Statement by Transform Minnesota regarding Speaker Boehner’s Announcement of principles.

We are encouraged by U.S. House Speaker John Boehner’s announcement of principles for immigration reform, and we urge Minnesota’s congressional delegation to seize this opportunity to work together to pass just and compassionate reform. We, along with millions of other Americans, support legislation that creates a temporary worker program, promotes family reunification, ensures due process of law for all people, secures our borders, strengthens our society and provides a pathway to earned legal status.

As Evangelical Christians, we support reform that protects family unity and respects the God-given dignity of every person. Creating an effective and functional immigration system will also help to keep our country safe and secure. The Bible speaks clearly and repeatedly about God’s concern for immigrants and for the dispossessed. The expectation to treat them fairly and compassionately is deeply rooted in Scripture and in Jesus’ ministry.

A variety of polls consistently demonstrate that a majority of evangelical Christians—as high as 75%—believe immigration reform is necessary, and that they support a path to legal status and eventual citizenship for immigrants.

Given this recent development by Speaker Boehner and the Republican House Leadership, we urge our elected leaders to pass bipartisan immigration reform in 2014.

View Transform Minnesota’s 2012 Resolution on Immigration Reform (PDF).

View 2013 letter “A Christian Call for Immigration Reform” signed by more than 100 evangelical, Catholic and mainline leaders in Minnesota.