The Truth About Immigrants and Health-Care Reform
As town hall meetings continue to dominate the national news, I am increasingly frustrated when I hear how “illegal aliens” are draining our health-care resources.
Mr. Obama, Our Immigration Enforcement Policy Perpetuates Racial Profiling-- by Allison Johnson
While watching Barack Obama’s health care press conference last night, I wasn’t surprised when he took a question regarding the arrest and subsequent media uproar surrounding his good friend, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. An esteemed African-American studies professor at Harvard, Gates was arrested by Cambridge, MA, police after a neighbor called to report a supposed break-in by two black males. Turns out, Gates was struggling with a sticky lock on his own front door.
President Obama called the actions of the police officer "stupid" for arresting Gates in his own home. On racial profiling, he said the following:
"…I think we know separate and apart from this incident that there’s a long history in this country of African Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately. That’s just a fact."
Allison's blog | 
Tags: African-American, arrest, Black, christians for comprehensive immigration reform, criminals, Department of Homeland Security, deportation, Diversity, henry louis gates, henry louis gates jr, immigration, immigration law, Latino, Latinos, Law Enforcement, leadership, police officer, President, President Obama, Race, racial, racial profiling
Let the Little Children Come: Scripture and the DREAM Act - by Matt Soerens
photo credit (c) ryan rodrick beiler
Throughout the Old Testament, we find God’s repeated command to care and look out for immigrants. As an immigrant people themselves, the people of Israel were mandated to remember their history and thus love the immigrant as themselves (Leviticus 19:33-34, Exodus 23:9). In the New Testament, Jesus talked about another vulnerable group who he vehemently insisted should be welcomed and protected: kids. “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me,” Jesus says (Mark 9:37), adding a harsh warning for anyone who would mess with kids: “If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,” he warned, “it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck” (Mark 9:42). Followers of Christ know that we need to watch out for children, guide them the best that we can, and learn from them how to follow our Lord.
Remarks By President Obama on Immigration 6/25/09
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AFTER MEETING WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
TO DISCUSS IMMIGRATION
State Dining Room
3:17 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. We have just finished what I consider to be a very productive meeting on one of the most critical issues that I think this nation faces, and that is an immigration system that is broken and needs fixing.
We have members of Congress from both chambers, from parties, who have participated in the meeting and shared a range of ideas. I think the consensus is that despite our inability to get this passed over the last several years, the American people still want to see a solution in which we are tightening up our borders, or cracking down on employers who are using illegal workers in order to drive down wages -- and oftentimes mistreat those workers. And we need a effective way to recognize and legalize the status of undocumented workers who are here.
Remarks by the President at the Esperanza National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast
Official White House Photographer Samantha Appleton.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Buenos días.
AUDIENCE: Buenos días.
Reclaiming the Church’s Mission and Message on Immigration - by Bill Mefford
As things begin to heat up on the immigration debate in Congress, the role of the church will be significant. In response to an editorial in Christianity Today calling for suggested reforms and more input from Christians, I want to draw attention to the tone of current messaging on immigration and call the church to a more biblically shaped prophetic voice.
How to Engage Your Church on Immigration
Photo from UMNS by Mike DuBose
Churches can do much in their communities to truly follow the gospel call to welcome the stranger. Here are some action steps and ideas for engaging your congregation on immigration:
Form a committee with fellow study group members or other people interested in immigrant issues from the biblical perspective.
New Hope in the Movement for Immigrant Rights - by Jimmy McCarty
This past Friday, May 1, 2009, I joined with thousands of others across the country in marching for immigrant and worker’s rights. I was part of the march that began in Echo Park in Los Angeles, went down Sunset Boulevard, and concluded in front of Our Lady of Queen Angeles Church near historic Olvera Street near downtown.Sin Nombre: Immigrants as Sojourners - by Craig Detweiler
President Obama recently addressed the crying need for comprehensive immigration reform. He reminded us that we are a nation of immigrants. Yet, for many, the question remains, “Why are so many people willing to risk so much to cross the U.S. border?” The award-winning independent film Sin Nombre elects to show, rather than tell us. It is a poetic portrait of this highly politicized social justice issue.
