citizenship, and providingthem with opportunities to move up the economicladder. The system should also offer support tolocal communities working to welcome newcomers.

Conclusion: Congress Has Failed to Act, Again—We Can No Longer Afford the Failed Status Quo

Our immigration system will continue to betroubled until our laws more closely reflectreality.

Earlier this year, an effort by the 110thCongress to fix our broken immigration systemwas thwarted when opposition by a majority ofRepublicans and a minority of Democrats killed abipartisan comprehensive immigration reform pro-posal in the Senate. This may have been the bestchance in many years to fix our dysfunctionalimmigration system but, in the end, cowardice pre-vailed over leadership, and the defenders of thestatus quo prevailed. Many of our nation’s lead-ers—including the president and key senators—who supported a comprehensive approach lastspring are now caving to political pressure andsupporting a punitive, enforcement-only strategy.

• The “get tough, and when that fails, get tougher”approach to driving immigrants out of the work-force has been the centerpiece of our failed immi-gration policy for more than a decade.

• We won’t simply enforce our way out of thisproblem. Rather, we need a legal immigration sys-tem that accommodates growth in the economy anddeals realistically with those undocumented immi-grants already working here.

• It is not the case that the laws are good, the peo-ple breaking them are bad, and that all we need isramped-up enforcement. Five percent of workers inthis country (one in 20) cannot work here legally.

The law needs fixing. That is the job of Congress.

• This amounts to a national experiment with the“attrition through enforcement” strategy espousedby the anti-immigration movement. We will seewhether their predictions that immigrants will self-deport turn out to be true. Instead, we predict thatpeople will burrow further underground—that aslong as there is work for them to do, they will stayand work.

• Perhaps this “experiment” will force our nation tostop and think: Why do we want to drive so manyof these hardworking, taxpaying people out of thecountry? Just how inhospitable a country do wereally want to be? How do we make sure that aninhospitable environment just targets the “illegal”immigrants and not everyone else?

—Adapted from “Comprehensive Reform of Our ImmigrationLaws” (January 2007) and “Harsh Enforcement Measures

Will Not Fix Our Broken Immigration System” (August 2007)by the National Immigration Forum.

EDUCATE!



IMMIGRANTS DON’T PAY TAXES

1.Immigrants pay taxes, in the form of income,property, sales, and taxes at the federal andstate level. As far as income tax payments go,

sources vary in their accounts, but a range of stud-ies find that immigrants pay between $90 and $140billion a year in federal, state, and local taxes.

Undocumented immigrants pay income taxesas well, as evidenced by the Social SecurityAdministration’s “suspense file” (taxes that cannotbe matched to workers’ names and social securitynumbers), which grew by $20 billion between1990 and 1998.

IMMIGRANTS COME HERETO TAKE WELFARE

2.Immigrants come to work and reunite withfamily members. Immigrant labor forceparticipation is consistently higher than

native-born, and immigrant workers make up alarger share of the U.S. labor force (12.4 percent)than they do the U.S. population (11.5 percent).Moreover, the ratio between immigrant use of pub-lic benefits and the amount of taxes they pay isconsistently favorable to the U.S. In one estimate,immigrants earn about $240 billion a year, payabout $90 billion a year in taxes, and use about $5billion in public benefits. In another cut of the data,immigrant tax payments total $20 to $30 billionmore than the amount of government services theyuse.

IMMIGRANTS SEND ALL THEIR MONEYBACK TO THEIR HOME COUNTRIES

3.In addition to the consumer spending ofimmigrant households, immigrants andtheir businesses contribute $162 billion in

tax revenue to U.S. federal, state, and local govern-ments. While it is true that immigrants remit bil-lions of dollars a year to their home countries, thisis one of the most targeted and effective forms ofdirect foreign investment.

IMMIGRANTS TAKE JOBS AND OPPORTUNI-TY AWAY FROM AMERICANS

4.The largest wave of immigration to theU.S. since the early 1900s coincided withour lowest national unemployment rate and

fastest economic growth. Immigrant entrepreneurscreate jobs for U.S. and foreign workers, and for-eign-born students allow many U.S. graduate pro-grams to keep their doors open. While there hasbeen no comprehensive study done of immigrant-owned businesses, we have countless examples: inSilicon Valley, companies begun by Chinese andIndian immigrants generated more than $19.5 bil-lion in sales and nearly 73,000 jobs in 2000.

IMMIGRANTS ARE A DRAINON THE U.S. ECONOMY

5.During the 1990s, half of all new workerswere foreign-born, filling gaps left bynative-born workers in both the high- and

low-skill ends of the spectrum. Immigrants fill jobsin key sectors, start their own businesses, and con-tribute to a thriving economy. The net benefit ofimmigration to the U.S. is nearly $10 billion annu-ally. As Alan Greenspan points out, 70 percent ofimmigrants arrive in prime working age. Thatmeans we haven’t spent a penny on their educa-tion, yet they are transplanted into our workforceand will contribute $500 billion toward our socialsecurity system over the next 20 years

10 Common Myths About Immigrants(courtesy of Justice for Immigrants)

EDUCATE!



IMMIGRANTS DON’T WANT TO LEARNENGLISH OR BECOME AMERICANS

6.Within 10 years of arrival, more than 75percent of immigrants speak English well;moreover, demand for English classes at

the adult level far exceeds supply. Greater than 33percent of immigrants are naturalized citizens;given increased immigration in the 1990s, this fig-ure will rise as more legal permanent residentsbecome eligible for naturalization in the comingyears. The number of immigrants naturalizingspiked sharply after two events: enactment ofimmigration and welfare reform laws in 1996, andthe terrorist attacks in 2001.

TODAY’S IMMIGRANTS ARE DIFFERENTTHAN THOSE OF 100 YEARS AGO

7.The percentage of the U.S. population thatis foreign-born now stands at 11.5 percent;in the early 20th century it was approxi-

mately 15 percent. Similar to accusations abouttoday’s immigrants, those of 100 years ago initiallyoften settled in mono-ethnic neighborhoods, spoketheir native languages, and built up newspapersand businesses that catered to their fellow émigrés.They also experienced the same types of discrimi-nation that today’s immigrants face, and integratedwithin American culture at a similar rate. If weview history objectively, we remember that everynew wave of immigrants has been met with suspi-cion and doubt and yet, ultimately, every past waveof immigrants has been vindicated and saluted.

MOST IMMIGRANTSCROSS THE BORDER ILLEGALLY

8.Around 75 percent of today’s immigrantshave legal permanent (immigrant) visas; ofthe 25 percent that are undocumented, 40

percent overstayed temporary (non-immigrant)visas.

WEAK U.S. BORDER ENFORCEMENTHAS LED TO HIGH UNDOCUMENTEDIMMIGRATION

9.From 1986 to 1998, the Border Patrol’sbudget increased six-fold and the numberof agents stationed on our southwest border

doubled to 8,500. The Border Patrol also tough-ened its enforcement strategy, heavily fortifyingtypical urban entry points and pushing migrantsinto dangerous desert areas, in hopes of deterringcrossings. Instead, the undocumented immigrantpopulation doubled in that time frame, to 8 mil-lion—despite the legalization of nearly 3 millionimmigrants after the enactment of the ImmigrationReform and Control Act in 1986. Insufficient legalavenues for immigrants to enter the U.S., com-pared with the number of jobs in need of workers,has significantly contributed to this current conun-drum.

THE WAR ON TERRORISM CAN BE WONTHROUGH IMMIGRATION RESTRICTIONS

10.No security expert since Sept.11 hassaid that restrictive immigration meas-ures would have prevented the terrorist

attacks—instead, the key is effective use of goodintelligence. Most of the 9/11 hijackers were hereon legal visas. Since 9/11, the myriad of measurestargeting immigrants in the name of national secu-rity have netted no terrorism prosecutions. In fact,several of these measures could have the oppositeeffect and actually make us less safe, as targetedcommunities of immigrants are afraid to come for-ward with information.

Sources for this information are available atwww.justiceforimmigrants.org.

EDUCATE!



ARGUMENT:They broke the law; thus, theyshould not be rewarded by allowing them tostay.

RESPONSE: Opponents of immigration use theargument, “they broke the law,” as a way of com-bating any proposals that provide legal status toundocumented immigrants. They also say that theUnited States should not be “rewarding lawbreak-ers,” and use such phrases as “what part of illegaldo you not understand?” Their intent is to stop anydiscussion of why these persons are outside thelaw, what consequences or harm come to theUnited States because of this circumstance, andwhether the law they broke is just or in the bestinterest of the United States and should bechanged. In using these arguments, they also implythat undocumented immigrants, being outside thelaw, are criminals.

The first response is to answer the why andharm questions. Migrants and their families gener-ally enter the United States to survive by findingjobs. Once they cross the U.S.-Mexico border, 80percent find employment. Their intent is not toharm the United States, but simply to work; bydoing so, they help our country and the economy.So, because they come here to work and they helpour nation by doing so, we must ask whether cur-rent immigration law, which causes them to hide inthe shadows and offers them no protections, is justin the first place.

Moreover, the availability of visas to enter thecountry through legal channels to either work orreunite with family members are severely limitedand do not come close to meeting labor marketdemands. While the Church supports the rule oflaw, there are times when laws should be examinedthrough a justice lens and be changed. In manyways, the current immigration system is brokenand contributes to the abuse, exploitation, and evendeaths of migrants who otherwise contribute their

work and talents to our nation. While undocument-ed immigrants are indeed outside the law, and thus“break” the law, the unjust, outdated, and inade-quate law also breaks them. Our nation cannothave it both ways.

Moreover, undocumented immigrants are notcriminals—they have not broken a criminal law.They have only violated civil law, as we do whenwe violate a traffic ordinance. The United StatesSupreme Court has held that “a deportation pro-ceeding is a purely civil action to determine the eli-gibility to remain in this country, not to punish anunlawful entry. ... The purpose of deportation is notto punish past transgressions, but to put an end to acontinuing violation of immigration laws.”

ARGUMENT: My relatives (grandfather, great-grandfather, etc.) came here legally and soshould these new immigrants.

RESPONSE: In the history of the United States,immigration law was developed relatively late, inthe middle and late stages of the 20th century. Forthe first 153 years of our nation, there was no gen-eral law barring entry into the United States, unlessit was targeted to certain convicts or prostitutes.The Alien Sedition Act, passed early in our history,was seldom enforced. Entering the United Statesdid not become a violation until Congress passed alaw on March 4, 1929. Because of the lack offunding, Congress did not authorize or appropriatefunds to enforce the law until the late 1940s.

The beginning of our current immigrationcode, the Immigration and Nationality Act, wasenacted in 1965. The INA began imposing limitson categories of immigration and establishing animmigration enforcement regime which we adhereto, in part, today.

Today, our immigration system is ill-equippedto handle the current demand for immigrant laborin our country. According to the 2005 Economic

Responses to Three Common Arguments AgainstComprehensive Immigration Reform

(courtesy of Justice for Immigrants)

EDUCATE!



Report of the President, “one of the most pervasivefeatures of undocumented immigration is that it isoverwhelmingly driven by supply and demand:immigrants want to work in the United States andAmerican employers want to hire them.” However,current legal limits on both temporary and perma-nent immigration remain largely unresponsive tochanges in labor demand as a result of arbitrarynumerical limits. Only 66,000 visas per year areavailable to low-skilled, nonagricultural workers toenter the country legally and work. The H-2A pro-gram for agricultural workers brings in about30,000 workers a year, yet hundreds of thousandsof jobs per year in these sectors are filled withimmigrant labor, including undocumented immi-grants.

ARGUMENT: Providing legal status to undocu-mented immigrants will penalize immigrantswho play by the rules and wait in line.

RESPONSE: The current proposal endorsed bythe U.S. Catholic bishops, the Secure America andOrderly Immigration Act, requires that undocu-mented workers work six years before applying forpermanent resident status. This places them “at theback of the line,” behind immigrants who havepetitioned for a green card through an employ-ment-based or family-based petition. In additionthe proposal reduces backlogs in family categoriesso that waiting times are reduced to six months orless in all categories by 2011.

Furthermore, many of the undocumented whoare here and immigrants waiting in line are thesame people. Because of the long backlogs forfamily visas and other employment-related visas,many decide not to wait and enter through unau-thorized means. By fixing the system, throughexpanding the number of visas available to workand reunite with families, the incentive to migratewithout proper visas will be mitigated.

Sources for this information are available atwww.justiceforimmigrants.org.

ADVOCATE!



1. Communicating toMembers of Congress andthe Administration

Communicating with your members ofCongress and administration officials is themost important advocacy step you can take.

It takes just minutes to pick up the phone, put pento paper, or log onto e-mail and let your represen-tatives in Washington, D.C., know how you feelabout the issue you care about. While this commu-nication is often used to ask them to support policyor defeat harmful legislation, also remember tothank legislators when they act on your wishes ortake a position you agree with.

Some elected officials have consistent anti-immigrant policy positions, or don’t communicatemuch on these issues. It is important to contactthese officials, and let them know that his/her con-stituents are supportive of immigrants’ rights.While you may not be successful in convincingthem that your position is correct, it is important tocreate the space for dialogue and for him/her tohear your perspective. Education and politics can,over time, change people’s minds.

In addition, you may also want to voice youropinion to Congressional leadership and key com-mittee members. These leaders are responsible forsetting national policy and should be responsive toa broader sampling of public opinion. The commit-tee with jurisdiction over many immigration issuesis the Judiciary Committee (in both the House andSenate) and, by extension, the ImmigrationSubcommittee of the Judiciary.

Letter-Writing Tips

• State your purpose for writing in the first sen-tence of the letter. For example: “As your con-stituent, I am writing to urge your support forincreased funding for health care.”

• If your letter pertains to a specific piece of legis-lation, identify it. And make sure that you are ref-erencing the correct legislation to the correct bodyof Congress. House bills are H.R.____; Senate billsare designated as S.____. It is also important toknow the status of the bill.

Making YourVoice Count

One of the main shortcomings in ourwork to pass compassionate immigra-tion reform in 2007 was that mem-bers of Congress were hearingprimarily from those who opposed

comprehensive reform. In fact, some staff mem-bers estimated the ratio was 10 anti-immigrantcalls for every pro-immigrant call! Nearly everypoll shows restrictionists to be in the minority, butthey have been loud, vocal, and organized.Consequently, it is all the more imperative that ourelected officials hear from the majority in the faithcommunity who support humane, compassionate,and sensible reform.

If we hope to pass strong legislation, thegroundwork must be laid now even if the nextopportunity doesn’t come until 2009. The religiouscommunity can provide leadership and encourage-ment to our elected officials by prioritizing thisagenda and making clear that we stand behindthem. It is important to tell our elected officialsthat the faith community supports comprehensiveimmigration reform more than ever and to educatethem about what elements we insist be included inany acceptable comprehensive immigration bill.

There are many ways to get this message toyour elected officials, but nothing is better thansimply telling them directly!

—Adapted from resources by Sojourners and Justice for Immigrants.

ADVOCATE!



• Be courteous.

• If appropriate, include personal information aboutwhy the issue matters to you to make your point.

• Address only one issue in each e-mail.

• Close your letter with a restatement of your pur-pose and indicate the response that you expect.

• You should fax the letter to the representative’sWashington, D.C., office and also fax and mail itto his or her closest district office. (Office address-es and fax numbers are available on each mem-ber’s Web page, found through www.house.govand www.senate.gov).

Phone Calling Tips

• Telephone calls are usually taken by a staff mem-ber, not the member of Congress. Ask to speakwith the aide who handles the issue about whichyou wish to comment.

• After identifying yourself as a constituent, tell theaide you would like to leave a brief message, suchas: “Please tell Senator/Representative [Name] thatI support/oppose [S.___/H.R.___].”

• Briefly state your reasons for your support oropposition to the bill, including your personal faith.Then ask for your senators’ or representative’sposition on the bill. You may also request a writtenresponse to your telephone call.

2. Meeting with Membersof Congress and theAdministration

Face-to-face meetings are the most effectiveway to influence policymakers. You can meetwith them either in their district offices or in

Washington, D.C. If you are unable to see policy-makers in person, you should still meet with theirstaffers.

Arranging the Appointment

To meet with your senators and/or representatives,call the legislator’s office (either in Washington,D.C. or at home). Identify yourself as a constituent(if you are) and ask to speak to the staffer who isresponsible for immigration. Generally, membersof Congress are in Washington, D.C., Tuesdaythrough Thursday, and are frequently in their homestate Friday through Monday and when Congress isnot in session.

Advocacy

Preparing for the Meeting• DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Know exactly whatyou want to say and carefully review your mes-sages.• If possible, compile information about theimpact of specific immigration issues on the mem-bers of Congress’ district/state. Do not compile along list of statistics: your elected officials will notremember them and they will lose their impact.Prepare a few dramatic numbers or anecdotes toillustrate your points. Collect recent local newsarticles that illustrate the issue. Or, consider includ-ing in your meeting individuals who would beaffected by the policy change.• To encourage policymakers to support a spe-cific immigration issue, present materials thatclearly articulate your position, using specific caseexamples when possible.• Know the counter-arguments and be ready torespectfully answer any questions or disagree-ments.• Make sure everyone in your group is prepared.Brief everyone attending the meeting and make

ADVOCATE!



sure they have any written materials to review wellahead of time.• Be organized. Agree ahead of time the roleeach participant will take, who discusses what, andin what order participants will speak.• If you are going as part of a larger coalition,meet ahead of time. It is unwise to have an internaldebate or conversation in front of your elected offi-cial. Be certain everyone agrees on your group’scentral message and what you want to ask the leg-islator to do for you.• Prepare a packet to leave behind that couldinclude background information, fact sheets, and/ornewspaper clippings. Attach your card or contactinformation to the packet.

Making the Presentation

• Be on time! Allow extra time to clear security,especially at the White House, on Capitol Hill, andin busy federal office buildings.

• Begin by introducing yourselves.

• Explain to the legislator/staffer why you askedfor the meeting.

• Present your concerns simply and directly. Get toyour “bottom line” immediately. Be brief, direct,courteous and positive. Presentation of each topicroughly should follow this outline:

• Background: Explain the issue in the simplestpossible terms.

• Impact: Explain how the issue directly affectsyour community or the group you represent.

• Recommendation: Indicate what you wouldlike the policymaker to do.

• Do not fight with the policymaker or staff mem-bers. Politely answer questions and concerns, but ifyou disagree, make your point and move on.Remember, you are meeting with the member orstaff person to inform him/her about your positionson issues and encouraging their support.

• If you do not know the answer to a question, sayso, and promise to get back with the answer. Besure to follow up with your answer as quickly aspossible after the meeting.

• Make sure you do not do all of the talking! Give

the policymaker opportunities to ask questions orstate his or her opinion. Members and staff willappreciate the chance to be heard, and you willlearn much more by listening. Also, ask questions.

• Stay away from jargon and acronyms. Rememberthat the policymaker deals with dozens, if not hun-dreds, of issues each week, each with its own “lan-guage.”

• Thank the policymaker if he or she has been sup-portive. They receive thanks far less than they getcriticized. They will appreciate your recognition.

• Be sure to ask for the policymaker’s support. Ifhe or she is already very supportive, ask him or herto cosponsor the relevant bill and/or take a leader-ship role in moving the bill through the process,getting additional cosponsors, or other ways.

Following-up After the Meeting

• Send a note thanking the member or staff personfor meeting with you. Briefly summarize the mainpoints of the meeting.

• Remember to follow up with responses to anyquestions the member or staff person asked but youcould not answer at the time.

• Do not think of the meeting as an isolated event.Think of other ways to maintain the relationshipyou have initiated.

ADVOCATE!



[Date]The Honorable Josiah BartletATTN: SchedulerUnited States SenateWashington, DC 20010

Dear Senator Bartlet:

As a (fill in your position/title – i.e. member, pastor, lay leader, etc.) of (fill in your church or organization),I write to urge you to resume work on comprehensive immigration reform legislation as soon as possible.

Congress has failed in its responsibility to show leadership on this issue that affects the entire nation. As aresult, state and local authorities are filling the void with piecemeal ordinances, which are difficult toenforce and often deepen divisions in our communities. Our current immigration system continues toreveal serious flaws and must be repaired. Migrants continue to be subject to exploitation, discrimination,and brutal separations from their families.

It is important, however, that any legislation considered contains the multiple elements necessary to solveour immigration crisis. In this regard, any just and humane legislation should include the following compo-nents endorsed by the Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform campaign:

• Border enforcement and protection initiatives that are consistent with humanitarian values while allowingthe authorities to enforce the law and implement American immigration policy;

• Reforms in our family-based immigration system that reduce the waiting time for separated families to besafely reunited and maintain the constitutionally guaranteed rights of birthright citizenship and the abilityof immigrants to earn naturalization;

• An opportunity for all immigrant workers and their families already in the U.S. to come out of the shad-ows and pursue the option of an earned path towards permanent legal status and citizenship upon satisfac-tion of specific criteria;

• A viable guest worker program that creates legal avenues for workers and their families to enter our coun-try and work in a safe, legal, and orderly manner with their rights and due process fully protected and pro-vides an option for workers to gain permanent status independent of an employer sponsor; and

• A framework to examine and ascertain solutions to the root causes of migration, such as economic dispar-ities between sending and receiving nations.

Legislation that encompasses these elements will help address the problem of illegal immigration to ournation in a fair and pragmatic manner. It also would enhance national security by bringing the large undoc-umented population “out of the shadows” to identify themselves to the government.

I ask that you support a comprehensive immigration reform bill consistent with these elements and worktoward its enactment in the near future. Thank you for your consideration of my views.

Sincerely,C. J. CraigNew Hampshire XXX

Sample Letter to YourSenator/Representative

USE MEDIA!



1.Writing a Letter-to-the-Editoror Op-Ed

Your words, stories, and personal experi-ences regarding immigration issues are themost effective and newsworthy articles.

Start by crafting what you want your main messageto be. Papers look for clear, concise, and passionateopinions. Combine your personal stories with tan-gible facts on how you have seen a particular issueaffect the community. Identify who you are, whyyou are writing, what the issue is, how it affectsthe community, and what others can do about it.See the sample op-ed on page 23. Feel free to usethis as a template to adapt to local events and makeyour own.

2. Planning an Event

P lanning an event, rally, or march can drawattention to the immigration issue and createenergy for comprehensive immigration

reform. Gaining press coverage for your localevent is an important part of advancing compre-hensive immigration reform. Events should beplanned and executed with a goal of catching themedia’s attention. We have learned three basicrules for planning a media event.

Frame Your Message. The CCIR Statement ofShared Principles offers a very clear and unifyingmessage for comprehensive immigration reform. Itnot only provides vision but also articulates talkingpoints to guide your message for a successful andnewsworthy event. Personal testimony from thosedirectly affected by Congress’ continued failure toaddress our broken immigration system is veryeffective (if deemed safe for those sharing theirstories).

Timing is Everything. When is the best time tohold your event? We can tell you the worst time. Inmost cities, unless you are breaking news, theworse time to plan an event is during the eveningnews hour and when newspaper reporters are usu-ally writing stories. Thus, do not plan an eventbetween 4 and 7 p.m. The best time for a press

conference or news event is from mid-morning tomid-afternoon on weekdays. Give adequate noticeto reporters on your media list but do so withinseven days of the event. If you only have 24 hoursto organize a press event, you diminish yourchances for full coverage by numerous news out-lets. Plan ahead.

Keep it Simple. TV and print photographers willmake a decision to cover an event based on thecompelling images they are likely to capture. Sothink visually and plan for an action to be capturedon camera. Make sure your event is short, with justthe right amount of speakers. A press conferenceshould generally last no longer than 30 minutes. Becreative, keep it simple, and stay on message.

Conduct Media Research. Find out what yourlocal media outlets are saying about immigrationgenerally and comprehensive immigration reformin particular. Conduct this research on three fronts:print, radio, and television. A quick and easy wayto find lists of media in your city is to go toCongress.org and type in your zip code under“Browse Media Guide.”

After you have identified which outlets you areinterested in contacting, go to their Web sites andfind out what they have been writing or sayingabout immigration. How have the issues been cov-ered in the news recently? Have the outlets taken aparticular stand on the issue editorially? The moreknowledgeable you are, the more credible you are.Back issues of newspapers can be reviewed at theiroffices, in the library, or at a local college or uni-versity library. Your subject matter search shouldcover the past six months to a year. With this infor-mation, you will have a much clearer picture of thenews outlet’s thoughts on your topic.

Assemble a List. The next step is to identify spe-cific reporters, producers, and columnists whocover immigration-related issues for your localnews outlets. There are several ways to do this.First, go to their Web site and see which reportersor columnists have written stories, columns, or op-eds on the issue. (Be aware that online newspaper

Use Media to Spread the Word!

USE MEDIA!



archives usually go back only seven days.) Somenews Web sites will even list reporters by depart-ment. You can also call the newspaper’s mainswitchboard and ask the operator for informationabout who covers economics, politics, and domes-tic issues. Once you have names and contact infor-mation, use a spreadsheet tool like Microsoft Excelto compile a list. Be sure to include the reporter’sname, media outlet, e-mail address, and telephonenumber.

Using the List. Once you have a list compiled, youcan use the mail merge feature to send press releas-es, media advisories, or other information via e-mail. Prepare your document to send, send it, andthen follow up with phone calls and/or personal e-mails to a few key reporters. Keep the list updatedwith current e-mails and telephone numbers andadd and remove names as appropriate.

3.Writing a Press Advisory

P ress advisories should be succinct and bemarked clearly with the words “PressAdvisory.” The first paragraph should

include the who, what, where, why, and when ofthe event. If a speaker is making a presentation,include that information as well. See the samplepress advisory on page 24. Feel free to use this as atemplate to adapt to local events and make yourown.

The second paragraph of a press advisoryshould include a deeper description of the purposeof the event and how it was organized or moredetail about the issue. Do not assume the readerwill understand the need for a public event. Youmight want to include a quote from a spokespersonof the organization in charge of the public event.Make it clear and to the point. At the end of theadvisory, type “#”. Print it on the letterhead ofhosting organizations. For more information onworking with the media, including samples andwriting a longer press release on the day of yourevent to encourage further coverage, seehttp://www.actionforchange.org/launch_guide/reaching_out.html.

USE MEDIA!



Immigration: A Crisis for the ChurchMany of us in the faith community were hopeful that this would be the year Congress would standup and fix our broken immigration system. Unfortunately, we were wrong. [In (HomeTown/State)], we are now dealing with the consequences of what this failure means for millionsof immigrant families living in fear, and what it means for the church.

Each day we feel this failure on a more intimate level—in our congregations, service min-istries, health-care facilities, and schools. We see and hear the suffering of immigrant families whohave lost loved ones to death in the desert or have seen family members uprooted from their com-munity and deported back to a country where they no longer have ties. For our immigrant neigh-bors who desperately hoped for the chance to become forthright members of our society, this fail-ure amounts to growing insecurity—both emotionally, as they feel more alienated from their com-munities, and economically, as their ability to support their families is increasingly threatened.

[Concrete example from community.]

The alienation we see in our communities does not merely have consequences for immigrants.With a growing number of states, and even cities, taking immigration matters into their ownhands, the result is growing polarization. Local officials in some areas are responding as much tofears of changing demographics and rapidly growing Latino populations as to the actual conse-quences of residents with illegal status. In addition to creating a patchwork of laws that are diffi-cult to enforce, these efforts are leading to deepening divisions in our communities, as well asincreased fear and distrust. [You may want to localize this whole paragraph if relevant to yourarea, or just give a short example here at the end.]

This is where as the church we see and feel the real impact of the lack of comprehensiveimmigration reform. The church is both a symbol of welcome and a real-life actor in reaching outto serve “the least of these.” [You may want to include an example here, too.] This role reachesits deepest expression when the church facilitates joining brothers and sisters in faith together asone family. As Christian leaders, we most regret how the continued instability of our immigrationpolicy and the vulnerability of immigrants hinders our most important work.

We urge our elected officials to re-engage the immigration reform debate in a civil andrespectful manner, mindful not to indiscriminately blame immigrants for our social and economicills. We ask our policymakers to pursue policies that secure our borders, unite broken families, anduphold the human dignity of each person. We pray that these changes come as soon as possible,because a crisis of immigration policy that results in divided communities and families is also acrisis of the church.

Sample Op-Ed

USE MEDIA!



Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform Press Advisory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Name[Date] [Phone Number]

The Failure of National Immigration Reform Has Disastrous Local Impacts[State Org] Calls on [Target or “Congress”]Candidates to Support Comprehensive Immigration Reform

City, State – Today, [Group] calls on congressional and presidential candidates to address the continuedneed for comprehensive immigration reform. Congress has failed to pass this important legislation twoyears in a row because of partisan political games. As a result, state and local officials are moving aheadwith a patchwork of ordinances that are difficult to enforce and divide our communities. As we enter elec-tion season, Americans across the country [Coloradoans across the state] are demanding that candidatesfrom all parties take a stand to support family unity and economic security by publicly supporting compre-hensive immigration reform.

We cannot solve our immigration problems through enforcement alone. Congress must find a realistic wayof dealing with the 12 million undocumented immigrants who are currently living and working in thiscountry and give American families the opportunity to be united with immigrant family members in a time-ly manner. At the same time, Congress must make the changes needed to satisfy the needs of our economyfor workers and effectively focus scarce enforcement resources on fighting genuine threats to our country.

“If Washington is listening, they are hearing Americans from every corner of the country and every walk oflife [If TARGETS are listening, they are hearing Coloradoans from every corner of the state and every walkof life] calling for a return of comprehensive immigration reform. Our leaders must address the treatmentof immigrants who are already here and those who will come in the future. Immigrant workers and familiesare desperate for real reform. So are decent employers who want a legal workforce and American workerswho want a level playing field. And we are tired of partisan posturing and finger pointing. We will not restuntil Congress acts on comprehensive immigration reform. We want our leaders to lead, to solve toughproblems on a bipartisan basis, and to come up with results, not excuses,” said XXX, spokesperson for[XXX].

Workable comprehensive immigration reform means a combination of components that work together:• Reform Must Be Comprehensive• Provide a Path to Citizenship• Protect Workers• Reunite Families• Restore the Rule of Law and Enhance Security• Promote Citizenship and Civic Participation and Help Local Communities

###

Sample Press Advisory(courtesy of the National Immigration Forum)

RESOURCES



As people of faith and advocates, we bear theresponsibility to become and remain educatedabout the situation affecting our immigrantbrothers and sisters. The following Web sites

and organizations are good resources for credible andcurrent information. Visit them online to learn moreabout immigration, the latest legislative updates, andwhat you can do to make a difference.

Sojourners

www.sojo.netOur mission is to articulate the biblical call to social jus-tice, inspiring hope and building a movement to trans-form individuals, communities, the church, and theworld. Download Sojourners’ free Spanish language dis-cussion guide on immigration atwww.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=resources.item&item=070814_immigracion_form.

Christians for Comprehensive ImmigrationReform (CCIR)

www.sojo.net/immigrationWe represent a coalition of Christian organizations,churches, and leaders from across the theological andpolitical spectrum united in support of comprehensiveimmigration reform. Despite our differences on otherissues, we are working together to see comprehensiveimmigration reform enacted because we share a set ofcommon moral and theological principles that compelus to love and care for the stranger among us.

Justice for Immigrants:The Catholic Campaignfor Immigration Reform

www.justiceforimmigrants.comThis Web site is hosted by the United States Conferenceof Catholic Bishops, which in cooperation with otherCatholic organizations with national networks haslaunched a campaign to mobilize Catholic institutions,individuals, and other persons of good faith in supportof a broad legalization program and comprehensiveimmigration reform.

Coalition for Comprehensive ImmigrationReformwww.cirnow.orgThe mission and central purpose of the Coalition forComprehensive Immigration Reform is to get progres-sive, comprehensive immigration reform legislationenacted.

National Immigration Forumwww.immigrationforum.orgThe Forum advocates and builds public support for pub-lic policies that welcome immigrants and refugees andare fair to and supportive of newcomers to our country.The Forum serves as the lead convener of hundreds ofassociate organizations and other national groups on arange of immigration policy issues, and has been thedriving force behind many immigration policy victories.The Forum also works closely with local advocates andservice providers across the country.

Religious and Faith-Based Resolutions, Letters,Statements, and Ads in Support ofComprehensive Immigration Reformwww.cirnow.org/content/en/religiousresolu-tions_012607.htmThis page, on the Web site of the New AmericanOpportunity Campaign, contains links to give a perspec-tive on the wide variety of faith-based organizations thathave called on their members to support comprehensiveimmigration reform.

Essential Workers Immigration Coalition -Letters from our Members on ComprehensiveReformwww.ewic.orgThe Essential Worker Immigration Coalition (EWIC) isa coalition of businesses, trade associations, and otherorganizations supporting reform of U.S. immigrationpolicy to facilitate a sustainable workforce for theAmerican economy while ensuring our national securityand prosperity.

Detention Watch Networkwww.detentionwatchnetwork.orgDentention Watch Network focuses on immigrationdetention issues. They post information pertaining todue process-related concerns in proposed comprehen-sive reform legislation.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Date post:	30-Jan-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	hoangtuyen
View:	227 times
Download:	0 times

Welcoming the Stranger - Central Plains Mennonite · PDF fileImmigration Reformbelieves that...

Documents