On Tuesday, a group of local faith and community leaders, along with Jim Wallis and Noel Castellanos, called on the Governor of Arizona, Jan Brewer, to veto SB 1070, the toughest immigration enforcement bill in the country. My precious Phoenix is in the spotlight, but for the wrong reasons, I think. I don't want my city to be the Birmingham or Selma in this drama. That sounds awfully painful.
This bill is not about enforcement; it is about politics. Personal political ambition, electoral political calculus; even worse, it is about the politics of fear. SB1070 preys upon the fears of native-born folks who rightfully worry about a population of people who live outside the system; it makes people in the shadows even more afraid of the system they silently contribute toward. Encouraging these fearful sentiments is wrong. It also does not move us towards real solutions.
You must know the truth by now: Immigrants who are long-term, permanent members of our communities cannot fix their status. The system refuses to recognize them despite many attempts at 'doing the right thing.' Either brought over as children or as decades-long tax-paying residents, another 'homeland' does not exist. They cannot wait in line, and they never have been able to. Visa availability for workers in industries like construction, hospitality, manufacturing and tourism is effectively zero. And it has been for decades. You say, 'wait in line'; they say 'I would literally die waiting, and you wanted a new house, a date night, and clean hotel rooms.'
Our broken system that does not dole out visas based on economic need and that has always been fonder of Western migrants, has allowed us (and our economies) to get fat on immigrant labor, while not having to pay for it. This reality is undeniable. To deny this truth and call upon base arguments or simple messages of law enforcement, period, is either deceitful or ignorant.
In light of these facts and in recognition of this history, yanking these families out of the fabrics of our communities is morally unconscionable and will result in severe levels of pain in our neighborhoods and churches like mine. We have to say something. Please, for those of you who disagree with me, understand that I am fighting for my friends.
Biblical values are rooted in our migrant faith and migratory spiritual narrative. The patriarchs were called sojourners; Ruth was a Moabite living in Bethlehem; Joseph was so assimilated into Egyptian culture his brothers did not recognize him; Nebuchadnezzar deported Daniel; Moses was an alien fugitive in Midian; David lived with the Philistines fleeing King Saul; Jesus, our Peace, our Redemption Crucified, was an infant carried over a border, like so many of my honor-roll discipleship students who dream about a future denied.
God's law for Israel is rooted in God's person and is a paradigm for others. God's law reminds Israel of the need to protect the vulnerable and to do so because God does. God says, 'I love the widow, the orphan and the stranger and so shall you!' 'Don't be like the Egyptians who don't know me; they proclaim the myth of scarcity, you shall live into my abundance!' Romans 12 reminds us
to offer your bodies as living sacrifices ... not to conform to the pattern of this world ... to hate what is evil, cling to what is good ... to be devoted to one another in brotherly love ... to share with God's people who are in need ... to practice hospitality
Living out our Christian witness compels us to deny our earthly identities in the face of our larger, more compelling citizenship, one in a supreme, expanding, yet very real Kingdom! Our Jesus followership will not allow us any pre-qualifiers. We are Christ's people before being any other thing.
So, in the face of law abiding, tax paying, hard working, Bible believing, living migratory gifts, we say SB1070 cannot stand. It cannot be the law of the land, in the United States of America. It must be struck down.
Now is the time to act. Call the Governor of Arizona and tell her she must listen to the One she has publicly called Savior in making this decision. While I don't speak for God, what God has been telling me is undeniable as I stumble in prayer every night this past week: 1070 is bad, very bad. But I'm not up for reelection.
Governor Brewer's office phone number is: 1-866-966-5161.
Ian Danley is a youth pastor with Neighborhood Ministries in Phoenix, Arizona.
Follow Jim Wallis on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jimwallis
What a JOKE! These "long-term, permanent members of our communities" can FIX their status. GO HOME! That would FIX it. Our systems are being sucked dry by these "long-term, permanent members of our communities" ILLEGAL ALIENS. We are spending BILLIONS on "long-term, permanent members of our communities" ILLEGAL ALIENS. We need to HEAVILY fine those who hire "long-term, permanent members of our communities" ILLEGAL ALIENS and the jobs for "long-term, permanent members of our communities" ILLEGALS will dry up and "long-term, permanent members of our communities" ILLEGALS would self-deport leaving jobs and BILLIONS of dollare for CITIZENS and LEGAL immigrants to have.
Figured it out yet? Your home is our country, YOU are the government, your family are the citizens/taxpayers of this country and these uninvited guests are the illegal immigrants who passed through your door (the border) without permission.
Understand now?
You're also forgetting that if I just gave them permission to be a real part of my family, they could contribute even more to my home and familey and make it better.
Again, stop slanting facts. They're not coming here, hanging around eating welfare candy all day while us poor Americans slave away.
I've always found it odd that it's hispanics you see hanging around Home Depot looking for work, while it's white people who are rooting through my trash and asking me for money in front of my own home.
Yes SOME are paying taxes but there are exponentially more that ARE NOT PAYING TAXES.
What exact facts did I slant? They are here illegally, most do not pay taxes, they are receiving medicare/medicaid, some are on welfare, they are being educated under our education system and busses are being used to get them to and from school which is all being paid for by THE TAXPAYERS of THIS country and some are even collecting Social Security that they did'nt contribute to, so, what exactly did I slant?
I never said they didn't work in fact I said they did work but sent their money to Canada and for you to insinuate that there are no illegal immigrants living in this country that are not on welfare is total ignorance.
Obviously you did not read my post, in the beginng they were there UNINVITED (illegally) and if you give them permission in the beginning then they are productive contributing members of your home and family (not familey).
Do you have a source - or a link - for this statement?
That was not the case in Birmingham where Blacks were singled out specifically. Interesting enough Latins at the time did little to assist Blacks.
I hope the governor signs the bill and it's upheld and spreads nationwide.
They are not TAKING our jobs, they are doing the jobs that we don't want to do. They take whatever they can get to get here and take care of their families.
I wish everyone could just act like people and have a little compassion. These people want to be here, they want to be part of our country, they want to WORK, and we should welcome them and take them in.
Lastly, let's not pretend that this isn't about race. I doubt I'll be pulled over any time soon because the police think I might be an illegal Canadian immigrant. This is very plainly and clearly about race.
It's not about race and it's not about jobs, it's not even about compassion but what it is about is THE LAW.
I know that this is a hard concept for you to grasp but we do have laws in this country and immigration just happens to be one of them. Do you understand that the term "ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT" means immigrant by UNLAWFUL means? They broke the law the very second they entered this country without going through the process. We should not reward this illegal behaviour it should be prosecuted!
We are not against immigration we are against "ILLEGAL" immigration.
How IGNORANT of you to assume that WE do not want these jobs, they just work these jobs because they know there is much less chance that a background check will be done to determine who they really are.
Is it that hard to understand that if they want to work in this country FILE FOR A WORK VISA, if they want to live in this country FILE FOR RESIDENCY! Do you realize that in Mexico AND Canada if you are there "ILLEGALLY" they will prosecute you, if you're lucky you don't go to jail/prison you only get deported, why is it okay for them but not for us?
It's not about race it's about THE LAW!
By the way it is law enforcements job to determine exactly who they have sitting in front of them and enforce the existing laws.
http://www.wdsu.com/news/23124052/detail.html
BATON ROUGE, La. -- A study by an LSU sociology professor and doctoral student suggests the influx of Latino workers into a city increases unemployment and violence in the African-American community.
The findings are published in the journal "Social Forces."
Professor Edward Shihadeh and Ph.D. Candidate Raymond Barranco conclude the arrival of large numbers of immigrant workers in an urban area displaces blacks from low-skill jobs. That, in turn, leads to an uptick in violence.
"This is an unintended but significant result of immigration policies," Shihadeh said. "This is not a blame game. We do not advocate restricting the flow of Latino migrants in either direction.
"Our study simply describes how immigration policy opened a new chapter in the history of the U.S. labor market and how that harmed black communities."
The study notes that Latino workers who enter the United States illegally are less likely to return home than in years past for fear they won't be able to get back across the border at a later time.
"Blacks and Latinos both feel singled out and put upon, but few will address these issues because they're politically explosive," Shihadeh said. "The public mood makes this subject a live wire."