Iowa faith leaders call for compassionate immigration reform

CEDAR RAPIDS - Tapping into the message Pope Francis delivered in multiple homilies while in the United States last month, Iowa faith leaders called for politicians to recognize the human right to migrate and to make common-sense reforms to the American immigration system.

When immigration is discussed by politicians - presidential hopefuls, in particular, Des Moines Bishop Richard Pates said Tuesday, 'it can be very negative.”

However, the faith leaders want to remind presidential candidates that immigrants 'have many gifts to bring (to) create a whole new dimension of the mosaic of America,” Pates said in a conference call with reporters.

Like their European predecessors, immigrants add to the 'tapestry of goodness that comes from immigration,” said Pastor Charles Valenti-Hein of Lakeside Presbyterian Church in Storm Lake.

The faith leaders called on presidential candidates to recognize and address the moral obligation to make compassionate and sustainable reform to an immigration system Valenti-Hein called 'so broken that it's hard for anyone to play by the rules.”

However, true reform can be achieved only by setting aside partisan politics, the leaders said.

'We always say we don't want to get political, but when it comes to people's lives, we don't think that's political, said Luis Arredondo, cultural ministry coordinator at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines. 'Leaders must recognize that many Christians are wanting reform that reconciles our immigration system with our moral belief.”

It's not just Christians, Valenti-Hein said. Recognizing the right to migrate and welcoming immigrants is part of major religious traditions including Jews and Muslims.

'We speak with one voice,” he said.

The Iowa faith leaders' call to action follows the Faith Voices For Immigrants Summit in Washington that coincided with the pope's visit and brought together national faith leaders.

However, Pates said, immigration reform is not necessarily a religious issue.

'It certainly has religious overtones, and we have a strong conviction from our religious teachings that all are created equal,” he said. 'It's also verified by a human right that people have the right to migrate.”