Pastors Call for Immigration Reform

Rev. Randy Buursma says he believes there is a good reason that between 10-15 million illegal immigrants are living in the United States.

U.S. employers and government officials, he says, have built the national economy on the inexpensive labor provided by these men and women.

“This situation is our own doing,” said Buursma, one of more than 30 evangelical leaders from across Michigan who travelled to Washington, D.C. this week to address immigration reform with lawmakers. 

Buursma spoke at a press conference last week in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Buursma, pastor of First Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, says he agrees with another pastor who has said: “We have put two signs at our border. One sign says ‘No Trespassing’ and the other says ‘Help Wanted’.”

More than 250 pastors and leaders gathered for a prayer service on Tuesday before separating to meet with politicians on Capitol Hill.

The day-long event was hosted by the Evangelical Immigration Table, a group of national evangelical pastors that is calling for Congress to pass immigration reform, based on biblical and moral imperative, as soon as possible. The CRC was one of the early leaders in supporting formation of the Evangelical Immigration Table.

The U.S. Senate has already passed legislation, but the House is still debating the issue of immigration reform.

According to the Religion News Service (RNS), some evangelical leaders said this week that they have met privately with House GOP leaders who indicated that there might be “progress ahead on an issue that has stalled since the Senate passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill in June.”

In the past couple of months, says RNS, religious leaders have met with House Speaker John Boehner’s staff and President Obama and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson. Faith leaders also recently met with members of Congress in their home districts.

Besides Buursma, the press conference last week included pastors from a Wesleyan church and a Covenant church, both in Grand Rapids, and a student from Western Theological Seminary in Holland.

“We are asking Congress in the name of the Lord to help us because the urgency of this issue is a reality for us,” said Angel Lopez, who is from Mexico and is studying at Western Seminary, at the press conference.

He told the story of a friend who had been in this country illegally for many years to work in the construction industry. When he was in a minor traffic accident, he was arrested and deported, said Lopez.

“He gave all of his strength and youth to this country. He had to live in the shadows,” said Lopez. “I’m speaking on behalf of him and for others who have similar stories.

“There is a God who watches over us. I am here and able to study in this country by the grace of God.”