Immigration Forum in New Hampshire
| On May 5, the Indonesian Christian Reformed Church of Dover, NH sponsored an immigration forum to address the needs of the Indonesian community in the region. This forum was done in collaboration with Northeast Community Transformation’s Justice Education program. Rev. Michael Lapian of Indonesian CRC has been a catalyst in bringing Indonesian churches in the region together to form an association to work on community development and justice concerns. Five churches and 35 people participated in the event. |  |
The forum was led by attorneys Mona Movafaghi and Randall Drew, two excellent and justice minded lawyers who have been advocates for the Indonesians and for just immigration reform. Some of the complex immigration issues facing the Indonesian community were addressed such as asylum and deportation, family sponsorship and labor certification. The lawyers also discussed the need for churches and citizens to call on their representatives to enact comprehensive and just immigration legislation, which is currently being debated in the House of Representatives and US Senate. They proposed the following be included in a letter to representatives: 2. Establish a workable process to provide undocumented immigrants already in the U.S. an opportunity to come out of the shadows and earn the privilege of permanent legal status by: registering with the government, paying a hefty fine, undergoing thorough security checks, and meeting additional requirements; 3. Reform our visa preference systems and eliminate the family-based and employment-based visa backlogs that senselessly keep U.S. families separated for years and prevent American businesses from attracting the brightest talent from around the world; 4. Establish smart enforcement strategies that restore the rule of law in our workplaces and along the border, while protecting due process rights and facilitating the cross-border flow of goods and people that is essential to a vibrant economy. In the often complicated and emotional immigration discussion, let us seek the Lord with a heart of mercy and justice: “When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien…(Dt. 24:19).” | |