Faith Leaders Speak Out on the Arizona Immigration Law

As people of faith, we are deeply concerned by the passage of Arizona's draconian new immigration law, SB1070. The law puts Arizona at the center of the immigration debate in the United States, a debate about what kind of country we want to be.

Many who are hurt and frustrated by the economic crisis are scapegoating immigrants as the cause of the crisis, as are some political leaders seeking to increase support by appearing tough on illegal immigration. This is unfortunately not new in our history. Throughout the colonial and national history of the American nation, different groups have been singled out as detrimental to the dominant culture and as threats to the jobs of the native born. Germans, Irish, African Americans, Jews, Chinese, Japanese, Puerto Ricans, Arabs and Muslims have each been so stigmatized, while today Mexicans and other Latinos bear the brunt of racist and anti-immigrant animus…. MORE