ELCA NEWS SERVICE January 13, 2004 Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service Welcomes Real Reform 04-006-FI CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The head of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) welcomed the spirit of immigration reform President George Bush unveiled Jan. 7 in a proposed "Temporary Worker Program," but he awaits permanent results. LIRS is a joint ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. LIRS President Ralston H. Deffenbaugh Jr. said Jan. 13, "Regarding President Bush's temporary worker proposal, I have to say my reactions are mixed." "LIRS hopes the president's speech will mark the beginning of an important new debate about comprehensive immigration reform," he said. "Evaluating President Bush's proposal in light of the effects it will have on undocumented people shows that, while the proposal has some positive components, it is only an initial step in fixing our broken immigration system," Deffenbaugh said. Bush noted the history of immigration to the United States. "One of the primary reasons America became a great power in the 20th century is because we welcomed the talent and the character and the patriotism of immigrant families," Bush said. "The contributions of immigrants to America continue. About 14 percent of our nation's civilian workforce is foreign-born," he said, adding that more than 35,000 foreign-born men and women currently serve in the U.S. military. "As a nation that values immigration and depends on immigration, we should have immigration laws that work and make us proud. Yet today we do not. Instead, we see many employers turning to the illegal labor market. We see millions of hard- working men and women condemned to fear and insecurity in a massive, undocumented economy," Bush said. Bush said immigration policy should be based on four principles: controlling borders, serving U.S. economic needs, giving preference to legal immigrants and providing incentives for temporary foreign workers to return to their home countries. Deffenbaugh said, "As a faith-based agency, LIRS is committed to immigration policies that incorporate four core principles: promoting family unity, making it possible for those working 'below the radar' in our country to live openly within the law in our society without fear, protecting human rights and worker rights, and providing a path to permanence." "President Bush is correct in saying that America's immigration system is broken, and his temporary worker proposal will provide an opportunity to begin the debate on how best to create long-term, comprehensive immigration reform that results in 'immigration laws that work and make us proud,'" Deffenbaugh said. "LIRS looks forward to working with the Bush administration and Congress to continue the work of crafting real immigration reform that unites families, ensures worker rights and human rights, allows immigrant workers to live freely and openly in our society, and gives those willing to contribute to our economy and society a true path toward citizenship in the United States," Deffenbaugh added. -- -- -- The home page for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is at http://www.lirs.org/ on the Web. For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/news