The Supreme Court has upheld the most controversial aspect
of the anti-immigrant legislation adopted in Arizona. Section 2(B), the
provision that permits officers conducting a stop, detention, or arrest to
verify the person’s immigration status, was the only section challenged under
federal preemption theory upheld by the Court.
As lawyers and advocates sift through the opinion to
determine its impact on state immigration laws, the Reverend Gradye Parsons,
Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is concerned with how the
church will minister to families in states like Arizona. Parsons commented,
“Right now, the most important issue is responding to the pastoral needs of
those unsure about how this decision will affect their families.” He added, “We
will work with local congregations and Presbyteries to ensure that communities
have reliable and accurate information to make the best decisions for their
families.”
This law creates an environment where some are more closely
scrutinized and viewed as suspicious, and this worries many immigrants and
advocates. Hostility in communities that is sanctioned by law creates an
environment where immigrants are not welcomed, which is antithetical to the
gospel. The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) calls the church
to be open to the future to which God is drawing us, which includes church
membership and welcoming all people regardless of worldly conditions. By
denying the full humanity and rights of a segment of the population in the
United States in the eyes of the law, Christians forget the stories of
migration of their faith ancestors.
The Rev. J. Herbert Nelson, Director of the Office of Public Witness, stated,
“The spirit of the Arizona law and others like it robs this country of the
gifts immigrants bring to our communities and congregations by encouraging the
public to look upon our sisters and brothers with suspicion and, in severe
cases, disdain. This suspicion of individuals perceived to be immigrants also
does harm to American citizens as we deny our interdependence on one
another. This causes us to forget that we, too, were once strangers in
this land.”
Presbyterians have a long history of commenting on and
advocating for immigration reform and ministering to immigrants suffering as a
result of the restrictive laws. The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.) has continued this tradition by calling for the House and Senate to
work together to develop laws that meet the needs of immigrant families and
this country. The Arizona law and others like it are in conflict with General
Assembly policy that opposes local enforcement of immigration laws and calls
for immigration laws that uphold family unity and individual dignity.
Nelson said, “Section 2(B) can be interpreted to encourage
racial profiling and this profiling does violence to the image of God that all
people bear. I remain hopeful that this section of the law will eventually be
struck down.”
While for now the law is uncertain in the long term, Parsons
stated, “Sometimes government laws can be in conflict with the gospel.
Therefore, it is important for people of faith to think critically about the
elements of a just law and how to respond to injustice. The General
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and other denominations and faiths
have signed onto the Interfaith Platform on Human Immigration Reform. We
remain committed to the factors set forth in the Platform, which we regard as
just and necessary to meet the needs of our country.”
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is working with our inter-faith partners to develop an appropriate faith-based response to move immigration reform forward and support local congregations and Presbyteries working to address the needs of their local communities in light of the Court’s ruling.
