Obama, Evangelical Leaders Discuss Immigration Overhaul

Wall Street Journal

By Jared A. Favole

April 15, 2014

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/04/15/obama-evangelical-leaders-discuss-immigration-overhaul/

President Barack Obama met with evangelical leaders at the White House Tuesday to discuss overhauling the immigration system, part of an effort to keep pressure on Congress to act.

The Oval Office meeting included Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, Noel Castellanos, chief executive of the Chicago-based Christian Community Development Association, and other faith leaders. It took place as the administration is reviewing its deportation practices for illegal immigrants amid sharp criticism that Hispanic families are being hurt. The review is aimed at determining whether deportation policies could be carried out more humanely.

Mr. Moore, in an interview after the meeting, said the president didn’t provide details of where that review stood. He said the president did make clear that he wasn’t planning any executive actions to deal with the concerns about deportations.

Any executive action to deal with immigration would likely inflame tensions with some Republicans, who have criticized the administration’s past efforts to ease deportation policies for children brought to the country illegally by their parents.

Suzii Paynter, executive coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in Atlanta, said in an interview after the meeting that she urged the president not to take any executive actions on immigration. “If the president starts doing a lot of stuff on immigration it just polarizes everything,” she said.

Mr. Moore said immigration is one area where Republicans and Democrats should agree. Mr. Moore said he disagrees with President Obama on all sorts of issues, including abortion and gay marriage and reminded Mr. Obama of those differences. He said Mr. Obama joked in response, “You don’t have to list them all.”

The White House, in a summary of the meeting, said Mr. Obama “expressed deep concern about the pain too many families feel from the separation that comes from our broken immigration system.” He also “emphasized that while his Administration can take steps to better enforce and administer immigration laws, nothing can replace the certainty of legislative reform and this permanent solution can only be achieved by Congress.”

It’s unclear whether Congress will overhaul the immigration system this year.

Mr. Obama’s chief spokesman, Jay Carney, said the president still believes there’s a chance to fix the immigration system.

“Today’s meeting that the president had with faith leaders demonstrates and reinforces the fact that there is a broad, unusually broad, coalition that supports that effort, that supports comprehensive immigration reform,” he said in Tuesday’s briefing at the White House.

Here’s the full list of participants, according to the White House:

-President Obama

-Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser to the president

-Melissa Rogers, executive director, White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships

-Noel Castellanos, CEO, Christian Community Development Association

-Luis Cortes, president, Esperanza

-Jo Anne Lyon, general superintendent, the Wesleyan Church

-Russell Moore, Southern Baptist Convention

-Suzii Paynter, executive coordinator, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

-Dieter Uchtdorf, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

For more information, go to:  www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com