Dozens of evangelical leaders have included their names on a full-page ad running in Wednesday’s Washington Post urging President Donald Trump and Congress to take action on immigration reform.
The ad includes a letter signed by leaders such as Bible teacher Beth Moore, author Jen Hatmaker and the Southern Baptist Convention’s Russell Moore.
The letter read in part:
As Christian leaders, we have a commitment to caring for the vulnerable in our churches while also supporting just, compassionate and welcoming policies toward refugees and other immigrants. The Bible speaks clearly and repeatedly to God’s love and concern for the vulnerable, and also challenges us to think beyond our nationality, ethnicity or religion when loving our neighbor.
The group, sponsored by the Christian nonprofit World Relief, published a similar letter last year, decrying Trump’s executive order that temporarily restricted travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries seeking entry into the United States.
Wednesday’s ad was expanded to include not only refugees but also “Dreamers,” persecuted Christians and families awaiting reunification, which the White House has referred to as “chain migration”:
God ordained the family as the cornerstone of society, and we believe that our country is stronger when our citizens can be quickly reunited with their close family members. For some U.S. citizens, the waiting period can be years or even decades. We pray you will respect the unity of the family.
Read the letter in full.
In late January, Trump backed a pathway to citizenship for 1.8 million Dreamers in exchange for $25 billion in funding for a southern border wall. The proposal would also call for an end to so-called “chain migration” and the visa lottery program.
When the proposal was announced, conservative commentator Erick Erickson, who has become a voice in the evangelical community, called it “entirely reasonable and responsible and supportable.”
Read more at Prominent Christian Leaders Publish Letter to Trump on Immigration — Here’s What It Says.
