Yea you read that right….
Evangelical Immigration Advocates.….
The ad buy represents another August recess salvo by evangelical immigration advocates to persuade wavering House Republicans to support a comprehensive bill, as the Senate did in June (S 744). The latest round brings total ad spending by the Evangelical Immigration Table to close to $1 million, part of a broader effort by advocates to “win the recess” and send lawmakers back to the Capitol in September ready to move on immigration legislation.
“They’ll return to Washington knowing they have support at home for taking action on reform,” Duke said during a conference call with reporters Tuesday.
Evangelical groups have been a potent force in this year’s immigration debate, joining the efforts of labor unions and immigrant groups. Although traditionally more conservative, evangelical churches have seen an influx of undocumented parishioners in recent years, leading them to support broad immigration changes.
“Immigrants are part of the membership of all of our groups, and for that reason we care about immigration,” said Glen Carey, vice president of government relations for the National Association of Evangelicals.
But evangelical leaders say the question of immigration is also a “humanitarian” one. Felix Cabrera, pastor at the Quail Springs Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, said undocumented immigrants make up roughly half of his church’s congregation.
“As a Hispanic pastor in the United States, I have to deal with the collateral damage that our broken immigration system brings to my people,” he said, referring to deportations of those here illegally.
“Many are separated from their families, leaving behind U.S.-born children without their parents,” he said. “The Bible doesn’t call me to judge the reasons why immigrants arrive to this country. The Bible calls me to love them and welcome them.”
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