CHM Newsletter - Fall-2012

Greetings from CHM Director David Byrne! Dr. David C. Byrne

IS IT REALLY BROKEN?
USCIS

       One of the phrases that is thrown around a lot recently is that “the immigration system is broken,” but what does that really mean? Recently for me what it means is that a leader who is legally in the U.S. on a student visa couldn’t be a part of a church planting project I’ve been involved with. After years of work, we were denied our petition for a religious worker's visa because of what we believe is a misreading of the statutes by a USCIS immigration agent. For millions of undocumented foreigners now living in the shadows in the U.S., it means that there is (and has been) no opportunity for them to come out of the shadows in this nation that they call home or to even initiate a process to receive permission to live here.
      If there were a “legal” way to immigrate to the U.S., even if it were difficult and expensive, most people would go through the process. But with years of lax enforcement due to the need for workers in a booming economy, people came to this country from all over the world. About half of the estimated 11 million undocumented people in the U.S. came here with valid temporary visas, but have not renewed (and most could not renew) those visas to extend their stay. I recently attended a workshop for immigration lawyers at a local law school and was surprised to find that even the lawyers typically only specialize in one small area of immigration law because it is so complex with close to 200 types of visas available.
      With the numbers of people and the politics involved it is admittedly a monumental task to design a system for immigration that actually works well, and much will need to be done to make progress toward that goal. One thing is certain: in too many respects, the immigration system is broken and we need to encourage and pray for those who are working to do something about it. Any political solution will be a temporary solution, but as Christians in a democratic society, we have the privilege to call for something that is both realistic and compassionate.

WHY DO WE CARE?

I asked a friend who is a pastor of a Hispanic church what percentage of his Worshiping Together

congregation was undocumented. He guessed about 80%. Should the pastor send them away? Should he recommend that they repent and go back to their places of origin? Or should he receive them, as he has done, as those who have been redeemed by Christ’s victory over sin and death? These are often people who have been in this country for many years, even decades, and who often have a sense of calling and destiny about being here.
They are people who are afraid to travel. Many times a husband and wife will go to church or shopping in separate vehicles just in case one or the other is detained and deported, so that there will be someone left to care for the children. Drivers’ licenses may or may not be available. Jobs are often paid at a low wage. One friend of mine works a management position for minimum wage. In my work with the Coalition for Hispanic Ministries I see how the instability and pressure on immigrants affects the churches that minister in these communities. There is uncertainty and risk at every turn for these immigrants, and that means that the opportunity for Christ’s church to fulfill God’s calling to the stranger is not a distant missionary dream. The stranger is our neighbor.

We have people who have come to our country, who have contributed to our country. Yes, they broke the law. They broke the law in order to work as opposed to our homegrown criminals who break the law in order not to work.
Richard Land – President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention speaking at the Evangelical Immigration Table in Washington D.C.