Thread: Immigrants essential to a thriving America

By Michael J. McClenahan5 P.M.NOV. 6, 2014


A growing number of us believe that in order for America to thrive, new Americans must have the opportunities, skills and status to reach their fullest potential. We need to shift our nation’s conversation about immigrants away from divisive politics and toward this common ground.


Many times in the past two years, I have related the experiences of my church in Solana Beach — including at a White House meeting with other evangelical faith leaders to discuss the urgency of immigration reform. Everyone at that gathering agreed on the moral and biblical imperative of welcoming the stranger and the reality that immigration is not just about politics and policy, but about people.


Our church’s story is three decades of deep, family-like relationships through tutoring, college prep, citizenship classes, worshipping and serving together. Those children living in fear of a parent’s deportation are our children. I was inspired by one young man, initially a “Dreamer,” who received temporary status in order to complete his master’s degree and later became an army chaplain. Our North County Immigration and Citizenship Center is helping qualified immigrants gain legal status, including deferred action for “Dreamers.”


Honestly, it has been disappointing to see our immigration system remain broken because of our broken political system. But I am encouraged by the shift in the tone and the content of the immigration debate.


On Oct. 23, I went to Washington to be part of an “Immigration 2020” national strategy session. In person and online, close to 200 faith leaders, law enforcement, business, and other civic leaders from at least 15 states helped launch a conversation to shape a long-term agenda for new Americans and America to succeed. On multiple panels, experts offered important perspectives on immigration.


The day focused on our values. How we treat new immigrants reflects our commitment to the values that define us. As Americans, we believe that all are created equal, families should stick together, we should be neighbors to one another, and every child should have the opportunity to reach his or her full potential. Gail Christopher of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation reminded us that human beings are nearly identical, yet we mistakenly still subscribe to “a hierarchy of human value.”


Our conversation also focused on the economy. Tax reformer Grover Norquist said, “Immigration isn’t a challenge. It’s what makes us work … how we built our country.” Because immigrants create one of every three new small businesses, new Americans are vital to our nation’s economic prosperity. Leading economists believe America needs immigration to build a strong workforce, both high-tech and lower-wage, and that our economy will grow if we are able to attract the best, brightest and hardest-working people from around the world.


This wasn’t my first time to D.C., but it was special because I took a team from our community, including that young Dreamer whose story I wrote about and shared with the president. We walked together through the Capitol, told our stories to legislative aides, climbed the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and met with the White House staffer who first invited me to the Oval Office after reading an earlier piece I wrote on this topic.


Like me, many are seeing the issue of immigration through a different lens. This new perspective is one of abundance, creativity and innovation and the future success of our country. A majority of the American people (60 percent) favor immigration reform. Even members of Congress agree broadly on the need to secure our borders, respect the rule of law and provide a process for earned citizenship or legal status.


In North County we are seeing a diverse network join together with expertise, passion and hard work to find solutions that help people gain skills and opportunities through education, language, integration, and status.


Until we actually have immigration reform that reflects our values and ensures a thriving America — may that day come soon — we will continue to do what we can locally to welcome new Americans and strengthen our community.


McClenahan is senior pastor of Solana Beach Presbyterian Church in Solana Beach.


http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/...?#article-copy

Easy for this preacher to ramble on as the rest of his neighbors support the illegals at the expense of their own families.

Baptist church is receiving millions of dollars to "babysit" refugees (alien invaders). Easy to be a bleeding heart when the government is financing it. Some churches........??? Pastor do you expect me to respect you or your chosen religion when you take the publics taz dollars to do what used to be seen as religious society's work? Do you really have that much nerve? Now we HAVE TO boycott some churches!

"Poison is in everything, and no thing is without poison. The dosage makes it either a poison or a remedy." Paracelsius

This is true for immigration too. A little of the right things is good but a lot is bad.

IMO raising immigration levels constitutes much too much of good thing.

Workforce participation is down, wages are stagnant, and even our STEM graduates are having difficulty finding jobs in their STEM fields. What else do we need to know, before we acknowledge that our "immigrants first" policy is creating more problems than it can ever solve?
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Americans first in this magnificent country

American jobs for American workers

Fair trade, not free trade

Immigration is appropriate for developing and occupying a vacant land. Our land is full. It is over-populated at this point. Overpopulation is the driving force behind all things bad for humans, from the cost of products and services due to the higher demand, the stress on the environment, the new poverty that inflates our welfare spending, the surplus of workers that deflates wages and salaries, the over-utilization of natural resources from oil to food, the demand for housing that takes up habitat for new construction, the burdens on schools and hospitals, all with no net benefits to the economy because there's no net growth in jobs or gains in wages or salaries. In economics, there is a fundamental principle called the law of diminishing returns, and it's high-time Americans elect politicians who understand this and only trade with businesses who know this.

We have an overabundance of ILLEGAL aliens and last time I checked this country is not thriving. More Americans on food stamps than ever before. More Americans have given up looking for gainful employment than ever before. More Americans who have taken the 'disability' route than ever before. And the idiot in chief wants to amnesty more and give them tax refunds on money they haven't paid in, but WE had to pay. Give them social security when the money WE paid in WE will probably never see because SS is already BROKE due to thieves and crooks- and will be even more BROKE when the illegal aliens get finished raiding it.

Originally Posted by Judy

all with no net benefits to the economy because there's no net growth in jobs or gains in wages or salaries. In economics, there is a fundamental principle called the law of diminishing returns, and it's high-time Americans elect politicians who understand this and only trade with businesses who know this.

IMO we're also stuck in an America which has no leaders who actually want to make life better for Americans. Instead, 'Bamacrats and the Repub leadership are both selling out Americans. We'll all be hurt, the poorest Americans will be devastated. They're looking at another generation of being undercut for entry level jobs by the next wave of illegals.
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Americans first in this magnificent country

American jobs for American workers

Fair trade, not free trade

My only disagreement with this is with the "idiot in chief" part. 'Bama knows what he's doing. His executive amnesty is his way of thumbing his nose at all Americans.

He went to Selma recently and talked about how the fight is not really over. And all the while he's giving executive amnesty to the very people who are taking the entry level jobs that the people of Selma should be getting!
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Americans first in this magnificent country

American jobs for American workers

Fair trade, not free trade

Originally Posted by vistalad

IMO we're also stuck in an America which has no leaders who actually want to make life better for Americans. Instead, 'Bamacrats and the Repub leadership are both selling out Americans. We'll all be hurt, the poorest Americans will be devastated. They're looking at another generation of being undercut for entry level jobs by the next wave of illegals.
*******************************
Americans first in this magnificent country

American jobs for American workers

Fair trade, not free trade

I agree 100%. Stuck in the quagmire of betrayal is exactly where we are.