Evangelical women also, want better immigration legislation

B Stands for Bold Welcome

Good afternoon,

When we take an overall look at how immigration issues have and continue to be engaged, it’s easy to be discouraged. Years of inaction in Congress perpetuated by distractions (such as Secretary Mayorkas’s impeachment – read the Council on National Security and Immigration’s statement here), refusal to work together across party lines, and harmful and offensive rhetoric used by influential voices that fill the media all seem to dominate the immigration conversation. However, if we take a closer look at how many people across the country are participating in this conversation, we see examples that are very encouraging.

As continued polling and our work at the National Immigration Forum with many different constituencies demonstrate, Americans want bipartisan, commonsense, and compassionate immigration solutions. One group that believes in this is the evangelical Christian women who belong to the Women of Welcome and We Welcome communities, two projects that provide educational resources to equip women of faith, many of whom identify as evangelicals, to have healthy dialogue and engage in advocacy around crucial immigration issues.

These women, many of whom come from more conservative communities, have boldly stepped into this space to become learners and find ways to welcome immigrants and refugees, guided by a clear biblical calling to care for the stranger (a.k.a., their immigrant neighbors). This has taken many different forms for this group, including joining trips to the U.S.-Mexico border to learn from partners on the ground, participating in book and Bible studies focused on welcoming or advocacy, or becoming private sponsors to welcome refugees to the U.S. This community has laid the groundwork for many evangelical women and their own circles to think differently about immigration, which has been slowly changing the narrative, catching the attention of many, including this USA Today reporter.

Front page of USA Today print edition on February 5 (Source: screenshot from Women of Welcome Instagram post, viewable here)

Of course, evangelical women are not the only ones who want better immigration reforms. Law enforcement, national security, and business leaders, among others, are constantly raising their voices for bipartisan solutions and are participating through their own professions and communities to welcome their immigrant neighbors.

As we continue to get bombarded by discouraging news and hurtful messaging, I encourage you to take a closer look at how people in your community are being bold and are trying to change the narrative around immigration issues through their conversations and actions, and I invite you to continue to join us in advocating for better solutions for the good of all.

Stay hopeful and committed,

Allison

Allison Bassett
Field and Constituencies Manager
National Immigration Forum

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