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LIRS Responds to Senate’s Failure to Pass Comprehensive Reform Bill
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is deeply disappointed that the Senate failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation this year. Our nation sorely needs a humane, workable system that promotes family unity, safeguards human rights and worker rights, brings undocumented people out of the shadows, and provides a path to permanence.
The U.S. immigration system is still broken. Twelve million are still undocumented—people who continue to be marginalized, even though they provide vital services for our community and economy. Families are still unable to unite for five, 10, 15 or more years. Employers are still unable to acquire documentation for needed workers. And our nation’s immigration system continues to be inconsistent with our values—it hinders the unity and well-being of families, and controverts our tradition as a nation of immigrants. Moreover, our failure to integrate the undocumented through earned legalization undermines our values as a nation of laws. Although they live among us, undocumented people are not brought fully into the blessings, protections and responsibilities of our system of laws and community life.
With the absence of legislative action, it is even more critical that our government not resort to an enforcement-only approach to our broken system by stepping up raids, arrests, detention and deportation of the undocumented. Not only would such an approach be fundamentally unworkable, it would be inhumane, contrary to the common good and inconsistent with our values.
We believe that all people are made in the image and likeness of God, and that we should therefore treat all with dignity and compassion. We call upon the Lutheran community and others of good will to welcome the stranger in our midst and to build welcoming, caring communities. We urge Congress and the administration to take a comprehensive, compassionate and consistent approach to repairing our broken immigration system.
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