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Immigration and Hospitality – Proper 8 – July 2, 2017

Lectionary Year A – July 2, 2017

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Table of Contents

  • Overview
  • Focus Text
  • Related Texts
  • Commentary
  • Pastoral Reflection
  • Worship Aids
  • Hymns
  • Quotes
  • Vignette
  • Contacts & Resources
  • Facts and Reflection

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Focus Text: Matthew 10:40-42

“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple — truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”
Matthew 10:40-42


Overview

Focus Text: Matthew 10:40-42

Whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple — truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.

Pastoral Reflection by Dr. Maria Teresa Palmer, Director, Multicultural Student Center, North Carolina A&T State University

The cup of water that Matthew asks us to offer is a dangerous thing. It assumes we have looked at our visitor and noticed his or her thirst. We are willing to be inconvenienced, to go to the well and draw the pure clean water and offer it in hospitality — which might lead us to pulling out a chair and inquiring about the rest of the family.

Key Fact

Over the last 50 years, immigration laws have become increasingly strict. In the past, many waves of immigrants passed relatively freely through ports of entry such as Ellis Island. Since the U.S. has tightened its borders, most of these same families would be turned away today.


Related Texts

When an immigrant resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the immigrant. The immigrant who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the immigrant as yourself, for you were immigrants in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 19:33-34

You shall have one law for the immigrant and for the citizen: for I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 24:22

You shall not deprive a resident immigrant or an orphan of justice; you shall not take a widow’s garment in pledge. Remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this. When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be left for the immigrant, the orphan, and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all your undertakings. When you beat your olive trees, do not strip what is left; it shall be for the immigrant, the orphan, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not glean what is left; it shall be for the immigrant, the orphan, and the widow. Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding you to do this.
Deuteronomy 24:17-22

“Then the [king] will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by [God], inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and [the devil’s] angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’”
Matthew 25:34-45

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.
Romans 12:9-16

Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.
Hebrews 13:1-2


Scriptural Commentary on Matthew 10:40-42

As is often the case, the lectionary reading from Matthew today is just a small part of a much larger whole. When Jesus says, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me…” he is addressing the twelve disciples, commissioning them to proclaim the good news and embody the new kingdom among the towns and villages dotting the ancient landscape of the Holy Land. Earlier in Chapter 10, Jesus indicates that the disciples’ mission will hinge on the hospitality of others: “You received without payment, give without payment…. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave…. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town” (Matt. 10:8, 11, 14). In most ancient cultures – and in many contemporary ones, though not in the U.S. – hospitality is not only a virtue but is deeply fundamental to society itself. That is to say that without the practices of hospitality, society itself would come unglued. In her insightful book Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition, Christine Pohl says that “Hospitality was viewed as a pillar on which all morality rested; it encompassed ‘the good.’ …Early Christian writers claimed that transcending social and ethnic differences by sharing meals, homes and worship with persons of different backgrounds was a proof of the truth of the Christian faith” (p. 5). Understanding the vitality of ancient hospitality opens new windows of understanding into the message of Jesus throughout the book of Matthew.

In our passage, Jesus draws on several different images to demonstrate what hospitality, what welcoming, might look like. While in Matthew 25 he famously says, “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me,” here Jesus invokes the “prophet,” the “righteous person,” and the “little one.” His point is that when people welcome others through the practices of hospitality – especially those who may not be well-regarded by society (strangers, prophets and children) – they are opening themselves to receive the gifts of God, the “reward of the righteous.” The image that Jesus chooses to convey a truly warm welcome is that of offering “a cup of cold water.” Water was (and is) a precious resource in the Middle East. Throughout the Bible, various authors make the point that water comes from God (e.g. Deut. 11:8- 17); this uniquely life-sustaining gift is beyond humanity’s ability to conjure or create. Thus, in offering a cup of water to another, a person acknowledges that what they have is none other than a gift from God. Water is not his or her own possession to horde at the expense of the thirsty one knocking on the door.

Throughout the gospel of Matthew, careful readers find themselves called to imitate the welcoming spirit of Jesus, who says in chapter 19, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” As modern readers of this ancient text, we must learn to open ourselves to the possibility that we do not always stand in the shoes of the disciples, sent out to preach the kingdom; sometimes we may find that our primary calling is to put a radical hospitality into practice, welcoming the stranger, the child, the prophet, with a cup of cold water and an open heart.

By Chris Liu-Beers, Program Associate, NC Council of Churches


Pastoral Reflection on Matthew 10:40-42

 

In the tenth chapter, Matthew highlights the importance of hospitality among the faithful. It took courage and commitment for the persecuted Christian community of the First Century to offer hospitality to prophets and preachers, so Matthew reminds his readers that they are ministering to Jesus himself in welcoming his disciples and brothers and sisters in the faith who might come from unknown places. The verses before our focus passage give us an idea of why this might be such risky business. V 34: “ Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the world. No, I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. I came to set sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers…”

As a mother, and even as a pastor, I want to forget the context and move quickly to verse 40 to talk about the joy of Christian fellowship, but this doesn’t do justice to the text, especially when we read this passage in light of the topic of immigration. Offering Christian hospitality to the immigrants among us is about as controversial today as welcoming a Christian prophet was under Roman rule. I performed a marriage in the home of an Anglo middle-class family whose daughter was marrying a young Hispanic man. It was a small ceremony, due to the lack of approval of their church and family. The parents had to choose between welcoming their new son-in-law and enjoying the fellowship of their extended family and Christian community. I know of six churches in North Carolina where the result of ministering to immigrants has cost the pastors their jobs, split the congregation, or divided families. I also have a colleague, pastor of a thriving Hispanic ministry, who has been asked to find another home for his congregation because the mother church doesn’t want to “inadvertently aid illegals.”

If I had not lived it through many years of ministry, I wouldn’t believe that church people could behave so unwelcomingly. But of course many other groups have known this truth for decades: the church can be very un-Christ-like. Perhaps, in some congregations, it’s more a sin of omission: we don’t notice the “alien” among us and forget to be hospitable. We forget to be intentional about our welcome. But the message we present to the foreign visitor is clearly conveyed by how we behave when a newcomer ventures into our congregations: We demand that they adopt our cultural norms—fill out the contact forms, keep their kids quiet and off our new carpet, learn our language and our hymns, pledge allegiance to the flag, volunteer for VBS, contribute to the capital campaign—and then maybe they can earn that glass of water.

The cup of water that Matthew asks us to offer is a dangerous thing. It assumes we have looked at our visitor and noticed his or her thirst. We are willing to be inconvenienced, to go to the well and draw the pure clean water and offer it in hospitality—which might lead us to pulling out a chair and inquiring about the rest of the family. It might lead to prayer, to phone calls, and being drawn into this person’s life. It could lead to learning about his or her fears and hopes, and we might find ourselves praying with Solomon: “God, when a foreigner comes to this place because of your great name… listen to his prayer.” And what then? If God responded to all those prayers, we might have to change our immigration laws, our foreign policy…

The US government, regardless of many politicians’ claims to the contrary, does not hold itself to biblical standards of behavior. Leviticus 24:22 clearly calls us to have “one law for the alien and for the citizen,” but our courts have said that labor protection laws do not apply to aliens. The courts interpret what is right or wrong in light of existing (and ever-changing) legislation dictated by the political climate. The Christian church, however, is not free to decide what biblical teachings are expedient. All through the Old Testament the prophets call us to treat the alien/foreigner with justice and compassion. Jesus calls us to treat foreigners with the concern and love we would show him. Throughout the New Testament we are reminded to show hospitality to the stranger, to help meet the basic needs of those who are new and needy among us: to notice their thirst, their loneliness, and their need for Christian fellowship; to respond to their arrival as if Christ himself were at our door. May God give us the courage to be the first ones to set up the welcome table and pour the water.

By Dr. Maria Teresa Palmer, Director, Multicultural Student Center, North Carolina A&T State University


Worship Aids about Immigration and Hospitality

Responsive Reading

As we come together in prayer, let us remember the word of God, who instructs us to “love the stranger who dwells among you for you were strangers in the Land of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10:19).

God, help us welcome those who have come to dwell among us.

For all those who have come fleeing oppression and persecution — black, white, brown and yellow:

God, help us welcome those who have come to dwell among us.

For those who have come fleeing hardship and hunger:

God, help us welcome those who have come to dwell among us.

For those who have come to join loved ones already here:

God, help us welcome those who have come to dwell among us.

For those who have come seeking freedom and opportunity:

God, help us welcome those who have come to dwell among us.

Let us remember the words of Christ, who said “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25: 33).

When, Lord, were you a stranger that we welcomed among us?

“Truly, as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40).

When we welcomed the stranger, we welcomed you, Christ Jesus, in our midst!

Loving God, you call us to create hospitable communities. Help us to overcome any fear and anxiety we may have of those who come from other lands to live among us. Give us the courage and wisdom to create compassionate and just immigration policies. Grant that we may all live together in peace and love. Amen.

(adapted from Interfaith Worker Justice, “Immigration Litany,” www.iwj.org/pdf/imm-litany.pdf)

Prayer of Confession

Why, O God,
do our neighbors have to exhaust their strength
to come work in our fields, care for our children,
and build our homes?

Why, O God,
do we ask the most vulnerable to endure the
hardship and abuses of work we will not do
ourselves?

Why, O God,
do we allow the pursuit of profits
to outweigh our sense of fairness?

O God, have mercy on us.

(from Kairos: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, “God’s People: A People on the Move,” www.kairoscanada.org/e/refugees/migrants/migrationFSreflection.pdf)

Labor Litany

God of all things, we thank you for work.
For in our work you call us to give you honor, serve others and create a loving community.
God of grace and hospitality, we thank you for the many immigrants who come to work and live in our land.
May we serve them as they serve us. May we welcome them, for the Word tells us that as we entertain strangers we entertain God.
When we give drink to the thirsty or feed the hungry,
We serve Jesus our Savior.
God of justice, you call us to treat the laborers in the vineyard fairly. Your prophets decry the oppression of the workers.
Your people traveled forty years to escape the oppressive work of the Egyptians.
Merciful and forgiving God, when we establish just and living wages, when we create safe and healthy working conditions, when we provide harassment-free working places,
We are setting free the oppressed. We are creating justice. We are doing God’s work.
Thanks be to God that in our work we can be faithful and that working with others makes us faithful to our God and Savior. Amen.

(adapted from Interfaith Worker Justice, “Labor Litany,” www.iwj.org/pdf/presb_materials.pdf)

O God, you are the hope of all the ends of the earth,
the God of the spirits of all flesh.
Hear our humble intercession for all races and families on earth,
that you will turn all hearts to yourself.
Remove from our minds hatred, prejudice, and contempt
for those who are not of our own race or color, class or creed,
that departing from everything that estranges and divides,
we may by you be brought into unity of spirit, in the bond of peace. Amen.

(United Methodist Book of Worship, p. 524)

A Prayer for Neighbor

We thank you, God, for coming to us as a neighbor, a stranger, an immigrant,
binding our wounds and carrying us to safety,
so that we might love you with all our heart, soul, and mind,
and welcome the stranger, loving our neighbor as ourselves.

(Adapted from “Short Preface,” www.laughingbird.net/LectionTexts/CP10.html)

A Prayer for Immigrants

Our God, you have given us in your word the stories of persons who needed to leave their homelands— Abraham, Sarah, Ruth, Moses. Help us to remember that when we speak of immigrants and refugees, we speak of Christ. In the One who had no place to lay his head, and in the least of his brothers and sisters,

you come to us again, a stranger seeking refuge. We confess that we often turn away. You have chosen that the life of Jesus be filled with events of unplanned travel and flight from enemies. You have shown us through the modeling of Jesus how we are called to relate to persons from different nations and cultures. You have called us to be teachers of your word. We ask you, our God, to open our minds and hearts to the challenge and invitation to model your perfect example of love. Amen.

(adapted from Justice for Immigrants, “Prayer and Liturgy Suggestions,” www.justiceforimmigrants.org/ParishKit/LiturgyPrayerSuggestions.pdf)

 

For the World and Its Peoples

O God, you are the hope of all the ends of the earth,
the God of the spirits of all flesh.
Hear our humble intercession for all races and families on earth,
that you will turn all hearts to yourself.
Remove from our minds hatred, prejudice, and contempt
for those who are not of our own race or color, class or creed,
that departing from everything that estranges and divides,
we may by you be brought into unity of spirit, in the bond of peace. Amen.

(United Methodist Book of Worship, p. 524)


A Prayer for Neighbor

We thank you, God, for coming to us as a neighbor, a stranger, an immigrant,
binding our wounds and carrying us to safety,
so that we might love you with all our heart, soul, and mind,
and welcome the stranger, loving our neighbor as ourselves.

(Adapted from “Short Preface,” www.laughingbird.net/LectionTexts/CP10.html)

A Prayer for Immigrants

Our God, you have given us in your word the stories of persons who needed to leave their homelands— Abraham, Sarah, Ruth, Moses. Help us to remember that when we speak of immigrants and refugees, we speak of Christ. In the One who had no place to lay his head, and in the least of his brothers and sisters, you come to us again, a stranger seeking refuge. We confess that we often turn away. You have chosen that the life of Jesus be filled with events of unplanned travel and flight from enemies. You have shown us through the modeling of Jesus how we are called to relate to persons from different nations and cultures. You have called us to be teachers of your word. We ask you, our God, to open our minds and hearts to the challenge and invitation to model your perfect example of love. Amen.

(adapted from Justice for Immigrants, “Prayer and Liturgy Suggestions,” www.justiceforimmigrants.org/ParishKit/LiturgyPrayerSuggestions.pdf)

 


Suggested Hymns about Immigration and Hospitality

All Are Welcome
Gather Comprehensive (Catholic) 753

Diverse in Culture, Nation, Race
Chalice Hymnal (Disciples of Christ) 485
Gather Comprehensive (Catholic) 739

Envía Tu Espíritu
(Send out Your Spirit)
Gather Comprehensive (Catholic) 459

For the Healing of the Nations
Chalice Hymnal (Disciples of Christ) 668
Gather Comprehensive (Catholic) 719
Moravian Book of Worship 685
New Century Hymnal (UCC) 576
United Methodist Hymnal 428

Help Us Accept Each Other
African Methodist Episcopal 558
Chalice Hymnal (Disciples of Christ) 487
Presbyterian Hymnal 388
United Methodist Hymnal 560

In Christ There Is No East or West
African Methodist Episcopal 557
African Methodist Episcopal Zion 543
Baptist Hymnal 385
Chalice Hymnal (Disciples of Christ) 687
Christian Methodist Episcopal 360
Gather Comprehensive (Catholic) 738
Presbyterian Hymnal 439
Moravian Book of Worship 781
New Century Hymnal (UCC) 394
The Hymnal 1982 (Episcopal) 529
United Methodist Hymnal 548


Quotes about Immigration and Hospitality

Our borders and immigration system, including law enforcement, ought to send a message of welcome, tolerance, and justice to members of immigrant communities in the United States and in their countries of origin. We should reach out to immigrant communities. Good immigration services are one way of doing so that is valuable in every way—including intelligence.
Final Report of the “9/11 Commission”

The Church recognizes that all the goods of the earth belong to all people. When persons cannot find employment in their country of origin to support themselves and their families, they have a right to find work elsewhere in order to survive. Sovereign nations should provide ways to accommodate this right.
Bishop Roger Mahoney

Since its founding, the United States has received immigrants from around the world who have found opportunity and safe haven in a new land. The labor, values, and beliefs of immigrants from throughout the world have transformed the United States from a loose group of colonies into one of the leading democracies in the world today. From its founding to the present, the United States remains a nation of immigrants grounded in the firm belief that newcomers offer new energy, hope, and cultural diversity. Our common faith in Jesus Christ moves us to search for ways that favor a spirit of solidarity. It is a faith that transcends borders and bids us to overcome all forms of discrimination and violence so that we may build relationships that are just and loving.
Catholic Bishops of Mexico and the U.S.


Vignette about Immigration and Hospitality

Lorena’s Story

…When I came walking my son got sick. We were in the desert on the border and all night he had a fever. There was no one there who I could ask for help. I wanted to turn back, and forget about it. It is very difficult when your child is sick and you cannot ease his pain. In the morning, the person who was to help me cross the border helped me get some medicine for my son’s ear infection. I still wanted to go back to Mexico. Then we were in the airport at El Paso. My son was following these men. It had been awhile since he had seen his father, so he thought these men were possibly his dad. He
started calling to them, “Papa, papa!” So these two men turned to look at my little boy. They were immigration officers. They looked to see who the boy was traveling with and realized it was me. I was detained. My son was hungry. There was only soda and I didn’t have any water to give him. It was horrible. Horrible. But, one has to continue.

I phoned my husband in Chicago. We discussed our choices and he urged me to try again. I agreed since I was already there on the border. And so I tried again and I made it across. My husband came to the US in September, 1976. I came in February, 1977. After this we were ok for a few years. Then I was arrested at work with another woman. Handcuffed, detained for five hours, and released.

Then came the amnesty. I had these big illusions of applying for my residency. I went to various places that said I could not apply because of my deportation. I know people whose records were worse than mine and were able to apply; but every place I went, I was told not to apply. The time arrived when my daughter who was born here turned 21 and applied for me. It was a slow process—two years without getting an appointment for my fingerprints. Finally, they took my fingerprints. Then I had to go back so that they could take them gain.

I went to the interview. I was asked if I’d ever been arrested. I told them the truth, that yes I had been arrested and deported. They asked me the date. They were unable to find a record on me for that date. They told me that I should pay the $1,000 fine and that they would contact my daughter. I paid the fine and waited to hear from them. Two years passed. In February 2005, I received a letter denying my petition because I had been deported.

Today I am scared to go out and get the mail. It worries me the situation that we are living in right now. There are some people who look at us with distrust. It bothers me a little bit. I understand that some undocumented people have done something wrong—but not all of us. Today I am here. I do not know if I will be tomorrow. I don’t know. I hope in God that there is a solution for people like myself. Some people make me feel like a criminal. The only thing that I have done is to make a better life for my family. This has been my only crime. I am conscious of the laws of this country. But I want to know what any other woman would do to be back with her children. I want you to understand that we did not come here to take jobs from people. Really, we came here to take jobs which many people are too well trained and cannot do. Also it is not true that we are taking public benefits. I have never used benefits. Three of my children attended private schools. I believe that we are contributing more than we are taking away.

From Interfaith Worker Justice, “For You Were Once a Stranger: Immigration in the U.S. Through the Lens of Faith,” http://www.iwj.org/template/page.cfm?id=62.


Contacts & Resources for Immigration and Hospitality

www.welcometheimmigrant.org
The NC Religious Coalition for Justice for Immigrants is an interfaith effort made up of concerned individuals who want to change the harsh rhetoric of the current immigration debate and remind people of faith that our primary religious calling is to love one another. The website has numerous resources about immigration from a faith-based perspective.

www.interfaithimmigration.org
The Interfaith Immigration Coalition (IIC) is a partnership of faith-based organizations committed to enacting fair and humane immigration reform that reflects our mandate to welcome the stranger and treat all human beings with dignity and respect. Coalition members work together to advocate for just and equitable immigration policies, educate faith communities, and serve immigrant populations around the country.

www.ncfarmworkers.org
The Farmworker Ministry Committee of the North Carolina Council of Churches works to improve conditions of farmworkers. The Committee offers presentations to local congregations on immigration, farmworker issues, and how congregations can develop effective ministries of partnership and outreach.

http://www.ncjustice.org/?q=getting-legal-assistance
The Immigrants Legal Assistance Project (ILAP) of the NC Justice Center provides direct legal assistance to low-income immigrants and migrant workers on civil rights and immigration law matters.

www.colawnc.org/en/index.php
Coalicion de Organizaciones Latino-Americanas (COLA) is a collaborative of around 25 Latino-led organizations across a 20-county region in Western NC. COLA’s mission is to promote the well-being and integration of Latino communities through the support of Latino grassroots groups.

www.ilrc.org
The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) works with immigrants and citizens to make critical legal assistance and social services accessible to all, regardless of income. The ILRC is a national resource center that pro- vides trainings, materials, and advocacy to advance immigrant rights.

www.elpueblo.org
El Pueblo is a statewide advocacy and public policy organization dedicated to strengthening the Latino community in North Carolina. This mission is accomplished through leadership development, proactive and direct advocacy, education, and promotion of cross-cultural understanding in partnerships at the local, state, and national levels.

http://latinocoalitionnc.org
The NC Latino Coalition (NCLC) is a broad based, multi-issue coalition of grassroots Latino congregations, neighborhood associations, unions, community centers and sports associations dedicated to building relational power among immigrants in North Carolina. The Coalition seeks to strengthen the leadership, voice and participation of immigrants in local, statewide and federal issues. NCLC leaders use relational community organizing and direct action as its main strategy.

www.sojo.net/resources/discussion_guides/DG_immigration.pdf
Sojourners magazine offers a four-part study and discussion guide for churches on immigration issues — “Welcoming the Stranger: Christians and Immigration Discussion Guide.”

www.justiceforimmigrants.org
Justice for Immigrants: A Journey of Hope is a Catholic campaign for immigration re- form founded by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Migration and The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.


Facts and Reflection about Immigration and Hospitality

1. Immigrants come to this country for the same reasons people have come for the last 400 years – economic, religious and political freedom. Many have fled civil war in their countries or economic conditions so desperate that they risk everything to come to the U.S.

2. 2015 data from the US Census shows an all-time high of over 43,000,000 foreign born immigrants living within the US, with just over 25% (11 million) of those immigrants being unauthorized.

3. North Carolina’s Immigrant population in 2015 saw an 84% rise over the year 2000 to 794,684 foreign born persons making up 7.8% of the State’s population.

4. North Carolina’s unauthorized population grew to 338,000 in 2014. Over 60% of those immigrants have been in the US for over 10 years. Only 8% of unauthorized NC children 3-17 years old are enrolled in school. 75% of unauthorized NC immigrants are uninsured. 81% of unauthorized NC immigrants are from Mexico and Central America.

North Carolina and DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)

5. “Since its inception, the program has expanded opportunities for more than a million undocumented immigrants who arrived to the United States as children. Individuals whose applications are approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) receive a two-year reprieve from deportation, and a renewable work permit.”

6. “In 2017 North Carolina had over 49,000 DACA recipients.”

7. “Research studies at the state and national level have found that, among samples of DACA beneficiaries, the majority of respondents indicate that DACA status enabled them to pursue educational opportunities that they could previously not achieve. In a 2015 study of more than 2,000 DACA beneficiaries, researchers found that among those who were sampled, 65 percent indicated that they were currently enrolled in school, and of those in school, 70 percent were also employed.”

8. “Ending DACA and introducing a mass deportation policy would not only be inhumane, it would also translate into significant economic losses for our state. If the program was eliminated and participants were removed from our labor market, North Carolina would experience a $1.1 billion annual GDP loss.”

9. “The end of the DACA program would hurt our labor market. Research points to the central role that immigrants and children of immigrants will play in growing our labor force in the years to come. In fact, immigrants and their children are projected to be the primary drivers of growth in the working-age population through the year 2035.”

10. “North Carolina would not only lose a generation of thinkers, creators and doers, it would also lose opportunities to invest in all North Carolinians. Every year, DACA beneficiaries and their families join millions of Americans in filing their tax returns. Losing DACA beneficiaries as taxpayers would mean an annual loss of $63 million in state and local tax revenue in North Carolina.”

Immigrants & The Economy

11. Opponents of comprehensive immigration reform argue that the undocumented are taking American jobs and draining the nation’s economy. However, undocumented workers contribute more to the economy (in the form of taxes, economic growth provided by undocumented labor, and consumer spending) than they receive in benefits from various governments.

12. All undocumented workers pay sales taxes, property taxes (through rent or home ownership), and many also pay social security and income taxes.

13. Immigrants tend to complement the native workforce, rather than compete with it.

14. 49,557 NC Immigrants are self-employed. Immigrant owned businesses contributed $972.1M in business income and employed over 120,000 North Carolinians.

15. Studies show that legalization would likely improve wages for all workers.

16. NC immigrants contributed $2.6B to Social Security and Medicare in 2014.

17. In 2014 Undocumented Immigrants contributed $201.8M in State and Local taxes. Through wage taxes those same immigrants contributed $338M to Social Security and $83.4M to Medicare.

18. Not all immigrants are farmworkers, and not all farmworkers are immigrants. But, our agricultural system has always relied on the labor of displaced people that do not have the benefit of full citizenship in this country – whether indentured servants, slaves, sharecroppers, or undocumented immigrants. Click here for more information on farmworkers and immigration.

Immigrants & Legal Status

19. Over the last 50 years, immigration laws have become increasingly strict. In the past, many waves of immigrants passed relatively freely through ports of entry such as Ellis Island. Since the U.S. has tightened its borders, most of these same families would be turned away today.

20. Undocumented immigrants are not all criminals just because of their immigration status. While entering this country illegally may be a crime, coming to the country legally and then overstaying a visa is a regulatory, or civil, violation, but is not a crime.

21. Under the current system, people typically enter the US legally based on family relationships and employment relationships. The family-based system requires a sponsor (either a US citizen or permanent
resident). These cases all result in a green card (legal permanent residency). The beneficiary must be within the “nuclear family” of the sponsor, so aunts and uncles, nephews and nieces are not eligible.

22. Usually, the family-based system entails very long waiting periods – up to 20 years in some cases – because of a very strict quota system.

23. There are no temporary visas for “unskilled,” “essential” workers who fill year-round jobs.

24. Under our current system, for the vast majority of workers, there is no “line” to stand in to enter the U.S. legally.

Language About Immigrants

25. In the public sphere there are numerous terms used to describe immigrants, but it is important to think about the negative connotation these terms carry. The terms “illegal” and “illegal immigrant” automatically criminalize the person, instead of the action they are purported to have committed. Shortening the term in this way also stereotypes undocumented people who are in the United States as having committed a crime. An estimated 40 percent of all undocumented people living in the U.S. entered
the country legally and then overstayed their visas. It is degrading to use the terms “alien” and “illegal alien,” which describe undocumented immigrants as inhuman outsiders who come to the U.S. with questionable motivations.

Local Enforcement of Immigration Laws

26. Immigrant communities throughout North Carolina are living increasingly in a state of fear and insecurity due to programs in which local law enforcement agencies are actively enforcing federal immigration laws. These programs have led to the deportation of thousands of undocumented immigrants statewide, often separating hardworking parents from their children. The Major Cities Chiefs – a national organization of police chiefs – note that “Immigration enforcement by local police would likely negatively effect and undermine the level of trust and cooperation between local police and immigrant communities.”

Comprehensive Immigration Reform – What Reforms Are Needed?

  • Provide A Path To Citizenship – Workers currently living in the U.S. should have the opportunity to adjust their status so that they can achieve permanent residence and citizenship.
  • Protect Workers – The nation needs a worker visa program that adequately protects the wages and working conditions of U.S. and immigrant workers and provides a path to permanent status.
  • Reunite Families – Families wanting to reunite should have their admission expedited, and those admitted on work visas should be able to keep their nuclear families intact.
  • Restore The Rule Of Law & Enhance Security – Enforcement only works when the law is realistic and enforceable.
Sources
  1. Jeff Carr, “Welcoming the Stranger” in Sojourners—Welcoming the Stranger: Christians and
    Immigration Discussion Guide, 2007.
  2. Migration Policy Institute, “Profile of the Unauthorized Population: United States,” http://www.migrationpolicy.org/data/unauthorized-immigrant-population/state/US
  3. Migration Policy Institute, “State Immigration Data Profiles: North Carolina,” http://www.migrationpolicy.org/data/state-profiles/state/demographics/NC//
  4. Migration Policy Institute, “Profile of the Unauthorized Population: North Carolina,” http://www.migrationpolicy.org/data/state-profiles/state/demographics/NC//
  5. North Carolina Justice Center: Budget and Tax Center, “The Impact of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in the Tarheel State,” http://www.ncjustice.org/sites/default/files/BTC%20BRIEF%20-%20DACA.PDF
  6. Ibid.
  7. Ibid.
  8. Ibid.
  9. Ibid.
  10. Ibid.
  11. The Perryman Group, “An Essential Resource: An Analysis of the Economic Impact of Undocumented
    Workers on Business Activity in the US with Estimated Effects by State and by Industry,” http://www.americansforimmigrationreform.com/files/Impact_of_the_Undocumented_Workforce.pdf.
  12. Immigration Policy Center, “Assessing the Economic Impact of Immigration at the State and Local Level,” http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/images/File/factcheck/State%20and%20Local%20Study%20Survey
    %20FINAL%201-15-08.pdf.
  13. Daniel T. Griswold, “When employment lines cross borders,” CATO Institute, Center for Trade
    Policy Studies, April 21, 2008, available atwww.freetrade.org/node/866.
  14. New American Economy, “The Contributions of New Americans in North Carolina,” http://www.newamericaneconomy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/nae-nc-report.pdf
  15. Raul Hinojosa Ojed, Comprehensive Migration Policy Reform in North America: The Key to
    Sustainable and Equitable Economic Integration, Los Angeles, California: North American Integration
    and Development Center, School of Policy and Social Research, UCLA, August 2000.
  16. New American Economy, “The Contributions of New Americans in North Carolina,” http://www.newamericaneconomy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/nae-nc-report.pdf
  17. Ibid.
  18. Gerry Chapman, “Legal Issues,” unpublished article, Chapman Law Firm (Greensboro, NC),
    www.chapman-immig.com; additional information provided by Kate Woomer-Deters, NC Justice
    Center (Raleigh, NC), www.ncjustice.org, and Marty Rosenbluth, Southern Coalition for Social
    Justice (Durham, NC), www.southerncoalition.org.
  19. Ibid.
  20. Ibid.
  21. Ibid.
  22. Ibid.
  23. Ibid.
  24. Ibid.
  25. National Association of Hispanic Journalists, “NAHJ Urges News Media to Stop Using
    Dehumanizing Terms When Covering Immigration,” http://www.nahj.org/nahjnews/articles/2006/March/immigrationcoverage.shtml.
  26. Marty Rosenbluth, “Local Enforcement of Immigration Laws,” unpublished article,
    Southern Coalition for Social Justice (Durham, NC), www.southerncoalition.org.
    Major Cities Chiefs, “M.C.C. Immigration Committee Recommendations,” available at http://www.houstontx.gov/police/pdfs/mcc_position.pdf.

Last Updated: September 26, 2017

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