From a leader in the White House

"My administration is fully behind an effort to achieve comprehensive immigration reform."

--President Obama, from his printed remarks
after an important meeting with congressional leaders today

Thank you, Mr. President.

Welcoming the Stranger: Compassion and Justice for immigrants with Jenny Hwang

Updates on the July 9, 2009 Welcoming the Stranger event.

Explore the biblical issue of compassion and justice for immigrants and immigration reform with Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate
(IVP) co-author Jenny Hwang. Thursday, July 9, 7 – 8:30 pm in Whittier; cosponsored by World Relief and Whittier Institute for Leadership Development (W. I. L. D.). Leave a message in the comments for more information.

Panelists will include:

[Confirmed] Jenny Hwang is the Director of Advocacy and Policy for the Refugee and Immigration Program at World Relief where she works with the Congress and the Administration to improve refugee and immigration policy. She previously worked in the Resettlement section of World Relief for 2 years as the Senior Case Manager and East Asia Program Officer where she focused on advocacy for refugees in the East Asia region and managed the entire refugee caseload for World Relief before their arrival to the United States. Previous to World Relief, she worked at one of the largest political fundraising firms in Maryland managing fundraising and campaigning for local politicians. Jenny has conducted research on refugees in Madrid, Spain working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. She graduated with a B.A. from the Johns Hopkins University and is the co-author of “Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion, and Truth in the Immigration Debate.”

[Confirmed] Robert Chao Romero is an Assistant Professor in the UCLA Cesar Chavez Department of Chicana/o Studies and Director of the Christian Students of Conscience campus ministry. In the tradition of Rev. Martin Luther King and Cesar E. Chavez, Christian Students of Conscience trains and mobilizes university students in inner city and global justice issues from a faith-based perspective. Dr. Romero received his Juris Doctor from U.C. Berkeley and his Ph.D. in history from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is an ordained minister and has recently begun a pro bono practice in immigration law.

We have also invited a student who will share his/her experience growing up in the United States, success in college, and now, immigration out-of-status situation may affect the future and job prospects negatively.



Updates and new information as we confirm it will be posted.

No more delays please . . .

The US Catholic Bishops today said,

Only through comprehensive reform can we restore the rule of law to our nation’s immigration system.

We urge President Obama and congressional leaders to meet as soon as possible to discuss and draft comprehensive immigration reform legislation, with the goal of making it law by the end of 2009. The Catholic bishops of our country stand ready to assist in this effort.

Save the Date--July 9--Welcoming the Stranger

Explore the biblical issue of compassion and justice for immigrants and immigration reform with Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate
(IVP) co-author Jenny Hwang. Thursday, July 9, 7 – 8:30 pm in Whittier; cosponsored by World Relief and Whittier Institute for Leadership Development (W. I. L. D.). Leave a message in the comments for more information.

Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform launch new interactive website

Sojourner's Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CCIR) as launched a new interactive website at www.faithandimmigration.org.

The new resource is designed to be a clearinghouse for activists, clergy, and immigrants. Members are invited to post favorite immigration resources from around the Web for other CCIR members to view. Some of my pre-launch posts are still there and I will add others at time goes on.

CCIR had a press conference today which is available in the press room as recorded. Speakers include Allison Johnson, Jim Wallis, Noel Castellanos, Sammy Rodriguez and Vashti McKenzie.

Please feel free to comment here. You belong here and your comments are welcome as they are on topic, related to this post and respectful. Thank you.

If you are on Facebook, other interesting links and information is available on our Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform-California Cause page.

Roman Catholics and Evangelicals on Immigration

Fuller Seminary hosted Cardinal Rodger Mahoney last month to speak on the issue of immigration: "Immigration, God's Law and the common good." I had the opportunity to be in the room and hear the Cardinal speak and then answer questions afterward. I am especially glad that Fuller Seminary hosted this event.



Highlights from the Q & A period are in this second video. The questioners were thoughtful and well informed on the issues through a Christian lens.



I met Cardinal Mahoney after his talk and asked him about Roberto Lovato's call for moral compass from religious leaders in addition to or more than economic justice. I think Mahoney's talk here develops the need for religious leaders, the church, and to develop moral imagination and call for economic justice.

Reform Immigration for America Los Angeles video

This is from the REform Immigration for America launch event on Monday in Los Angeles. May are in Washington DC launching this new campaign for immigration reform in the US.



Thanks for Will Coley for the video.

You can join the campaign:

1. Send a text to the number 69866 with the word JUSTICE (or JUSTICIA for Spanish) to connect to the mobile action network.

2. Call Speaker Pelosi at (800) 828‐0498 and demand she take action in the House of Representatives

3. Write a letter to Congress in support of Just and Humane Immigration Reform this year.

4. Sign up for updates @ http://www.reformimmigrationforameric...

Launch: Immigration Reform for America June 1, 2009 in Los Angeles