Council Voices

Qué Pasa Media Network

The Methodists appear to be one step ahead of other religious congregations in North Carolina when it comes to the work of promoting immigration reform. One of the denomination’s main statewide leaders, Bishop Al Gwinn, was one of the keynote speakers at a breakfast this past Thursday organized by the North Carolina Council of Churches in Raleigh.

Qué Pasa Media Network

Su principal líder a nivel estatal, el obispo Al Gwinn, fue uno de los principales oradores en el desayuno que organizó el Concilio de Iglesias de Carolina del Norte en Raleigh, el pasado jueves. El clérigo destacó las iniciativas y esfuerzos que realizan distintas agrupaciones de su denominación religiosa, pero aclaró que todavía falta seguir educando a más metodistas estadounidenses sobre un tema tan controversial.

Raleigh News & Observer

The young women who went on a hunger strike in downtown Raleigh should be commended for their courage. They only want the chance to go to college and earn legal status in this country in order to contribute fully to society.

Charlotte Observer

State clergy will meet in Charlotte tomorrow to discuss the theological and practical sides of the immigration debate. Seeking to encourage constructive dialogue, clergy members are expected to discuss the controversial Arizona immigration law and how they relate with local enforcement efforts such as Mecklenburg County’s 287g program.

Greensboro News & Record

The church is hosting a statewide clergy breakfast on immigration Thursday, the latest in a series of meetings sponsored by the N.C. Council of Churches.

The issue is a complicated one, Beverly says, but like a lot of people of faith, she is calling on elected leaders to work on an immigration process that unifies families, protects workers’ rights, and provides a clear pathway to citizenship.

The interfaith breakfast discussion, “From Hostility to Hospitality: Immigration and People of Faith,” examines both the theological and practical sides of the debate.

Raleigh News & Observer

As you reported recently, Raleigh Police Chief Harry Dolan opposes the new Arizona law targeting immigrants because it undermines public safety. The N.C. Council of Churches agrees with Dolan and other law enforcement agencies that such draconian measures are both impractical and immoral.

This law allows any person to be stopped by police if there is reasonable suspicion of being undocumented. Encouraging these fearful sentiments is wrong. It sends us backward as a nation in a time when we need real solutions to move us forward.

Eastern Wake News

RALEIGH – As people of faith, we are greatly disturbed by reports of local law enforcement targeting Spanish-language church services in their misguided hunt for undocumented immigrants in Zebulon. All people – regardless of their immigration status – have the right to worship free from harassment and unconstitutional checkpoints. Just because someone doesn’t have the right papers for the U.S. government does not make him or her any less a child of God. It’s shameful that a country so proud of its religious freedom would unfairly target church-going members of the community.

NC Policy Watch

So, what would comprehensive immigration reform mean for us? Imagine having a system that reflected both the realities of a global economy and our best values. Families would be stronger, enforcement would be more effective, workers would be better paid and protected, and American workers would not face discrimination from unscrupulous employers.

Raleigh News & Observer

Many politicians are saying that they want to address the root causes of our immigration situation, but they go on to talk only about increased enforcement. Of course, we are a nation of laws and the rule of law should be upheld. But experience and common sense show us that merely building a bigger wall won’t work because enforcement alone does not deal with the root causes.