ICYMI: Evangelical Leaders Call on Congress to Act on Immigration Reform
WASHINGTON, D.C., FEBRUARY 7, 2014 — National evangelical leaders are encouraging movement this year on immigration reform legislation following House Speaker John Boehner’s comments on immigration reform Thursday.
In a Christian Post article today, top evangelical leaders underscored the moral imperatives for reform and the terrible costs of inaction.
“Right now, our nation’s leaders have a rare window of opportunity in which to pass a reform that is good for all Americans,” Dr. Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, says in the article. “I encourage our legislators to continue moving forward on the House Republican standards released last week and seize this moment to create an immigration system that works. We cannot keep putting off this issue that is so important to our churches, communities and economy.”
The Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, adds, “This moment is unique, and it won’t last long. I am praying that [Congress] will not squander it. Our broken immigration system is causing harm in our churches and our communities today, and we need a new process today, not years down the road.”
“With a strong majority of Americans, including evangelicals, wanting leaders to fix our broken immigration system, immigration reform is going to happen,” says Jim Wallis, president of Sojourners. “The only question is how many families will be broken up and how much our communities have to suffer until Washington acts.
“My prayer is that Speaker Boehner and other leaders will be mindful of this reality and continue seeking a way forward. This is the year that commonsense immigration reform needs to pass.”
The Evangelical Immigration Table is a broad coalition of evangelical organizations and leaders advocating for immigration reform consistent with biblical values.
