A story of immigration

22Christians all over the world have heard or will be hearing those words during church services celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

And while the overall message of Chrismas is one of love, family, hope and community, it is appropriate to put today’s Bible verse in the context of the searing debate on immigration in the U.S. and around the world.

Indeed, the current shutdown of the federal government is a direct result of the divisions that exist with regard to America’s immigration policy .

As President Donald J. Trump and the right wing of the Republican Party dig in their heels over Trump’s demand for $5 billion from Congress to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, we think back to 2013 when a comprehensive immigration reform bill passed the Democratic-led Senate on a 68-32 vote. The aptly named Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act died on the vine in the GOP-controlled House.

The act offered a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million immigrants who are in this country illlegally and tightened border security by doubling the size of the border patrol.

And most significantly, it advocated the construction of a 700-mile high-tech security fence.

If President Trump is sincere about solving the immigration problem, he will use the 2013 act that former Republican President George W. Bush endorsed as the foundation for a bipartisan measure.