It’s an e-mail to make your blood boil.
A recent e-mail forward contrasts the lives and lifestyles of hypothetical workers “Joe Legal” and “Jose Illegal.” After outlining how each man’s legal status affects his budget, the e-mail concludes that Jose Illegal is not only leading the high life as an undocumented worker in the U.S., but is actually enjoying it at Joe Legal’s expense. An infuriating tale indeed! Yet what infuriates me most is that the e-mail is filled with lies and is based on false assumptions.
Take, for example, the e-mail’s initial claim:
“Joe Legal” works in construction, has a Social Security Number, and makes $25.00 per hour with payroll taxes deducted…“Jose Illegal” also works in construction, has “NO” [sic] Social Security Number, and gets paid $15.00 cash “under the table”… Jose Illegal pays no taxes.
I was so appreciative to find a credible rebuttal to the false claims in this e-mail on the Immigration Service and Aid Center (ISAAC) Web site. As ISAAC rightfully refutes, “it is simply false to say illegal aliens do not pay taxes.” In reality, undocumented workers pay property, sales, and even income taxes with a number they obtain through the IRS called an ITIN. And yes, some workers do use fraudulent or stolen Social Security Numbers in order to work “on the books.” But unlike Joe Legal, Jose Illegal is not eligible to collect his Social Security payments even when he reaches the appropriate age. The facts are actually much more complex than the e-mail portrays.
This frequently forwarded e-mail contains many other half-truths and outright lies, all of which ISAAC responds to with well-researched data and cited sources. Sadly, what readers discover at the end of the “Joe Legal” e-mail is not a factually based story, but a heaping dose of fear.
Whether in theology or politics, Christians must overcome ignorance and fear by creating safe places to explore the truth. Determining wise immigration policy has proven to be very complicated, yet we can only seek such wisdom through prayer, scripture study, educating ourselves about the issues, and respectful dialogue. We cannot speak out of fear, but out of “power and of love” (2 Timothy 1:7) as we determine the best way to welcome the stranger (Matthew 25:35).
As Congress moves closer to drafting new immigration legislation, Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CCIR) is offering a free House Party toolkit that will help to generate reflective dialogue and advocacy in your community. House parties create a positive space for discussing immigration and for taking action, and this new toolkit gives you all the resources you need to voice your message of compassion and justice to your elected officials. The church must respond to the fear found in e-mail forwards like “Joe Legal” with avenues for upholding the truth. A house party will help you do just that.
Melanie Weldon-Soiset is a former Beatitudes Society Fellow at Sojourners and student at Wesley Theological Seminary.
To learn more about immigration reform, visit www.faithandimmigration.org.
