By DIANE SMITH
September 23, 2009
Fort Worth Star Telegram
A network of religious-based groups is advocating for an overhaul of the immigration system and using prayer vigils, pilgrimages and church potlucks to build empathy for the undocumented.
"These are strangers we need to embrace," said the Rev. Dean Reed, pastor of First United Methodist Church of Stephenville, whose efforts are detailed in a new report by the Center for American Progress.
Loving Thy Neighbor: Immigration Reform and Communities of Faith was rolled out this week and describes how faith-based groups across the nation are working for the rights of immigrant workers and their families from a theological foundation.
Immigration raids, anti-immigrant laws and deportations prompted faith-based grassroots movements in communities in Texas, Iowa, Washington, New York and New Jersey. Faith leaders said they also want to counter the harsh tone that sets in whenever any public discussion centers on people who are living and working in this country illegally. "We are advocating that immigrants be treated humanely," said the Rev. Mike Blevins, pastor of Calmar United Methodist Church in Iowa, where raids at a meatpacking plant disrupted the community.
The pastors discussed their work Wednesday during a teleconference organized with the Center for American Progress, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank headed by John Podesta, former chief of staff for President Bill Clinton.
Participants said comprehensive immigration reform needs to include a path to citizenship, family reunification and permission to work in jobs that are difficult to fill. They also stressed the need to reform detention policies and deportation processes. The push for change includes Methodist, Catholic and Jewish advocates.
Angela Kelley, vice president of immigration policy and advocacy at the center, said immigration reform must also include a solid employment verification system that isn’t prone to errors and can handle changes in data.
Kelley, who moderated the conference, said the groups are hoping immigration reform legislation will be introduced early next year. She said a planned congressional committee hearing on the faith-based immigration movement holds promise.
Gloria Gonzalez, a Fort Worth resident whose husband was deported last December, wants immigration reform so she can reunite her family, but she feels hopeless.
"We have no voice," Gonzalez said. "We have no resources. There’s no help."
Reed and Lori Stafford, a member of United Methodist Women (a group that fights for social justice), are trying to make a difference through the Welcoming Immigrants Network. The group aims to move comprehensive immigration reform from debate to a congressional vote. They worry that too many families are torn apart by deportation.
The network, also known as WIN, started a Facebook page and has held a series of events to promote education and empathy. In August, the group organized "Breaking Bread and Barriers," an event in which immigration supporters shared ideas and a meal. They also held a prayer vigil. Another prayer vigil is planned for Sunday at the Polytechnic United Methodist Church in Fort Worth. That event will also include testimony from immigrants.
WIN organizers said they believe they make ground by telling the immigrant story to everyone to move beyond rhetoric to toward solutions.
"We need to remove the fear and hate," Stafford said. "We do that through education."
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