Catholic, Evangelical Leaders Release Open Letter To Congress on Immigration Reform
**For a recording of today’s call click here.**
WASHINGTON, D.C., FEBRUARY 26, 2014 — In an unprecedented showing of unity on the issue, evangelical and Catholic leaders are joining together to send an open letter to members of Congress, underscoring the urgent need for commonsense immigration reform this year.
On a press call today, Catholic bishops and national evangelical leaders announced the release of the letter and urged Congress to move forward on long overdue reform rooted in biblical principles.
The following are quotes from national evangelical and Catholic leaders on today’s call:
Leith Anderson, President, National Association of Evangelicals:
“Every day of delay is a vote for keeping immigration exactly the way it is right now. Since everyone seems to agree that our current immigration system is broken then everyone should be voting for change.”
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, Diocese of Brooklyn, N.Y.:
“In this debate, often the humanitarian consequences of our broken system are ignored. Families are ripped apart, migrant workers are exploited, and human beings continue to die in the desert. This suffering must end.”
Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, President, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference:
“It’s a new day. Evangelicals and Catholic leaders join together in the spirit of the following proclamation: It is morally reprehensible and counter to the teachings of Christ to continue to sacrifice 11 million lives on the altar of political expediency. As Evangelicals, we join our Catholic brothers and sisters in affirming our conviction that this is the time to reconcile border security with the security of our values; values that include faith and family. For it takes conviction to speak truth, courage to do justice and spiritual fortitude to stand on the right side of history. Now is the time.”
Jim Wallis, President, Sojourners:
“When it comes to commonsense immigration reform, the Christian community strongly believes it is time to end the moral crisis created by our broken immigration system. We’re speaking with a unified voice today because all of us — Catholic and evangelical — believe immigration reform should not be a victim of our dysfunctional politics. In an era defined by partisanship, immigration reform should be the great exception, the great exemption, to politics as usual.”
Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski, Archbishop of Miami:
“There is more at stake in this debate than the next election. The outcome will set the tone for the rest of the century. Either we can choose to turn away from our heritage and our track record of integrating immigrants, or we can embrace it and use it to our advantage.”
