If prayer can move mountains, it can move lawmakers to pass immigration reform — that’s the theme of a largely liberal faith-based campaign on Capitol Hill to enact immigration reform via prayer and fasting.
The group, the Interfaith Immigration Coalition, composed of dozens of religious organizations that see biblical principle in opening borders to immigrants, is kicking off a 40-day prayer and fasting vigil on Tuesday. The group’s aim is to bring “compassion” to the legislative debate about immigration reform — and they’re doing it via a headline event with one of Capitol Hill’s most liberal lawmakers, Rep. Raul M. Grijalva, Arizona Democrat.
Mr. Grijalva, a member of the leftist Congressional Progressive Caucus, served as a featured speaker at the prayer and fasting kickoff announcement. The congressman said in a previous interview with the Yuma Sun that he expects Congress will take up immigration in October, giving lawmakers plenty of time after their summer break to drum up support among the public for a more lenient policy.
The Interfaith Immigration Coalition touts among its goals on its website a softer, gentler, “compassionate immigration” reform; namely, to bring to fruition policy that “keeps families together,” to pass the Dream Act and to “create a process for undocumented immigrants to earn citizenship.”
Carol Zinn, president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and a leading figure behind the prayer-fasting event, said in a release that “people of faith are unwilling to settle for inaction on immigration reform” and that “more and more families are being torn apart.”
She added in the release: “We believe that if prayer can move mountains, then prayer can move House members to listen to their conscience.”
SPECIAL COVERAGE: Immigration Reform
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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