Called by God to Help - New York Times: "The unspoken truth of the immigration debate is that at the same time our nation benefits economically from the presence of undocumented workers, we turn a blind eye when they are exploited by employers. They work in industries that are vital to our economy yet they have little legal protection and no opportunity to contribute fully to our nation.
While we gladly accept their taxes and sweat, we do not acknowledge or uphold their basic labor rights. At the same time, we scapegoat them for our social ills and label them as security threats and criminals to justify the passage of anti-immigrant bills.
This situation affects the dignity of millions of our fellow human beings and makes immigration, ultimately, a moral and ethical issue. That is why the church is compelled to take a stand against harmful legislation and to work toward positive change.
It is my hope that our elected officials will understand this and enact immigration reform that respects our common humanity and reflects the values — fairness, compassion and opportunity — upon which our nation, a nation of immigrants, was built."
1 comment:
Dear Jaime,
Yes, I do think illegal inmigrants often suffer exploitation. And I think that is wrong. Inmigration is a natural economic phenomenon because everywhere all people want a better life, and if moving to another country is what it takes that is what they will do.
That is not a criminal act. I agree with you, that the battle must be waged on two fronts, one in making conditions in our homeland good enough for people to want to remain and flourish there. But also the US needs to come to terms with the fact that criminalizing inmigration does not make it any safer and only benefits those who want to take advantage of cheap labor at the price of human cost.
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