1. “Immigration reform is a great moral urgency” 2000 2003

2. The Plight of Immigration in Three Movements The Questions 1. What are my perceptions 2. Who are they? Where are they? Why are they here? 3. What is it to me? The types of questions 1.A moral question 2.A social question 3.A discipleship question

4. Moral Questions

6. E.G. @ St. Augustine 1565 – First European language was Spanish 1821 after 10 year war, Mexico won its independence from Spain 1821 the Mexican government encourages settlers to come to Texas so 300 Americans came into Texas led by Stephen Austin. New president of Mexico ruled with a heavy hand. Remember the Alamo – 1836. Sam Houston later defeated Santa Anna in an 18 minute battle of Jacinto. Anglos wanted revenge for El Alamo anyway and began hating Mexicans – even those who fought on the side of the Anglos. Line drawn between Anglos and Latinos.

7. Speaking English One of the current requirements for Naturalization is that applicants must be able to understand, speak, and write ordinary English 2 nd generation 91% 3 rd generation 97%

8. On the lighter side….

10. RED: non- criminals Blue: Criminals

11. In 2012 the United States spent $18 billion on immigration enforcement, exceeding spending for all other federal law enforcement agencies combined. Border security meets or exceeds almost all benchmarks required in 2006, 2007, 2010

12. On the lighter side….

13. In March of 1857, the United States Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, declared that all blacks -- slaves as well as free -- were not and could never become citizens of the United States. Another example of we know, but not exactly

14. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.

15. The 15 th Amendment granted African American men the right to vote by declaring that the "right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Although ratified on February 3, 1870, the promise of the 15th Amendment would not be fully realized for almost a century. Through the use of poll taxes, literacy tests and other means, Southern states were able to effectively disenfranchise African Americans. It would take the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 before the majority of African Americans in the South were registered to vote.

17. The social questions

18. According to U.S. law, an immigrant is a foreign-born individual who has been admitted to reside permanently in the United States as a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR). Three ways … * Through family-sponsored immigration - current * Through employment-based immigration - current *Though diversity visa lottery that is open to immigrants from certain countries - current

19. Who are they?

20. Where? Where are they?

21. Why are they here?

22. 78% of 300 million farmworkers are foreign born. Why are they here?

23. The Urban Institute reports that between 2000 and 2005 the total number of low wage workers declined by approximately 1.8 million while the number of unskilled immigrant workers increased by 620,000, thus offsetting the total decline by about a third. American Farm Bureau: $9 billion a year in agricultural production by guest workers. Need is greater than quotas allow, 5,000. 78% of 3million farmworkers are foreign born.

25. What is it to me?

32. Must reside in U.S. for five years (3 yrs. if married to U.S. citizen) without having committed a serious crime Show that they have paid taxes Demonstrate a knowledge of U.S. History and government Show that they are of “good moral character” Understand, write and speak ordinary English

34. What are the challenges?

36. Representatives Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and John Conyers (D-MI) and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced legislation to strengthen the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision last June invalidating a critical section of the VRA. The legislation, known as “The Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014,” represents the first attempt by a bipartisan group in Congress to reinstate the vital protections of the VRA that the Supreme Court took away.The Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014Supreme Court