update on immigration matthew soerens us church training specialist, world relief field director,...

Update on Immigration

Matthew SoerensUS Church Training Specialist, World ReliefField Director, Evangelical Immigration Table

An Update on Immigration

• Biblical Framework for Engaging Immigration

• Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors

• Executive Action on Immigration

• Resources to Engage Immigration

An Update on Immigration@MatthewSoerens

A Missional Opportunity

•Jesus commands us to “make disciples of every nation”

(Matthew 28:19)

•With immigration, the nations arrive at our doorstep,

representing an enormous missional opportunity•Many are already strong believers, who become agents of mission

within their own ethnic communities and beyond

•Others arrive with a nominal faith or from entirely unreached

people groups and are much more open to the gospel than they

might be in their home country

A Missional Opportunity @MatthewSoerens

A Missional Opportunity“86% of the immigrant population in North America are likely to

either be Christians or become Christians. That’s far above the

national average…The immigrant population actually presents the

greatest hope for Christian renewal in North America… This group

that we want to keep out is actually the group that we most need for

spiritual transformation… We shouldn’t see this as something that

threatens us. We should see this as a wonderful opportunity.”

- Dr. Timothy Tennent

Missiologist & President, Asbury Theological Seminary

A Missional Opportunity @MatthewSoerens

A Missional Opportunity• But many evangelical Christians are missing this missional

opportunity• That may be because most white evangelicals say that immigration

“threatens traditional American customs and values” (Pew Research Center, April

2013)

• Most churches in the US do not have any sort of ministry or ministry

partnership focused on immigrants (LifeWay Research, November 2014)

• And, as a likely effect, fully 60% of those from non-Christian religious

traditions in the U.S.—most of them immigrants—say they do not know

any Christians (Center for the Study of Global Christianity, Gordon-Conwell Seminary, 2013)

A (Missed) Missional Opportunity @MatthewSoerens

http://www.pewresearch.org/daily-number/majority-of-white-evangelicals-back-way-for-unauthorized-immigrants-to-stay-in-u-s/

http://blog.lifeway.com/newsroom/2014/11/18/new-lifeway-research-finds-widespread-support-for-immigration-reform-among-pastors/

http://wwwgordonconwell.com/netcommunity/CSGCResources/ChristianityinitsGlobalContext.pdf

A Biblical Blind Spot

A Biblical Blind Spot @MatthewSoerens

• By their own admission, most Christians do not think about

immigration from a biblical perspective• Just 9% of all Protestant Christians and 12% of white evangelicals say

that their views on immigration are primarily influenced by their

Christian faith (Pew Forum Survey, September 2010)

• Why? Perhaps because just 20% of Protestant Christians (and 16% of

white evangelicals) have heard about immigration from their pastor or

other clergy (Pew Forum Survey, September 2010)

http://pewforum.org/Politics-and-Elections/Few-Say-Religion-Shapes-Immigration-Environment-Views.aspx

But That’s Not because the Bible is Silent on the Topic• Ger, the Hebrew word closest to “immigrant” in English, appears 92

times in the Old Testament

• Fundamentally, God’s people are called to love and seek justice for

immigrants because we are to follow God’s example

• The Lord your God is the God of all gods and Lord of all lords,

the great, mighty, and awesome God who doesn’t play favorites

and doesn’t take bribes. He enacts justice for orphans and

widows, and he loves immigrants, giving them food and

clothing. That means you must also love immigrants

(Deuteronomy 10:17-19 CEB)



Christians are called to hospitality (philoxenia, literally, the

love of strangers)•Practice hospitality (Romans 12:13 NIV)

•Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife,

sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach… (1

Timothy 3:2 ESV)

•I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave

me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in… Truly I tell

you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of

mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:35-36, 40 NIV)

•Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people

have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2 NIV)

Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors@MatthewSoerens

Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors•By last June, more than 50,000 minor immigrants had

arrived unaccompanied at the U.S.-Mexico border, far more

than in other years

•Most of these children and teenagers came from Honduras, El Salvador, and

Guatemala


“Push” Factors Why Minors Come•While the reasons for the “surge” of arrivals are varied,

several factors include

• Dramatic levels of gang-related violence in Central America

• Honduras has the highest homicide rate in the world, higher than

the civilian casualty rate in Iraq at the height of the insurgency

• Guatemala and El Salvador are also in the top 5 for homicide

• Gangs recruit young people in particular, threatening to harm or kill

those who will not join

• Poverty, Deprivation, and Child Abuse/Neglect

• Family Reunification

• Recruitment by Smugglers/Traffickers


Once to the U.S.•The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), passed with

broad support in 2008 and signed by President Bush, governs treatment of

“unaccompanied alien children”

• Unaccompanied minors from “non-contiguous” countries are to be

turned over by the Department of Homeland Security to the Department

of Health and Human Services within 72 hours

• HHS is responsible for ensuring the best interest of the child while

awaiting a hearing• Most are sent to a children’s detention center/group home, usually operated

by contracted non-profit organizations

• Eventually, most can be placed with relatives while awaiting court date


Early Summer 2014•Because of the unprecedented number of arrivals, the government’s

infrastructure could not keep up, and children were “warehoused” due to

insufficient capacity

Photo by Ross D. Franklin, Getty Images


Processing Unaccompanied Minors•Unaccompanied Minors eventually go before an Immigration Judge

• Permanent legal status may be granted if the child proves he or she

• Has a legitimate claim to asylum

• Is a victims of human trafficking

• Cannot possibly be reunited with a parent (orphans, neglect, etc.)

•Unaccompanied minors are not entitled to an attorney under the law

• Those who are unrepresented are ordered deported in 90% of cases

• Those with an attorney are eligible to stay in about 50% of cases

• Only 1 in 3 this year have had access to an attorney

•Wait for a court hearing can be months or even years, and some abscond

without ever showing up for court


Public Response


Public Response•With unaccompanied minors in the headlines, responses were polarized

• Many, including many churches and faith-based organizations (including

the Salvation Army) applied to partner with the federal government to

care for the children

• Others protested, seeing unaccompanied minors as a public safety or

public health threat

• The House of Representatives passed legislation to more quickly deport

children, without current screenings required by the TVPRA, but Senate

never passed legislation

• Funding was diverted within Dept. of Health and Human Services from

Refugee Resettlement programs to fund care for Unaccompanied Minors


Misconceptions•“Surge of arrivals was caused by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals”

(DACA) program

• Unaccompanied minors do not qualify for DACA

• Only 2% surveyed by UNHCR cited “changes to immigration policy” as a

reason why they came

• Increase in arrival of unaccompanied minors began before DACA was

announced in 2012, and peaked nearly 2 years after its implementation

•“Crisis was evidence of a porous border”

• While our borders are not fully secure, unaccompanied children were, in

most cases, surrendering to Border Patrol immediately upon arrival


Crisis Over?


Crisis Over?•Possible Reasons for Decline in Arrivals of Unaccompanied Minors

• With resources and pressure from US, Mexico is stopping many more

Central American immigrants from crossing its border

• US has funded public relations campaigns in Central America urging

children not to attempt journey

• US has prosecuted several major human trafficking/smuggling networks

• Obama Administration refocused resources to speed up processing of

unaccompanied minors, implementing “first in, first out” policy for

hearings before Immigration Judges


Current Status•Unaccompanied children are still being cared for by federally-contracted non-

profit organizations and, in many cases, by parents or other relatives, while

awaiting court dates

•While numbers are down to normal levels, unaccompanied immigrant children

continue to arrive

•Legal framework remains essentially unchanged for responding to

unaccompanied minors

•Fundamental situations of gang violence, family separation, and human

trafficking in Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala remain

•Polarized public response in the US has made immigration reform proposals

more challenging, revealing a divided population and a divided church

Immigration Policy & Politics@MatthewSoerens

Executive Action•Background

• Since at least 2001, Congress has debated “Comprehensive

Immigration Reform” which would essentially:• Make it harder to immigrate illegally by increasing border security and

enforcement of laws against visa-overstayers

• Make it easier to immigrate legally by changing employer- and family-

sponsored visa opportunities

• Require and allow those present unlawfully to earn permanent legal status

if they pay fines, pass criminal background checks, and meet other

requirements during a probationary period

• Separate legislation, the “DREAM Act,” has specifically addressed

situation of immigrants who came to the U.S. as children


Timeline of Recent U.S. Immigration Policy Debate•2006: Comprehensive Immigration Reform passes Senate; never taken up by

the House

•2007: Comprehensive Immigration Reform fails in Senate

•December 2010: DREAM Act passes House; fails in Senate

•June 2012: President Obama instructs Department of Homeland Security to

offer “Deferred Action” to certain individuals who would have qualified for the

DREAM Act

•June 2013: Senate passes bipartisan Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill;

never taken up by the House

•November 2014: President Obama expands “Deferred Action” to certain

parents of U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents


Evangelical ResponseThe Evangelical Statement of Principles for Immigration Reform

As evangelical Christian leaders, we call for a bipartisan solution on immigration that: •Respects the God-given dignity of every person •Protects the unity of the immediate family •Respects the rule of law •Guarantees secure national borders •Ensures fairness to taxpayers •Establishes a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and who wish to become permanent residents

www.EvangelicalImmigrationTable.com


SignatoriesLeith Anderson, National Association of Evangelicals

Gary Benedict, Christian and Missionary Alliance

Noel Castellanos, Christian Community Development Association

Matt Chandler, Acts 29 Network

Jim Daly, Focus on the Family

Wilfredo De Jesus, New Life Covenant Church (Chicago, IL)

Tony Evans, Oak Cliff Fellowship (Dallas, TX)

Dave Ferguson, Community Christian Church

Ronnie Floyd, Southern Baptist Convention

Bill Hamel, Evangelical Free Church

Alec Hill, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship

Bill Hybels, Willow Creek Community Church (South Barrington, IL)

Jim Liske, Prison Fellowship

Max Lucado, author

Jo Anne Lyon, Wesleyan Church

Russell Moore, Southern Baptist Convention Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission

Doug Nuenke, The Navigators

Luis Palau, Luis Palau Association

John Perkins, CCDA/Perkins Foundation

William Roberts, The Salvation Army

Samuel Rodriguez, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference

Philip Ryken, Wheaton College

Gabriel Salguero, National Latino Evangelical Coalition

Mat Staver, Liberty University/Liberty Counsel

Rich Stearns, World Vision

Ed Stetzer, LifeWay Research

Joseph Stowell, Cornerstone University

Timothy Tennent, Asbury Theological Seminary

Gary Walter, Evangelical Covenant Church

George Wood, Assemblies of God

Executive Action@MatthewSoerens

Deferred Action•An exercise of “prosecutorial discretion” by the Department of Homeland

Security, based on the reality that Congress has not appropriated sufficient funds

to deport all of those who are currently “deportable”

•Used by almost every Administration since Eisenhower, but never on such a

large scale

•Is not permanent legal status (a “green card”) or a path to citizenship

•But does “defer” deportation and make individual eligible for Employment

Authorization, allowing them to apply for a valid Social Security card, a Driver’s

License (in most states), and (in limited cases) travel authorization

•Entirely discretionary, meaning it could be revoked at any time by the current

Administration or by any future Administration


Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)•Announced June 2012; Expansion announced November 2014

•Allows Deferred Action to be granted to individuals who:

• Arrived in the U.S. prior to their 16th birthday

• Have graduated from high school, are in school, or have been discharged

honorably from the military

• Were present in the U.S. on June 15, 2007

• As of February 2015, this date changes to January 1, 2010

• Have not been convicted of certain crimes or are otherwise a public safety

or national security threat

• Were born on or after June 16, 1981

• As of February 2015, this requirement will be eliminated


Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)•Deferred Action and Employment Authorization are now granted for 3

years

•May be renewed at discretion of Homeland Security

•Must be 15 years old to apply (unless in removal proceedings)

•Filing fee of $465, with no fee waivers

•Application requires evidence of qualifications

• Evidence of continuous presence in the U.S.

• Evidence of high school graduation, current enrollment in school, or

military service


Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA)•Announced November 2014

•Will begin implementation May 2015

•Allows Deferred Action to be granted to individuals who:

• Have (as of Nov. 20, 2014) a child who is a U.S. citizen or Lawful

Permanent Resident (of any age)

• Were present in the U.S. on June 1, 2010

• Have not been convicted of certain crimes or are otherwise a public safety

or national security threat

•Deferred Action and Employment Authorization will be granted for 3

years, then must be renewed (at discretion of Homeland Security)

•Expected $465 filing fee, with no fee waivers


Advice for Potential Applicants•No applications for DAPA (parents of Americans) can be submitted

before May 2015

• Beware notarios and other unauthorized practitioners of law

•Save up money and gather documentary evidence

• Birth certificates (or adoption decrees) for citizen children

• Birth certificates, passports or consular ID for applicants

• Evidence of presence in the U.S.

• Rent receipts, rental agreements, or utility bills

• Tax returns

• School or medical records, etc.

• Get final court dispositions or FBI rap sheets for any criminal issues


Authorized Legal Services Assistance•Individuals should only take legal advice from:

• Immigration Attorneys (members of the American Immigration

Lawyers Association – www.aila.org)

• Accredited staff of non-profit organizations recognized by the Board

of Immigration Appeals (BIA)

• World Relief has BIA-recognized programs in Chicago (Albany

Park), Wheaton, and Aurora, IL (www.worldrelief.org)

• The Immigration Alliance equips and mobilizes churches and

Christian organizations to become BIA-recognized

(www.TheImmigrationAlliance.org)


Authorized Legal Services Assistance•Directory of BIA-recognized sites at http://theimmigrationalliance.org/find-

site/

How Should I Respond?

•Prayer

•Listening

•Education

•Advocacy

•Service

•Evangelism

A Christian Response@MatthewSoerens

A Christian Response @MatthewSoerens

Discipleship Tools• At www.EvangelicalImmigrationTable.com:

• “I Was a Stranger” Bible-Reading Challenge

• The Stranger documentary (40 minutes)

• At www.WelcomingTheStranger.com:

• “Church Leader’s Guide to Immigration”

• “Welcoming the Stranger” Learning Group Guide

Books


•Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion and Truth in the Immigration Debate (InterVarsity Press, 2009), by Matthew Soerens and Jenny Yang•Christians at the Border: Immigration, the Church, and the Bible (Baker Academic, 2008, 2013), by Daniel Carroll Rodas•Strangers Next Door: Immigration, Migration and Mission (InterVarsity Press, 2012), by J.D. Payne•Immigration: Tough Questions, Direct Answers (InterVarsity Press, 2014), by Dale Hanson Bourke

Advocacy Opportunities• Sign the Evangelical Statement of Principles for

Immigration Reform

• Signed in 2013 by Salvation Army National Commander William

Robertson

• Sign online at www.EvangelicalImmigrationTable.com

• Call your Member of Congress

• Dial 866-877-5552, enter zip code, and be connected

• Become a “Church Mobilizer” for the Evangelical Immigration Table

• See www.EvangelicalImmigrationTable.com/apply


Matthew [email protected] @matthewsoerens

update on immigration matthew soerens us church training specialist, world relief field director,...

Documents

immigration resources

missed missional opportunity

matthewsoerens slide

enormous missional opportunity

immigration biblical

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pew forum survey slide

evangelical immigration