Immigration from a Faith-Based Perspective

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Immigration from a Faith-Based Perspective

• How Faith-Based Groups can make a difference in
  the immigration debate

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Why are faith-based groups involved in
immigration?

• Institutional
• Church teaching
• Humanitarian/Moral
• Global

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What do faith-groups bring to the immigration
debate?

• History of working with immigrants
• First-hand knowledge of immigrant experiencethey
  are here
• Where do migrants go?
• Present throughout the migration phenomenon
• Voice for the voiceless
• Counter to the anti-immigrant rhetoric
• Constituency

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Immigration by the Numbers

• 12 million
• 300k to 500k
• 80-90 percent
• 15-20 billion
• 35 billion
• 18,000
• 5 million
• 5,000
• 4,200

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Nod Nod Wink Wink

• U.S. Cheap, Pliable Labor/Keep Out-Help Wanted
• Mexico/Central America Remittances, no poverty
  reduction, go north policy
• Pawns in the game of globalization
• We need a scapegoat
• Global phenomenon
• Reform should happen to protect human dignity

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Humane Solution?

• Legalization Humane, Secure, Family Unity,
  Labor Stability
• Worker Program Legal Avenues/circularity/worker
  rights
• Family Reform shorten waiting times/recalculate
  categories?
• AgJOBS/DREAM Act
• Due Process mitigating circumstances
• Root causes ultimate solution

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The New Landscape

• 67 percent Hispanic support
• Republican heart to heart?
• Senate 45/18 up for grabs
• House 205/27 up for grabs
• Whither Obama?
• Fly in the Ointment Economy

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Immigrants and the Economy

• Legalizationa level playing field
• We want to pay!
• Complement, not compete?
• Future Flows?
• We will come out of it

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Keys to Victory

• Matching the other sideuse of faith groups,
  others
• Controlling the messageorderly solution to move
  America forward
• Holding the winners accountable
• Build confidence, credibility with American
  peopleintegration, government competence
• Patience!

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