Oregon Churches To Sizemore: We'll Oppose Your Anti-Immigrant Agenda

This weekend the Central Pacific Conference of the United Church of Christ took action by putting our conference on record opposing to two anti-immigrant ballots measures Oregon voters will consider this fall.  Any sacred conversation on race needs to include our national response to the struggles of Hispanic people.

RESOLUTION for Central Pacific  Conference Annual Assembly

—Spring 2008

OPPOSE OREGON ANTI-IMMIGRANT BALLOT  INITIATIVES.

Signed by: Catherine Rolling, Ainsworth; Rev. Susan  Leo, Bridgeport; Rev. Chuck Currie, Parkrose

Our immigration system is broken and needs  comprehensive reform.  We, as people of faith, want an opportunity to support  proposals that include legalization with a path to citizenship and family  unification.  However, legislative proposals making their way to the November  2008 ballot in Oregon will further divide our communities and increase hate,  fear, and racism, thus contributing to anti-immigrant sentiment, by attacking an  already vulnerable people, known by people of faith as children of the  Creator.

Whereas:  Oregon ballot initiative petition (IP) #19  proposes to add a section to the Oregon Revised Statutes requiring English  immersion in public schools as proposed by Bill Sizemore and Alan Grosso and  filed in the Secretary of State’s office on April 18, 2006:

• prohibits teaching public school students in  languages other than English for more than two years. 
• would have a severe impact on immigrant children's  opportunities for quality education. 
• would take away local control and classroom  decisions about individual learning levels and special needs of students,  thereby punishing immigrant and refugee children, regardless of their legal  status, and

Whereas:  Oregon ballot initiative petition (IP)  #112 named “Respect for Law Act” proposed by Mehran Smith and Shahriyar Smith of  Oregonians for Immigration Reform and filed in the Secretary of State’s office  on July 10, 2007:

• effectively forces undocumented immigrants further  into the shadows. 
• diverts local government resources away from  community safety, health and education needs. 
• moves police, fire fighters, teachers, social  workers, and health care workers to act as immigration officers. 
• encourages racial profiling, unreported crime,  school dropouts, and public health and safety calamities. 
• imperils public safety by restricting driver’s  licenses forcing immigrants who must drive to maintain their employment and care  for their households to continue driving as unlicensed motorists. 
• offers new voter registration restrictions which  are unnecessary since there is no evidence that non-citizens are voting—and  discourages registration by other marginalized populations, such as low-income,  elderly and people of color, and

Whereas: These measures are an affront to the  dignity, safety, livelihoods, and opportunities of our immigrant neighbors,  and

 

Whereas: Jesus instructs us to welcome strangers -  not mistreat them, and

Whereas: As Christians, our actions should reflect  Jesus’ teachings, and

Whereas: As a nation of immigrants, our laws should  reflect compassionate action toward those who come into our country for safety  and opportunity;

Be it resolved: that the Central Pacific Conference  of the United Church of Christ declares its opposition to Oregon ballot  initiative petitions #19 and #112 and calls on local UCC affiliates and other  faith communities to do the same.

I was proud to be a co-sponsor of the resolution and look forward to working with churches all across Oregon in defeating these measures.