Rev. Nelson Johnson speaks at Press Conference on Immigration Reform

by Rev. Nelson Johnson

Jun. 25, 2009

[The following is a statement given by Rev. Nelson Johnson during a press conference on Immigration Reform. The Press Conference took place today at Faith Action International House in Greensboro, NC at 11 am EST on June 25, 2009.]

I understand that President Obama and select members of Congress are getting together soon to discuss and map a direction forward for much needed immigration reform.

The Immigration question is a multi-dimensional issue.  For me the starting point is as a moral issue.  We must find a way to honor the humanity of our immigrant brothers and sister. Loving them and seeking to affirm their dignity and worth just as we love and seek to affirm our dignity and worth. Those of us whose vocation is faith based must insist on a moral priority.

The moral priority that I am emphasizing is not incompatible with the other dimensions of this issue. I am convinced that with effort,  our nation can find a way; that we can craft the necessary legislation to insure that all workers are here legally; that a limited number of unethical and unscrupulous employers do not exploit immigrant workers and that they do not gain an unfair advantage over their competitors.  Our immigration reform must insure that immigrant workers have the same labor rights as all other workers.  This is necessary as a moral question but it is also necessary to prevent immigrant laborers from being manipulated, driving down the wages for everyone and thereby creating a sense of division and often bitterness between working folk.
 
  We also  need immigration reform that establishes just laws that are enforceable; reform that restores tax fairness and creates an atmosphere of mutual respect and establishes a level playing field for all justice loving and law abiding  people including our cooperate citizens.

 The immigration question is one of our nation’s great practical, common sense concerns as well as one of the great moral issues of our time.  I have had the experience, a few years ago, of working with a whole immigrant family in the restaurant business.
 

• They were hired as wage workers
   
• They were paid under the table
   
• They were getting less that $4.00 a day
   
• They had no rights; they were abused on the job; they were fearful of raising any issues of mistreatment with their employers because of deportation concerns.

This is just one small but very significant example.  We know that there are thousands of these examples all over the nation. There is urgency to fixing this problem.  Our nation needs to value and protect its workers.  We as a nation need an immigration system that is common sense, one that our immigrant brothers and sister can go through not go around. 

The challenge before us is inevitable, we cannot avoid it. That is why I am appealing to all my clergy brothers and sisters and all justice loving people whoever you are to urge our legislators to move quickly.  Now is the time to craft the necessary legislation to insure practical, common sense, compassionate, responsible and accountable immigration reform.

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