"Evangelicals' full-page ad in D.C. will call for immigration reform." (And Path to Citizenship)

[Clio the Leo]

Evangelicals' full-page ad in D.C. will call for immigration reform

Galen Carey, director of government affairs for the National Evangelical Association, tells Yahoo! News the organization is seeking to rally support for comprehensive immigration reform. The campaign begins with a full-page ad Thursday in Roll Call, a Washington newspaper that covers Congress.

"What we say is: There does need to be some workable system that's put in place to address the situation of people that are already here," Carey said.

The association, which includes members from 40 evangelical denominations, reached consensus on the issue of immigration reform in 2009 — almost two years after President George W. Bush's failed attempts to reform immigration — by focusing on the biblical material that supports immigration. (The group took no official stand on the issue during the last congressional debate.) The group's 2009 resolution on immigration includes several paragraphs citing scriptural authority:

"Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the families of his sons turned to Egypt in search of food," it says. "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."

The 2009 resolution calls for a path to citizenship for immigrants who are in the country illegally but "who desire to embrace the responsibilities and privileges that accompany citizenship."

Thursday's ad, Carey said, calls for reform that "establishes a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and who wish to become permanent residents."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100511/ts_ynews/ynews_ts1994

Welcome in Arizona? Probably not....

[Flaneur]

1. Well, good for them. That's a real Christian attitude.

[Andy823]

2. That's good!

I think the majority of people in this country want pretty much the same thing, real immigration reform, with a path to legals status and citizenship for those who obey the laws, pay their taxes and stay out of trouble. The problem for most are the jobs that "illegals" are taking away from citizens, and yes this is happening. The problem is going after the illegals is not the answer, they come to make money because they can not do so in their home country. It's the employers that are the real problem, and if we would enforce the laws against hiring illegals, make employers verify that each worker is here legally, and put heavy fines and even jail time on employers who break the law over and over, we could stop the problem. As long as illegals can find work, they will keep on coming.

We can do "real" reform, keep out the criminals, keep wages from going down even lower, and keep employers honest and stop those who abuse the system by hiring illegals and paying slave wages!

[Chan790]

5. +1.

Of course, Democrats won't because they'd be labeled as anti-business if they started fining and arresting these employers, some of whom are among the largest agri-businesses (Factory farms and abattoirs in particular) in the nation. Could you imagine the stink that would be raised if INS actually investigated and fined ADM or Monsanto; Smithfield or Tyson Chicken; Kraft Foods or Nabisco?

Republicans won't because those companies are major donors.

[gratuitous]

3. Well!

This must certainly be confusing for some people, and judging by the dearth of responses in two hours, I think I may be correct.

[Scurrilous]

4. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Kablooie]

6. Yes. Establishing a path to citizenship is the way to do it.