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 Bishop Hee-Soo Jung
Statement on the Need for Immigration Reform
May 14, 2010
Do not mistreat
the foreigners who reside in your land. The foreigner who lives
among you must be treated like one of your own. Love them as you
love yourself, for you too were a foreigner... I am YHWH.
Leviticus 19:33, The Inclusive Bible
May 9, 2010 marked the second anniversary of one of the largest immigration raids in the nation's history that swept up nearly four hundred undocumented
persons at a meat processing plant in Postville, Iowa. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers took these persons
into custody for arrest and deportation, separating
many children who are U.S. citizens from their immigrant parents. The separation of families
is taking place every day in the United States of America in larger
and larger numbers and is of deep concern to people of the Abrahamic
faith traditions that value the sacredness of human life and the importance
of the family in nurturing and sustaining life.
Clearly, the nation's immigration
system is broken. So, too, it appears is the United States Congress'
ability or willingness to address substantive change in our broken immigration
system. The result is a rash of
conflicting national, municipal and state laws, leaving immigrants and their families in peril.
In recent weeks, the issue of immigration
has returned to the national spotlight
with the passage of Arizona Senate Bill 1070, "Support Our Law Enforcement
& Safe Neighborhood Act," signed into law by Governor Jan
Brewer on April 23, 2010. The law would require each state and local law enforcement officer to verify the immigration status of anyone the officer suspects may be an unlawful alien. Upon signing the controversial bill,
Governor Brewer noted the failure of the Federal government in addressing
the issues. While the law has many supporters, critics of the
new law have declared it to be the
harshest immigration law in the nation.
Even some police departments are opposing the law: while the law and a subsequent
executive order mention the prohibition of racial profiling, it is unclear what criteria a highway patrol officer will use to justify the "reasonable suspicion" of someone's residency status. Police may be put in legal jeopardy, while anyone in Arizona who does appear to be a citizen could be harassed.
We pray for the nation's leaders
to muster the political will to pass comprehensive immigration reform
and to create an immigration system and policies that are just and compassionate to citizens, immigrants and law enforcement officers alike. We pray that our local congregations will oppose unjust local and state
laws ordinances that seek to deprive undocumented persons of basic social
services including the access to adequate housing and protection under
the law.
As United Methodists, we have
long supported the rights of immigrants and foreign workers and the
position of The United Methodist Church is clear:
UMC Book of Discipline, Paragraph 162 H
We recognize, embrace, and affirm
all persons, regardless of country of origin, as members of the family
of God. We affirm the right of all persons to equal opportunities
for employment, access to housing, health care, education, and freedom
from social discrimination. We urge the Church and society to
recognize the gifts, contributions, and struggles of those who are immigrants
and to advocate for justice for all.
UMC Book of Discipline, Paragraph 163 F
Foreign workers also need a religious
fellowship, and we call for the churches to include these in their care
and fellowships and to support them in their efforts for better conditions.
We pray, not only for our brothers
and sisters in Arizona, but for immigrants everywhere, whether they are
struggling to integrate into new countries, or frustrated by long waits
for legal immigration, or separated from their families in order to
provide a better life for them.
God of all people, have mercy in Jesus'
name, Amen.
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