National pastors bring immigration debate to Congress as new report warns of mass family separation

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar (FL-27) joined faith leaders from across the country at the U.S. Capitol to call for passage of the Dignity Act (H.R. 4393), the only serious, bipartisan immigration reform bill before Congress, following this weekend's national "Rededicate 250" gathering on the National Mall.

As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, pastors and faith leaders warned that Washington's failure to fix the broken immigration system is devastating churches, families, and communities across America.

For Rep. Salazar, the pastors gathered today represent millions of Americans demanding action from Congress.

"The pastors here today come bearing witness to a crisis that Washington has ignored for forty years," said Rep. Salazar. "They speak for parents who are afraid to take their children to school, for spouses who do not know if their family will be intact tomorrow, and for congregations that are watching their members disappear. Their message is clear, their cause is just, and the Dignity Act is the answer this country has been waiting for. Congress must act now."

That message was echoed throughout the gathering by religious leaders who traveled to Washington this week, bringing stories shaped not by politics, but by what they witness every Sunday in their churches and communities.

"Today, I come not as a politician, but as a concerned American who still believes in the promise of this nation," said Pastor Juan Caceres from Texas. "President Trump, you have shown the courage to lead with strength and results, stopping wars, defending the persecuted abroad and at home, and putting America first. We thank you for that. Now, we ask you to take a new approach on the issue that affects every community in our country: immigration. History is watching what is done in this window of opportunity. I respectfully ask you to seriously consider the Dignity Act. It represents a serious, balanced, and dignified step toward a lasting solution-one that honors the rule of law while showing compassion to those who want to contribute and assimilate."

"This is a complex issue, but I believe our President has the wisdom, the revelation, and the knowledge of God to make sure this issue is addressed immediately," said Pastor Lorenzo Sewell. "I believe we are going to see the Dignity legislation move forward so that those who do not have legal status can have it, and we give Jesus all the glory for answering our prayers." 

"The church is hurting right now," said Yolanda Alcozer. "People are afraid to go to church, and I believe God gave Congresswoman Salazar both the grace and the intelligence to write the Dignity Bill. It is not amnesty. It is giving people and families back a dignified way to live. As Christians and religious leaders, we believe family is the nucleus of society. This bill protects families, and that is a huge win for us. This is something we have been praying for and waiting on for years."

Their testimony is reinforced by a stark new report, Joined Together, Torn Apart: How U.S. Immigration Policies are Separating Families, released by the National Association of Evangelicals and World Relief, which lays bare the human cost of America's broken immigration system and the consequences of continued congressional inaction.

The report's findings underscore the urgency:

• 910,000 U.S. citizen children could be separated from one or both parents by 2029. The average child is just 8 years old. 

• The parents at risk of deportation have lived in the United States for an average of 15 years.

• 1 in 25 households in the United States are considered mixed-status families.

• 12.5 million Americans, mostly children and spouses, live with someone vulnerable to deportation.

• 1 in 12 Christians in the United States is undocumented or has a close family member who is vulnerable to deportation. 

• In some congregations, church attendance has dropped between 35 and 70 percent as parishioners fear leaving their homes.

• Millions of Christians could be vulnerable to deportation under current law. 

• 9 in 10 evangelical Christians and 95 percent of evangelical pastors say immigration policies should protect the unity of the immediate family.

The report argues that solutions like the Dignity Act would help address many of these challenges by allowing certain long-term undocumented immigrants to earn legal status, remain with their families, and continue contributing to the communities and churches they call home.

Following this weekend's "Rededicate 250" gathering on the National Mall, Rep. Salazar and the faith leaders gathered today said America cannot celebrate 250 years of faith, freedom, and human dignity while continuing to ignore a broken immigration system that is tearing families and congregations apart. Together, they called on Congress to pass the bipartisan Dignity Act and finally deliver a lasting immigration solution rooted in both the rule of law and the nation's deepest values.

Watch the full press conference here

Watch Rep. Salazar's remarks here

Read the full reporthere

The Dignity Act and the Faith Community

The Dignity Act is unlike any immigration legislation before Congress. Grounded in the biblical principles of dignity and redemption, the bill reflects a conviction shared across denominations: that a just immigration system must honor both the rule of law and the God-given dignity of every person it touches.

The legislation has earned the endorsement of the National Association of Evangelicals, whose president, Walter Kim, said the bill represents 'a just and humane resolution to the status of immigrants who are valued members of our churches and communities.

The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, one of the nation's largest Latino Christian organizations, has also formally endorsed the bill, with President Rev. Samuel Rodriguez calling it a path forward "for good, God-fearing, hard-working men and women who have created a life here."

World Relief, one of the nation's leading evangelical humanitarian organizations, has similarly backed the legislation as a serious good-faith effort to reform the immigration system while protecting families and upholding accountability under the law.

For the faith leaders gathered at the Capitol today, supporting the Dignity Act is not a political position. It is a biblical one.

RESOURCES:

One-pager on the Dignity Act, click here.

Detailed summary of the Dignity Act, click here. 

Section-by-section breakdown of the Dignity Act, click here. 

For the media kit, click here.

Fact sheet on the Dignity Act, click here.

Full text of the bill, click here.