ROOTS OF PROMISE

Statements Submitted Local Western Pennsylvania Faith Groups regarding the Pennsylvania House Republican Policy Committee State Hearings July-August, 2006:

Immigration is a deeply relevant issue for all Americans, especially for communities of faith. The U.S. is a nation of immigrants, one that has been continually reshaped by new groups of people bringing diverse cultures, perspectives, and resources.

As you will read below in the Interfaith Statement in Support of Comprehensive Immigration Reform, the concern for the migrant and the outcast is something that transcends time and nationalism. The call to compassionate consideration of those in our midst merits fair treatment and well-reasoned legislation free from the dangerous and unreasonable fear for our economic and physical well-being. As the strong statement Lutheran Immigrant and Refugee Services tells us there are “those who may wish to characterize this position as weakening our national vigilance against terrorism; it does not, and it would be wrong to so imply.”

Mainline houses of worship have taken a strong stand on comprehensive immigration reform passing resolutions and recommendations for congregations at national gatherings. National faith leaders have issued many statements. This has been a labor of love for the ‘stranger amongst us’ and were preceded by testimonies of Americans working in communities much like the Latino Catholic Community in Pittsburgh. It is in ministries like these where the experience of volunteers who accompany and assist both documented and undocumented workers where we will find well-reasoned recommendations for fair immigration reform. It is they who ‘know the heart of the stranger’. Our Pennsylvania legislators should be prompted to hear and listen to their voices.

The Lutheran (LIRS) statement by Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, echoes the sense of all denominational immigration ministries in the most pointed terms. The message questions motivation and rejects strongly any “enforcement only” legislation that separates families; that criminalizes undocumented men, women and children; and recognizes that this will criminalize churches, their pastors and lay people who minister to the undocumented workers in their communities stating “… we oppose the rush-to-judgment atmosphere that is currently surrounding this issue. Complex language that would affect the lives of millions of people is being discussed in back rooms of Senate chambers, with insufficient time for understanding, public discussion, and reasoned consideration of the consequences.” (See: http://www.elca.org/advocacy/immad0306-5.pdf)

With an election approaching, some of our Pennsylvania State legislators are not in the mood to wait for a fair and reasoned approach but would by-pass comprehensive federal legislation by claiming the process is taking too long. They are calling for Pennsylvania citizens and lawmakers to secure our state border by passing punitive legislation and would bring this to a vote in our legislature as early as September.

Pennsylvania legislators Daryl Metcalfe of Butler County's 12th Legislative District north of Pittsburgh has introduced The National Security Begins at Home package of statewide illegal immigration reform legislation and held a series of four “hearings” in various parts of the state. Those invited to testify at the hearings were chosen carefully to optimize preconceived results. The hearing in Whitehall produced testimony produced by Hazelton Mayor Lou Barletta who recently signed a city-wide ordinance that makes illegal immigration a felony offense and also punishes individuals who provide jobs or housing to illegal immigrants with jail sentences of up to 7 years.

Also among those invited to testify were the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, outspoken advocates for the National Security Begins at Home package which is designed to:

On August 2, 2006, the Western PA public was invited to attend and listen to testimony at a hearing held in Cranberry Township. An invitation to provide written statements was received with very short notice and these were not entered as part of the formal hearings. With the help of People for the American way, we were invited to send email statements.

Latino Catholic Community of the Diocese of Pittsburgh Statement regarding Undocumented Immigrants (submitted day of hearing)

The Latino Catholic Community of the Diocese of Pittsburgh believes that we, the people of the United States of America are at a critical juncture concerning the question of the millions of undocumented immigrants who are here in our midst. For the continued economic growth and enhanced security of our country and state an honest portrayal of immigrant contributions and intentions in this country must be understood.

Persons who are undocumented come to this country because they are seeking to provide a means of .livelihood for their families. Without the contribution of immigrant labor, the output of goods and services in the U.S. would be at least $1 trillion smaller than it is today. (Employment Policy Foundation, Policy Backgrounder, June 11, 2001.)

Many undocumented immigrants are seeking to pay federal and state income taxes through the Individual Tax Payer Identification Number (ITIN). The ITIN is issued by the Internal Revenue Service to document tax payments and refunds. This number does not replace a Social Security number but gives undocumented immigrants the opportunity to receive credit for their tax contribution to Pennsylvania and the United States. Most immigrants already pay property, sales and gas tax without using an ITIN.

Undocumented immigrants who are in this country without documents are not eligible for any government services. The great myth of immigration is that they are stealing our precious resources but our own state legislators should note that undocumented immigrants are not eligible for any state aid.

The issue that must be addressed is that our immigration system is tired, broke and not fit for the 21st Century. Today politicians wish to use undocumented immigrants as the scapegoat for the problems affecting our state and are not willing to see the evidence of immigrant contributions to improving our state. Immigrants come to this country seeking the American Dream and want to become full members of our society and want to pay their fair share through taxes, honest work and raising a decent family.

We ask that our elected state officials take the bold move of asking our federal elected officials to fix our immigration system so that it reflects our American values and benefits our economy and brings people out of the shadows. The issue of illegal immigration is a federal issue which will only be solved in D.C. So let us work together on asking our Members of Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration bill that keeps immigrant families together, protects workers rights, secures our border and addresses the issue of future immigrant flows realistically.

Sr. Janice Vanderneck, CSJ
Latino Catholic Community of the Diocese of Pittsburgh
St. Hyacinth Church
3201 Craft Place
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-4204
Phone: 412.578.0402
Fax: 412.758.0420

People for the American Way (submitted day of hearing)

Testimony to: House Republican Policy Committee Hearing “Illegal Immigration”
Representative Mario J Civera, Chairman, Wednesday, August 2, 2006
Regional Learning Alliance, Cranberry Township, PA 16066, (850 Cranberry Woods Dr.)

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a written statement on this critical issue.

We can all agree on one thing – our immigration system is broken and urgently needs to be overhauled.

The Senate passed a bipartisan, comprehensive approach to immigration reform, one cosponsored by Republican Sen. John McCain and Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy. In contrast, the House passed a frightening bill that would turn 11 million undocumented immigrants into felons – making it impossible for them to ever earn citizenship – and would even criminalize soup kitchen workers and others who offer basic humanitarian assistance.

Now, rather than negotiating a comprehensive immigration reform bill with the Senate, House Republican leaders have decided to try to make political points by traveling the country to foment anti-immigrant hysteria. While they’re wasting their time and ours with sham immigration hearings, their lack of effective action on immigration is helping to fuel an ugly movement that threatens to expose Latinos to racial profiling and harassment. Because Congress has failed to pass comprehensive reform, cities and states are taking it upon themselves to deal with immigration, most recently with truly disturbing ordinances that violate basic American principles of liberty and fairness, and will leave deeply divided communities in their wake. Because inaction by Congress has left millions of undocumented workers vulnerable, they are now being forced out of homes and jobs by callous ordinances that overlook the immense contributions by the immigrants.

America does not need to be further divided by laws that turn neighbor against neighbor.

Millions of undocumented immigrants are working tirelessly to make better lives for their families - and along the way are building America's homes, harvesting America's crops and beautifying America's landscapes. These immigrants are being used as pawns by politicians who think it will score them a few political points with their right-wing base.

America needs immigrants and needs comprehensive immigration reform to effectively secure our borders. We need an immigration law that brings the millions of undocumented workers already here out of the shadows – to protect them and all American workers. We also need to set realistic immigration quotas that satisfy our economy’s needs for labor. Making migration more easily accessible for unskilled workers will dramatically shrink the flow of illegal immigration. Our border agents could then focus on those who pose serious threats to the nation’s security.

Immigrants have helped make this country the strongest in the world. Now is not the time to turn our backs on them – for their sake, and just as importantly, ours. We need an immigration policy that not only secures our borders, but also honors our values and our history as a nation of immigrants.

Respectfully,

Celeste Taylor
People For the American Way
Pennsylvania State Coordinator
412.670.0937 cell
ctaylor@pfaw.org
www.pfaw.org

We, the undersigned faith-based leaders and organizations, join together to call upon President Bush and our elected officials in Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform legislation that establishes a safe and humane immigration system consistent with our values. Our diverse faith traditions teach us to welcome our brothers and sisters with love and compassion.

The Hebrew Bible tells us: "The strangers who sojourn with you shall be to you as the natives among you, and you shall love them as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt (Leviticus 19:33-34)." In the New Testament, Jesus tells us to welcome the stranger (cf. Matthew 25:35), for "what you do to the least of my brethren, you do unto me (Matthew 25:40)." The Qur'an tells us that we should “serve God…and do good to…orphans, those in need, neighbors who are near, neighbors who are strangers, the companion by your side, the wayfarer that you meet, [and those who have nothing] (4:36).” The Hindu scripture Taitiriya Upanishad tells us: “The guest is a representative of God (1.11.2)”

We call for immigration reform because each day in our congregations, service programs, health-care facilities, and schools we witness the human consequences of an outmoded system. We see and hear the suffering of immigrant families who have lost loved ones to death in the desert or immigrants themselves who have experienced exploitation in the workplace or abuse at the hands of unscrupulous smugglers and others. In our view, changes to the U.S. legal immigration system would help put an end to this suffering, which offends the dignity of all human beings.

We call upon our elected officials to enact legislation that includes the following:

An opportunity for hard-working immigrants who are already contributing to this country to come out of the shadows, regularize their status upon satisfaction of reasonable criteria and, over time, pursue an option to become lawful permanent residents and eventually United States citizens;
Reforms in our family-based immigration system to significantly reduce waiting times for separated families who currently wait many years to be reunited;
The creation of legal avenues for workers and their families who wish to migrate to the U.S. to enter our country and work in a safe, legal, and orderly manner with their rights fully protected; and
Border protection policies that are consistent with humanitarian values and with the need to treat all individuals with respect, while allowing the authorities to carry out the critical task of identifying and preventing entry of terrorists and dangerous criminals, as well as pursuing the legitimate task of implementing American immigration policy.

While we support the right of the government to enforce the law and protect the national security interests of the United States, we recognize that our existing complex and unworkable immigration system has made it nearly impossible for many immigrants – who seek to support their families or reunite with loved ones – to achieve legal status. Reforming the immigration system to address this reality would allow the U.S. government to focus its enforcement efforts on real threats that face all Americans – citizens and immigrants alike.

We urge our elected officials to conduct the immigration reform debate in a civil and respectful manner, mindful not to blame immigrants for our social and economic ills or for the atrocities committed by the few who have carried out acts of terrorism. A polarized process that is lacking in civility would hinder deliberative discourse and not serve the best interests of our nation.

As faith-based leaders and organizations, we call attention to the moral dimensions of public policy and pursue policies that uphold the human dignity of each person, all of whom are made in the image of God. We engage the immigration issue with the goal of fashioning an immigration system that facilitates legal status and family unity in the interest of serving the God-given dignity and rights of every individual. It is our collective prayer that the legislative process will produce a just immigration system of which our nation of immigrants can be proud.

(Online signatures of 150 national, local, and representative faith organizations: http://www.usccb.org/mrs/signatures.shtml)

The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer

As constituent members of The Episcopal Church we call on the legislators of Pennsylvania to resist The National Security Begins at Home package of statewide illegal immigration reform legislation.

Although we believe religion is personal, we also believe that our response to ill conceived legislation cannot be private and we have heeded the call of the united voices of the General Convention and the Episcopal Migrant Ministries in their wisdom. The Resolution recently passed at our church’s General Convention to address the plight of our migrant and refugee population in the United States reads as follows:

Resolved, That the Episcopal Church undertake a campaign to educate Episcopalians as to the plight of refugees, immigrants, and migrants, which will include information about the root causes of migration, and be it further

Resolved, That this campaign call the church to commit to welcoming strangers as a matter of Christian responsibility, to advocate for their wellbeing and protection and to urge its members to resist legislation and actions which violate our fundamental beliefs as Christians, including the criminalization of persons providing humanitarian assistance to migrants.

We are pledged to carry on this work and we find the Pennsylvania House Republican Policy Committee Hearings addressing illegal immigration to be in error. The legislation asks for an immediate response by the State to address punishment for those aiding undocumented workers.

The question for those of good faith is how best we can aid and protect those among us whose lives and wellbeing we believe to be sacred.

We are members of Unitarian Universalists United for Faith in Action. We are based in the Pittsburgh area and we join together to promote social justice in our society and around the world. We are writing out of concern about the stands on immigration expressed at a recent hearing held by a Republican legislative policy committee. In particular, we are alarmed by the provisions of proposed House Bill 2761, which would prohibit all non-medical emergency public benefits, including welfare, unemployment and education, to undocumented workers.

We endorse the 1995 "Call to Conscious, Humane Treatment of Immigrants" issued by the Unitarian Universalist Association, which states in part, "Because we covenant as Unitarian Universalists to affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person; and... we covenant as Unitarian Universalists to promote justice, equity, and compassion in human relations... we cannot in conscience condone the systematic refusal of humane social services to needy persons and their families based on immigration status, national origin, or citizenship."

We join with the UUA in "demanding…from both state and federal lawmakers humane solutions to the very complex social issues relating to undocumented persons in this country, and a just application of human rights at both the state and national levels for all people living within our borders." As William Sinkford, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association stated, "For our nation to be whole, we must acknowledge that our lives of privilege are supported in thousands of ways by people whose labor is invisible and whose suffering is hidden."

We urge you to reconsider your stand on immigration reform legislation, keeping in mind that all people deserve humane treatment.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has consistently supported immigration reform which achieves family reunification, a path to permanence for many who in the US without status, equal rights and due process, protection for asylum seekers and which does not criminalize those who help non-citizens.

I have attached the recent statement from Bishop Mark Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Mr. Rallie Deffenbaugh,Jr. president of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services. It is signed by synodical bishops including five from Pennsylvania.

While attending to the matters of security and good order in our economy, it is crucial that our state and country also deal justly and mercifully with all people. ;Most immigrants, including those who are undocumented - and sometimes simply because our complex system creates years of waiting for families to be reunited legally - only desire a better life for their families. They contribute far more than they take. This includes taxes and social security payments which they do not benefit from.

Rev. Linda Orsen Theophilus,
LIRS Ambassador in Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod, ELCA
Emmanuel Lutheran Church
1229 Jefferson Heights Road
Piitsburgh, PA 15235

The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) supports the rights and dignity of all people, regardless of their immigration status. Project Voice, the American Friends Service Committee immigrant rights initiative, works to uplift immigrant voices and strengthen efforts of immigrant-led organizations to set an agenda for fair and humane national public policies.

The AFSC Pennsylvania Office (AFSC) is deeply concerned about the way in which hearings are being held around the State. All hearings should be open so that the concerns and needs of the nation's immigrant and non-immigrant communities are fairly included in this pivotal discourse. The recent hearings around the state are doing nothing more than raising anti-immigrant hysteria. The lack of a comprehensive immigration reform has enabled states and local communities to pass repressive legislation against immigrant communities, such as the recent action by Hazelton, PA. The Senate passed a bipartisan, comprehensive approach to immigration reform, one cosponsored by Republican Sen. John McCain and Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy. This bill, while not ideal, is a start in the right direction towards building a comprehensive immigration law.

Backed by an 89-year history working for peace, justice and reconciliation in troubled areas of the world, AFSC is a faith-based organization grounded in Quaker beliefs respecting the dignity and worth of every person. AFSC has worked on rural and urban development projects and with migrant farm workers in California since 1940.

Scilla Wahrhaftig, Project Director
American Friends Service Committee
7514 Kensington Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15221
412 371 3607

The American Friends Service Committee is a non-governmental organization established In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania nearly 90 years ago. The AFSC was founded in 1917 as a Quaker –based organization that since then has worked for peace, justice and reconciliation in trougbled areas of the world. Through international and U.S-based programs, AFSC supports the rights and dignity of all people, regardless of their immigration status.

AFSC believes that national and state-level immigration policies deeply affect our communities, our institutional mission, and our values. It is for this reason that AFSC expresses its concern with any statewide ordinance or resolution that impedes the full integration of Pennsylvania’s immigrant and refugee communities – regardless of their immigration status. We urge you to protect immigrants’ equal participation in the state’s social fabric and economic landscape.

Together, we can forge a just community by acknowledging the existence and contributions of undocumented workers to our state, taking steps to promote their legalization and integration, and supporting forward-thinking immigration-reform measures.

Our experience working within the nation’s immigrant and refugee communities has been instrumental in helping shape programs and resources that are informed by local community needs and concerns. Through AFSC’s nationwide initiative, Project Voice, AFSC works with diverse immigrant communities throughout the United States, including an office in Pittsburgh and our headquarters in Philadelphia. AFSC works with other faith-based groups, nonprofit organizations and allies to uplift immigrant and refugee voices, strengthen their participation in civic life, and create an agenda for fair and humane public policies. Since 1940, AFSC has worked in Mexico on rural and urban development projects and with migrant farm workers in California. In 1977, AFSC’s U.S./Mexico Border Program was launched.

Working with immigrant communities has informed AFSC’s call for comprehensive, constructive immigration policies that support a legalization process for undocumented workers and the protection of the labor rights of every worker in the United States.

Our faith, values and principles compel us to disagree with any measures that violate the basic dignity of the individual or deny basic rights to any individual. We discourage the House Majority Policy Committee leaders from establishing legislation that endorses punitive actions on immigrants. These punishments further force families and entire communities to live a marginalized existence.

We are troubled that several state legislatures are considering actions that would promote anti-immigrant intolerance and increase tensions in communities. Instead of looking for ways to punish immigrants, we urge you to work for policies that respond to the root conditions of migration and encourage integration and an improved quality of life for immigrant communities in our state. Creating measures that deny decent housing, restrict employment, reduce access to health resources, or impede access to basic human educational or community services puts immigrant and non-immigrant communities at risk and exacerbates the already precarious existence of those who already live in society’s shadows.

AFSC, therefore urges the members of the House Majority Policy Caucus to support new immigration policies that respect the rights of all workers, the ties that bind families together, civil rights and liberties, and the principles upon which the nation was founded.

We will continue to monitor what unfolds and thank you for your immediate attention and for leadership in drafting and enacting humane immigration policies in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Sincerely,
Mary Ellen McNish
General Secretary
American Friends Service Committee
1501 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phone: 215.241.7000

In 2004 the 216th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) approved a Resolution Calling for a Comprehensive Program for Immigrants Living and Working in the United States.

This Resolution called upon members of the denomination to advocate for the establishment by law of a comprehensive legalization program for undocumented persons who are already living and working here.

As members of the Peacemaking Ministry Team of the Pittsburgh Presbytery, we accept and endorse the Resolution. We believe that people who are seeking relief from suffering must be accepted into our midst and that the hospitable reception of immigrants is a sign of the reconciling work of Christ in the world.

We express our strong support for a thorough legalization program for immigrants now living and working in the U.S. The Resolution of the General Assembly of the PCUSA can be found at www.pcusa.org/acswp/pdf/immigration-resolution.pdf

-- The Peacemaking Ministry Team of the Pittsburgh Presbytery, August 14, 2006