WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new coalition launched last week is gaining momentum for immigration solutions, with new member organizations joining the growing alliance and diverse Christian leaders jointly penning a call for action this year.
The State Business Executives and Improve the Dream have joined the Alliance for a New Immigration Consensus (ANIC), putting at 30 the number of faith, business, education, national security and advocacy organizations urging Congress to pass incremental immigration reforms and border security measures in 2022.
Additionally, in an op-ed in Newsweek published Wednesday, three prominent Catholic and evangelical leaders called on Congress to act.
“Despite our disagreements on how to interpret the scriptures—and even what texts are canonical—we agree that immigrants are made in God’s image and worthy of respect,” write Bishop Mario Dorsonville of the Archdiocese of Washington, Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Migration; Walter Kim, President of the National Association of Evangelicals; and Ed Litton, President of the Southern Baptist Convention. “ … Our nation is divided. But despite the inside-the-Beltway popular sentiment, addressing our nation’s long-dysfunctional immigration policies can be a unique way to heal division.”
A U.S. labor shortage accelerated by historically low immigration levels is driving the urgency, as a Forum paper published last week highlights. And new polling, also published last week, reflects that same urgency: 79% of registered voters, including 76% of Republicans and 81% of white evangelical Protestants, want action on the kinds of reforms the ANIC supports.
“This growing coalition perfectly illustrates how an outdated immigration system impacts all of us, and why reforms are urgently needed not just in the eyes of immigrant advocates but for all Americans who want our country to prosper,” said Ali Noorani, President and CEO of the National Immigration Forum. “Whether compelled by faith, driven by economic factors, or informed by national security interests, there’s a clear consensus among a diverse and growing population: Congress must make immigration reforms a priority.”