What concerns you about immigration? What concerns you about the way politicians and legislators are dealing with the issue of immigration? What should we do about illegal immigration? Would you sign the Clergy for Tolerance letter?

American citizens have been discussing the issues of immigration for a long time, and it’s quite reasonable for those concerns to be aired. I’m concerned about the toxic rhetoric which marginalizes and objectifies people who are seen as outsiders. This is an old problem within American political culture. The poisoned words alienate and wound our neighbors, and these wounds don’t heal easily. The ads leave us all more cynical about our ability to interact with dignity and respect. Candidates heed the advice of political operatives who tell them that the only way to win is by going negative. It’s up to each of to reject this demeaning path and to insist on a civil, humane tone to our conversations.

What concerns you about immigration? What concerns you about the way politicians and legislators are dealing with the issue of immigration? What should we do about illegal immigration? Would you sign the Clergy for Tolerance letter?

I have signed the letter. Immigration is a huge issue and must be dealt with civily and humanely. My biggest concern is the 12 million plus people in our country who do not have citizenship status that politicians are threatening to deport. We can only imagine the disruptiveness and destructiveness to children and families than this. When they know it is impossible to do such massive deportation, even if it were the right thing to do, and yet use that as a “clincher” for their “toughness” on immigration in order to solicit votes is dishonest and emotionally manipulative.

What concerns you about immigration? What concerns you about the way politicians and legislators are dealing with the issue of immigration? What should we do about illegal immigration? Would you sign the Clergy for Tolerance letter?

The issue of illegal immigration continues to fuel heated debate in our nation and around the world as well. The Clergy for Tolerance Letter, which is aimed at political candidates, states in part: “As Tennessee faith leaders, we are writing to you in advance of the Tennessee Republican presidential primary on March 6, 2012, with a simple but urgent plea:

~Please keep the highly charged and negative campaign rhetoric, advertisements and promises on immigration out of Tennessee.
~Please do not inject our state with the language of “illegals,” the unworkable ideas of deporting millions of individuals and thereby destroying families, and the heated claims that characterize the undocumented and their children as a class of criminals.”

I would suggest that there is a need for a fair, honest and balanced debate and discussion of this topic by ALL parties, including political candidates. I agree with the Letter’s preface that: “We are faith leaders in Tennessee who share the goal to advance the common good. We teach the Golden Rule and seek to treat others as we would want to be treated. We believe all people of faith and goodwill must welcome the stranger, protect the vulnerable and seek justice for the poor.” However, I would not be inclined to be a signatory to the Letter, based on the confrontational tone directed at potential political candidates and their constitutional right to freedom of speech.

While The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not endorse or oppose specific political parties, candidates or platforms, it has always reserved the right to address, in a nonpartisan way, issues that have significant community or moral consequences. Immigration is such an issue. With a world-wide membership in excess of 14 million in 185 countries, the Church has issued an official statement on immigration, which I fully sustain:

· “Most Americans agree that the federal government of the United States should secure its borders and sharply reduce or eliminate the flow of undocumented immigrants. Unchecked and unregulated, such a flow may destabilize society and ultimately become unsustainable.”
· “As a matter of policy, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints discourages its members from entering any country without legal documentation, and from deliberately overstaying legal travel visas.”
· “What to do with the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants now residing in various states within the United States is the biggest challenge in the immigration debate. The bedrock moral issue for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is how we treat each other as children of God. The history of mass expulsion or mistreatment of individuals or families is cause for concern especially where race, culture, or religion are involved. This should give pause to any policy that contemplates targeting any one group, particularly if that group comes mostly from one heritage.”
· “As those on all sides of the immigration debate in the United States have noted, this issue is one that must ultimately be resolved by the federal government.”
· “The Church is concerned that any state legislation that only contains enforcement provisions is likely to fall short of the high moral standard of treating each other as children of God.”
· “The Church supports an approach where undocumented immigrants are allowed to square themselves with the law and continue to work without this necessarily leading to citizenship.”
· “In furtherance of needed immigration reform in the United States, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints supports a balanced and civil approach to a challenging problem, fully consistent with its tradition of compassion, its reverence for family, and its commitment to law.”

Having served in the Church as a Bishop (a non paid, volunteer lay position), I have had the responsibility to minister to and provide Church assistance to immigrant members. When dealing with the immediate needs of families, especially where children were involved, my primary concern was being able to provide basic essentials such as food, clothing, housing, or utilities, not whether they had proper documentation. (If and when that issue was made known, then counsel was given to sustain and live in accordance with the appropriate laws of the land.) Ultimately, my primary obligation was to follow the Savior’s direction as found in the New Testament:

“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:35-40)

Hopefully, we as a nation can embrace immigration reform that insures the security of our boarders, while providing a system that will allow some sort of a “guest worker” program, which would include measures that will allow those who are now here illegally to work legally, thus being able to provide for their families and be better able to be contributing members of our communities — but without establishing an unique or special path to citizenship or the granting of amnesty. The Utah Compact is an excellent model for how states can deal with policy issues relating to the immigration debate. It has broad support from community leaders, business associations, law enforcement officers and members of Utah’s religious community. Go to: http://utahcompact.com/

What concerns you about immigration? What concerns you about the way politicians and legislators are dealing with the issue of immigration? What should we do about illegal immigration? Would you sign the Clergy for Tolerance letter?

I have several concerns about immigration. My main concern is that we need a just and fair immigration reform. I believe there is a misconception in the community that the Latino community wants an open door policy and wants every person that is an immigrant to be given citizenship, but we in the Latino community are aware that that would not be the best policy. What we want is a just reform, one that respects and protects the rights of all humans, and that is based on educated research and facts, not based on ignorance and assumptions. There are many myths and assumptions about the Latino community; for instance, some people believe there is a need to protect government funding from immigrants when, in fact, there is no way immigrants can get any type of government help unless they are already legal citizens. Many assumptions and misconceptions about immigration, like this one, are based on biases and ignorance.

As far as the way politicians are handling the whole immigration issue is also a concern to me. The Latino community has been given many false hopes and empty promises. I believe that many politicians have created more division among races instead of building bridges among all different races and ethnicities, and that their much publicized criticism and sometimes almost hatred towards immigrants has triggered more fear and barriers amongst different races than necessary. Fear is the result of ignorance and lack of knowledge. The Latino community is a strong presence in the United States, and although surprising to some, not all Latinos are immigrants. We are numerous and have a voice and the power to vote and make a difference at the polls. This, for some candidates and political officials, is already a threat which has brought about much fear to those who are not knowledgeable in the matter.

Something does need to be done about illegal immigration, but migration and deportation is not the answer to an issue that has many different faces and many different aspects. However, what I do know is that we need a just reform. I also think it is necessary to point out that the immigration issue not only affects the Latino community but so many other ethnicities as well; that Latinos are not the only immigrants in the United States or Tennessee.

I agree with the Clergy Tolerance Letter as far as the need to quit creating hatred and fear among citizens and immigrants, but I also feel it is impossible to make a statement such as: “…we love the stranger…” and not speak of the immigration issue. There are many immigrants in Tennessee who are being mistreated while their human rights and dignity are being stripped from them bit by bit on a daily basis. If there is not a real conversation about this problem, above all by the ecclesiastic community where all social justice movements have begun, than how can we truly say we believe and stand by such a statement?