By Letters to the editor
March 26, 2010, 6:29AM

I believe U.S. policies should be guided by the Golden Rule, providing immigrants the same opportunity I would want if my family were immigrating to the United States.

People of faith all over the country are working hard to find solutions that deal honestly with the 12 million undocumented immigrants we already have in this country in a way consistent with our values.

We can't continue to play politics with immigrants' lives, our taxpayer dollars, and the time and resources of local law enforcement.

It's time to make our immigration system more secure and fair. We must crack down on dishonest employers and create a path to earned legalization that includes registering with the government and meeting citizenship requirements, such as learning English, working and paying taxes. Such practical reforms would strengthen our economy, honor our nation's ideals and affirm each immigrant's God-given dignity.

I am proud of the people of faith who joined more than 200,000 marchers on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on March 21 to demonstrate their commitment to reforming our broken immigration system.

REV. JIM STEPHENS
Vancouver

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