Tomorrow (Tuesday, June 12), I’ll be in Washington, D.C. along with a group of prominent evangelical leaders that will be launching the Evangelical Statement of Principles for Immigration Reform. In addition to the folks actually at the press conference, there are more than 130 other leaders from across the country who have signed onto […]Continue Reading →
The reality is that our inflexible laws—which in many cases do not give an adjudicator the discretion to consider the full circumstances—invite fraud. Many of us, under the right circumstances, would tell a small lie if we felt it was the only way to care for someone we loved (if we’re honest, most of us tell small lies for much less noble reasons). Abraham, the father of our faith, committed immigration fraud by misrepresenting his relationship to his wife at a border crossing, desperate to find food in Egypt in the midst of a famine (Genesis 12:10-20). As a more contemporary example, revered author C.S. Lewis initially married his wife, Joy Davidson, in a civil ceremony merely so that she (an American) could stay lawfully in the United Kingdom (that’s what U.S. immigration officials consider marriage fraud). Continue Reading →
Today is Memorial Day. While I realize that for many Americans, the day has become merely the reason for a three-day weekend or the unofficial beginning of the summer season, Memorial Day is supposed to be about remembering. First and foremost, the day is supposed to be about remembering those who have served […]Continue Reading →
Like many other states, particularly in the South, North Carolina has recently been considering legislation that would seek to push undocumented immigrants out of the state. Today’s guest blogger, John Faison, shared these words at a news conference before the House Committee considering enacting this legislation in North Carolina:
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For the literally millions of American evangelicals who say that they want to stop the evil of human trafficking, there’s an urgent need to move from passionate sentiment to specific action. The U.S. House of Representatives is considering a bill this week, H.R. 4970, that would dramatically limit the relief available to foreign-born victims of human trafficking and other violent crimes, and in the process hinder law enforcement’s efforts to prosecute traffickers. Continue Reading →
Update — May 8, 2012 — The House Judiciary Committee approved, by a 17-15 vote, H.R. 4970, the bill discussed below. After much debate, each of the troubling provisions mentioned below was left within the bill. It now moves to the full House of Representatives for a vote, so we encourage everyone to […]Continue Reading →
Which state do you think is the home to more undocumented immigrants: Arizona, New Jersey, or North Carolina? If there’s one state that we hear associated in the news with illegal immigration, it’s probably Arizona, whose harsh state-level immigration bill passed two years ago, SB 1070, inspired copycat bills in various other states and […]Continue Reading →
Electoral success in the American political system, dominated by two major parties, necessitates a coalition of individuals driven by different, often unrelated interests. In the contemporary Republican Party, many supporters are driven first and foremost by a commitment to the sanctity of life—including, in particular, preborn life—and they believe the Republicans are more likely […]Continue Reading →
A few weeks ago, at The Justice Conference in Portland, I saw an early screening of Blue Like Jazz, the new film adaptation of Donald Miller’s best-selling autobiographical book, which opened across the country last weekend. The film follows Don from the small Texas town where he is steeped in an […]Continue Reading →
Last Friday, probably around the time I was at one of my church’s Good Friday services, thirty-eight individuals were sworn in as naturalized U.S. citizens at a ceremony in Portland, Maine. Immigrants from all over the world—Argentina, India, Iraq, Somalia and likely several other countries—pledged their allegiance to their adopted country. In an […]Continue Reading →
