A recently formed group of evangelicals have recently stepped in to the debate over American immigration policy, expressing support for immigration laws but also urging that illegal immigrants be treated humanely.

|TOP|Members of the Hispanic Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform who gathered last week in Dallas, USA expressed concern over a new Bill that would arrest anyone who would assist an undocumented worker as well as a proposal to raise a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the Associated Press.

“We need to find a way to stop the flow of illegal immigration, but find a way to deal humanely and compassionately with the undocumented workers currently in the country,” said the Rev. Sam Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.

The group has four major goals, including expediting visa administration to clear up backlogs that separate families for years, creating legal avenues for workers to enter legally, legalise the status of immigrants already here by meeting certain criteria, and enforce border protection humanely.

“These proposals represent a compassionate approach,” said Pastor Mark Gonzales, president of the Standing for Truth Foundation. “What we are seeking is a more-balanced and comprehensive approach to immigration, and we believe this accomplishes that.”

In his State of the Union address last week, US President George W. Bush emphasised the need for secure borders and stronger enforcement, while proposing a “humane guest worker program” that rejects amnesty while allowing for temporary jobs for those who seek them legally.

|AD|A Bill passed by Congress in December, which still needs senate approval would expand border enforcement authority to include the military and local law enforcement. It would also require that a fence be built along certain parts of the border. The new law would also increase the penalty for assisting an illegal immigrant from being only a misdemeanor to a felony.

One of the provisions of H.R Bill 4437 would allow for the arrest of anyone assisting illegal workers, a step the coalition opposes.

Addressing the issue separately last month, Richard Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission for the Southern Baptist Convention said that “there’s no consensus” among the members of his denomination about what should be done with illegal immigrants.

However, he noted there was a distinction between refugees fearing for their lives and those who came for economic gain while breaking the law, according to Religion News Service. He ruled out mass deportation as not being realistic.

Groups such as the National Association of Evangelicals and the Family Research Council have also not taken up the issue. However at a recent gathering of conservatives at the Free Congress Foundation prior to the US President's address to the American nation, FRC President Tony Perkins, speaking for himself said that with recent revelations of an elaborate tunnel built across the border used to transport drugs, illegal immigrants and possibly terrorists, that people at the grassroots level would expect Congress to pass something more than “window dressing” to address the issue.

“If Congress does not pass – if it does not get their attention now,” he said, referring to the December bill, “it will get their attention in November, because I believe this has the potential – up there with the issue of marriage – of motivating people to go to the polls and make changes.”

He viewed the president’s “guest worker” plan as having the same excitement as the president’s social security plan did last year. That proposal was not approved by the US Congress.






Francis Helguero
Christian Today Correspondent