Welcoming the Newcomer: How Faith Groups Are Rallying the Religious Behind Immigration Reform

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http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/religion/news/2013/03/25/57840/welcoming-the-newcomer-how-faith-groups-are-rallying-the-religious-behind-immigration-reform/


Federico Paseiro, center, his mother Patricia Sosa, right, both undocumented immigrants of Argentina, and his girlfriend Daysis Moraga, an immigration activist, left, hold signs in front of the Freedom Tower in downtown Miami, Monday, January 28, 2013.

By Jack Jenkins | March 25, 2013

Advocacy around immigration reform continues to gain momentum, with bipartisan groups in Congress and President Barack Obama pushing to fix our nation’s immigration system and provide a road map to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in our country. But while many discuss the shifting political winds on this issue, less has been said about one of the more influential forces behind the push for sensible immigration legislation: faith groups.

Although religious institutions and faith-based activists are sometimes the unsung heroes of the immigration reform movement, religious organizations have been calling for repairs to America’s broken immigration system for decades. Faith groups, after all, are the so-called spiritual first responders to those affected by immigration issues: When members of congregations or communities are deported, detained, or torn from their families, faith leaders and their organizations are often the ones left with the painful task of helping those left behind pick up the pieces.

But religious activists aren’t just vocalizing their frustration with the current immigration system—they’re also putting their faith into action. Faith-based advocacy around the issue has grown substantially in recent years, with religious groups drawing upon deep institutional resources to develop increasingly complex—and increasingly influential—methods for rallying Americans behind the cause. Faith-based activists have forged powerful coalitions and orchestrated unusually sophisticated campaigns ahead of this year’s debate and now stand ready to make a compelling moral case for creating a viable road map to citizenship for America’s 11 million undocumented immigrants.

Here’s a look at how faith groups are playing a key role in the fight for common-sense immigration reform.

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