WASHINGTON (ABP) — Although it may face an uphill battle in Congress, some Christian leaders are saying the Senate's latest immigration-reform proposal is better than nothing.
The legislation passed an initial test May 21 when the Senate voted to consider it. However, the bill's sponsors later conceded that it would likely be impossible to get to a final vote prior to the chamber's long Memorial Day vacation. That means critics will have more time to organize opposition to the proposal.
The complex package of provisions emerged as a compromise after months of negotiations between Senate Democrats, Republicans and the White House. Shortly after it was introduced May 17, however, the bill came under criticism from elements of the far right and left.
Some immigration hard-liners object to what they call the bill's “amnesty” provisions, giving legal status to the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants currently in the United States. Meanwhile, some Hispanic groups and labor advocates oppose a Republican-brokered provision that would provide hundreds of thousands of temporary “guest worker” visas to skilled laborers coming to the United States for short periods. And some are critical of the way in which the bill would alter immigration regulations that currently favor reuniting families with a member who is working in the United States.
Nonetheless, some Christian leaders who have fought for comprehensive immigration reform said the bill is better than doing nothing — which is what Congress has done for years.
Suzii Paynter, director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Christian Life Commission, said the compromise bill was “definitely a step in the right direction.” Oftentimes, lawmakers are content to pass general legislation that addresses issues and then leave it to agencies to work out the detailed rules and regulations, she said, but public opinion would not allow that approach to the immigration issue. Lawmakers had to deal in the nitty-gritty to find a “workable solution” that represents “immigration law for the 21st century,” she said.
The complexity of the proposal — with its creation of a new category of “Z visas” to document illegal immigrants and its system of awarding green cards based on marketable skills and family needs rather than a first-come, first-served approach –represent what Paynter called “part of a very technical solution to a very complex problem.”
“I think it's a real effort at compromise to move toward solutions to fix what is a very broken immigration system,” she said. “It seems to be a genuine attempt to address some categorical — and what have been seemingly intractable — problems.”
Hardcore anti-immigration groups pronounced the bill a non-starter over the weekend between its introduction and the beginning of Senate debate. One conservative group — Grassfire.org — called it “'amnesty-for-all' legislation” and called for a “massive citizen revolt” in the form of messages to Senate offices opposing the bill.
But many conservative evangelical leaders have taken up the cause of comprehensive immigration reform in recent months, arguing the Bible's admonishments on taking care of “strangers” and “aliens.” They have also noted that the structure of the U.S. immigration system takes a high toll on illegal immigrants, with many left vulnerable to exploitation and death because of their fear of being caught and deported.
Congress took up immigration-reform legislation last year, but it became bogged down by internal struggles in the then-Republican majority. The party was torn between anti-immigration hardliners and those, including President Bush, who wanted more comprehensive reform. The comprehensive reform would have included opportunities for undocumented workers in the United States to earn permanent status and start the process toward citizenship.
The House's new Democratic leaders have promised to re-visit immigration this year but have also said any bill that chamber passed would likely differ greatly from the Senate legislation.
The Senate bill is the “Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007,” or S. 1348.
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Read more:
Evangelicals, other Christians unite to push immigration reform (5/9/2007)
Evangelical leaders, Kennedy unite on immigration reform (4/2/2007)