Christians For Comprehensive Immigration Reform

CCIR is a coalition of Christian organizations, churches, and leaders from across the theological and political spectrum, united in support of comprehensive U.S. immigration reform. We are working together to see fair and humane immigration reform enacted in Congress this year because we share a set of common moral and theological principles that compel us to love, care for, and seek justice for the stranger among us.

We call for an end to the unproductive, divisive, and fear-driven anti-immigrant rhetoric in the media, which has often castigated all immigrants, regardless of citizenship status, and derailed attempts at true reform. As Christian leaders who share the biblical values named below, we commit to fostering civil dialogue on immigration in our churches and in our communities. We call on President Barack Obama to provide the leadership necessary to move from the hateful rhetoric that has often characterized this national debate to action that will fix our broken immigration system. We look forward to working alongside the president to lead a new national conversation on immigration policy that reflects the best of our moral and civic values.

We stand together in calling on President Obama and Congress to make humane and holistic immigration reform a top priority in 2009.

Our shared principles include the following:

· We believe all people, regardless of national origin or citizenship status, are made in the "image of God" and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect (Genesis 1:26-27, 9:6).

· We believe there is an undeniable responsibility to love and show compassion for the stranger among us (Deuteronomy 10:18-19, Leviticus 19:33-34, Matthew 25:31-46).

· We believe that immigrants are our neighbors, both literally and figuratively, and we are to love our neighbors as ourselves and show mercy to neighbors in need (Leviticus 19:18, Mark 12:31, Luke 10:25-37).

· We believe in the rule of law, but we also believe that we are to oppose unjust laws and systems that harm and oppress people made in God's image, especially the vulnerable (Isaiah 10:1-4, Jeremiah 7:1-7, Acts 5:29, Romans 13:1-7).

We recognize that the current U.S. immigration system is broken and reform is necessary.

The biblical princples above compel us to support immigration reform legislation that includes the following elements:

· Enforcement initiatives that are consistent with humanitarian values;

· Reforms in our family-based immigration system that reduce waiting times for separated families to be reunited;

· A process for all immigrant workers and their families already in the U.S. to earn citizenship upon satisfaction of specific criteria;

· An expansion of legal avenues for workers and families to enter our country and work in a safe and legal manner with their rights and due process fully protected;

· Examining solutions to address the root causes of migration, such as economic disparities between sending and receiving nations.

Organizations

American Baptist Churches USA

Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Refugee and Immigration Ministries

Christian Community Development Association

Christian Community Health Fellowship

Church Women United

Church World Service, Immigration and Refugee Program

Episcopal Church

Esperanza USA

Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education

Evangelicals for Social Action

Friends Committee on National Legislation

Hispanic Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Leadership Conference of Women Religious

Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Washington Office

Mile High Ministries, Denver, CO

National Association of Hispanic Priests

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA

National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference

Neighborhood Ministries, Inc. ( Phoenix, AZ)

NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby

Protestants for the Common Good

Red de Pastores and Latino Leaders of Southern California ( Southern California "La Red" Network of Pastors and Latino Leaders)

Sojourners

United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries

United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society

Individuals

Debbie Blue, Executive Minister of Compassion, Mercy and Justice, Evangelical Covenant Church

Dr. Daniel Bock, Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Professor of Spiritual Development and Culture, Dallas Theological Seminary

Bart Campolo, Neighborhood Minister, Walnut Hills Christian Fellowship ( Cincinnati, OH)

Dr. Tony Campolo, Baptist evangelist, International speaker, Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education

Dr. M. Daniel Carroll R., Distinguished Professor of Old Testament, Denver Seminary

Rev. Walter Contreras, Director of Hispanic Ministires of the Evangelical Covenant Church (MHIPE)

Rev. Daniel Delgado, New York & New Jersey Regional Director, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference

Dr. Darryl DelHousaye, President, Phoenix Seminary

Dr. Ivy George, Professor of Sociology, Gordon College

Rev. Mark V. Gonzales, President, Hispanic Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Dr. Juan Hernandez, Founder, Center for U.S.-Mexico Studies

Dr. Joel C. Hunter, Senior Pastor, Northland – A Church Distributed ( Longwood, FL)

Lynne Hybels, Advocate for Global Engagement, Willow Creek Church

Dr. Helene Slessarev-Jamir, Mildred M. Hutchinson Professor of Urban Ministries, Claremont School of Theology

Rev. Dennis Jacobsen, Director, Gamaliel National Clergy Caucus

Kate Kooyman, Congregational Justice Mobilizer, Christian Reformed Church in North America

Dr. Juan Martinez, Assistant Dean for the Hispanic Church Studies Department, Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies and Pastoral Leadership, Fuller Theological Seminary

Rev. Brian McLaren, Author, speaker, pastor

Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, General Secretary, Reformed Church of North America

Ricardo Moreno, National Organizer for Latino Relations, Bread for the World

Dr. Sergio Navarrete, Superintendent, Southern Pacific Latin American District of the Assemblies of God

David Neff, Editor and Vice President, Christianity Today

Dr. Mary Nelson, President Emeritus, Bethel New Life

Rev. Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk, Presbyterian Church USA

Dr. Oliver R. Phillips, Director of Mission Strategy US/Canada, Church of the Nazarene

Dr. Kersten Bayt Priest, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Wheaton College

Dr. Robert J. Priest, Director, Ph.D. Program in Intercultural Studies, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Rev. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah, Milton B. Engebretson Assistant Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism, North Park Theological Seminary ( Chicago, IL)

Rev. Dennis Rivera, District Superintendent, Central Latin American District of the Assemblies of God ( Denver, CO)

Rev. Samuel Rodriguez Jr., President, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference ( Sacramento, CA)

Rev. Alexia Salvatierra, Executive Director, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice – California

Rev. Gabriel A. Salguero, Director, Hispanic Leadership Program, Princeton Theological Seminary

Dr. Lindy Scott, Professor of Spanish and Latin American Studies, Whitworth University ( Spokane, WA)

Dr. Ronald J. Sider, President, Evangelicals for Social Action

Rev. Althea C. Taylor, Coordinator, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries USA/Canada

Dr. Timothy Tseng, President & Executive Director, Institute for the Study of Asian American Christianity, University of San Francisco

Peter Vander Muelen, Office of Social Justice, Christian Reformed Church NA

Rev. Jim Wallis, President and Executive Director, Sojourners

Craig Wong, Executive Director, Grace Urban Ministries ( San Francisco, CA)