A call to moral courage
Episcopal News Service. February 26, 2009 [022609-03]
ENS staff
The Latino missioner for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington was among U.S. faith leaders who on February 26 called on President Barack Obama and Congress to show moral courage and enact immigration reform. Their call came days after participants at 160 prayer vigils across the nation urged the U.S. administration to bring humanity and compassion back into the public immigration dialogue.
The faith leaders discussed the vigils and announced plans for a "neighbor to neighbor" initiative to organize hundreds of visits to members of Congress from April 6-17. Participants included the Rev. Simon Bautista Betances, Latino missioner of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.
"Prayer vigils can be a place to start or to continue, depending on where we are on the road," Betances said, "but in either case they offer us a wonderful opportunity to reaffirm our faith and renew our commitment to the voiceless and vulnerable members of our communities: the undocumented immigrants."
"This nation's broken immigration system is failing all Americans, regardless of where we are born or what faith we practice," said Remziya Suleyman, policy coordinator for the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition. "Immigrant and refugee communities across the nation are standing together to urge the new administration to make just and humane immigration reform a top priority."
Lori Stafford, membership nurture and outreach coordinator for the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Women, highlighted the need for "a viable immigration system that supports labor needs and protects immigrant families from exploitation.
"Congressional leaders need to become just that: leaders," she said. "They must show the courage to enact humane immigration reform now."
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