Standing (Online) With Immigrants

At Sojourners, there is no distinction made as to immigration.

This is for all immigrants (I think) because Jesus tells us to love everyone, no matter where they're from or how they got here.

Sojourners has faith-based positions on many major social issues including immigration, you can read about them at:
http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=about_us.i...

In short, regarding immigrants Sojourners says: "we believe that all people, regardless of national origin, are made in the "image of God" and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect... we believe that immigrants are our neighbors, both literally and figuratively, and we are to love our neighbors as ourselves and show mercy to neighbors in need... [and] we believe in the rule of law, [but we also] oppose unjust laws and systems that harm and oppress people made in God's image, especially the vulnerable."

The reality is that every law that the Republicans passed to supposedly attack illegal immigrants ended up making life ever more precarious, difficult, expensive and problematic for legal immigrants too.

I suppose since they found it difficult to get their hands on the undocumented ones, they decided to take it out on those they could lay their hands easily upon, the legal immigrants.

Most of the anti-immigrant groups don't like legal immigrants very much, either, when you scratch below the surface.

By pretending that the focus is on illegals, it offers moral cover for their nativist racism against all immigrants.

It's about immigration policy, which covers both documented and undocumented immigrants. We need to develop policy that treats everyone with the innate dignity they possess as children of God. People do not become less human or less children of God based on their immigration status.

As with most issues we face, this one is complicated and multi-faceted. There is a tension between openness and the need to maintain sovereign borders. There is a tension regarding how we treat people who are already here, and how to develop sensible rules for people who want to come here. None of this is simple.

But, we must persevere in the Spirit as we look for just resolution to this complex issue, committing throughout the process to treat everyone as God has instructed us .

Excellent point. It's always bothered me how Sojo tends to make no distinction between legal and illegal immigration. Sure, perhaps we should make it easier for those who want to legally enter, but at some point there must be consequences for lawbreaking.

If a child was brought here illegally, say at the age of 3 or 4, has lived in this nation all his or her life since, has gone to American schools, speaks English, has been assimilated into American culture - is, for all intents and purposes, American, what is the just and humane way to deal with that "illegal" person once he or she becomes an adult?

Do we require that now-grown child to suffer the consequences for his or her parents' law-breaking?

Or American citizen children of illegal immigrants - is it just or humane to break their families apart, perhaps irreparably, in order to impose consequences for lawbreaking?

There are no easy answers here...but I think we must be very careful sitting in judgment of poor and desperate people. Whatever consequences we decide we must exact, we must find a way to do so in a way that preserves as much charity (the virtue), justice and dignity as possible.

Its economics , business interests (supported by republicans) make more money having cheap illegal immigrants available for them to take advantage of ie: low wages,no benefits,easy to manipulate and fire and do hard work for little pay. Business cares more about the bottom line than about families and human decency.

I signed on to participate in this march because there was a link about buses leaving from my area (Philadelphia) But then this link didn't work. I'm a solo activist with limited funds. So as Sojourners tries to organize other events, please keep us in mind and if there is a bus, then give us access to it. This will make the difference between someone like me going or not going. Think about it. Am I going to shell out several hundred dollars to take a train to D.C., by myself? No. It's way too much trouble. Will I get myself to a bus in Philly and join in with others of like mind? Yes. That way it's a pleasure and a small financial burden I can manage.

Sorry to hear that! Try the Reform Immigration site: http://reformimmigrationforamerica.org/blog/mar... Hopefully you can still make it!

Leviticus 19:34 'The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.

Yet one more example of loving your neighbor as yourself!

We all have an immigrant status somewhere in our background. We came, we saw, we conquered. We wiped out bison to control Native populations per Dept. of Interior mandates, and we made treaties that conveniently subdued a people, then promptly broke them as if we had the right. We were the first "illegals" here, often claiming what had already been claimed as ours.

The ability to gain wealth is from the Lord and all that is in the earth belongs to Him. As those willing to work and obey our laws are also consumers, how can this issue be so difficult. Many of the jobs I've seen these lovely pro-family people doing, are jobs a man on welfare wouldn't touch.

God may we see your face in others and may we know, that even the son of man, our Jesus, had no place to lay his head.