KC churches to shelter illegals

[almaty 19]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Several churches in the Kansas City area are offering sanctuary to illegal immigrants facing deportation if the immigrants have American-born children, clean criminal records and have worked for years in the United States.

The churches are part of the New Sanctuary Movement. Through that group, churches nationwide have let illegal immigrants live on their properties in the hope that immigration officials won't raid churches to make arrests.

Tuesday night, about 100 people gathered near a billboard on Interstate 70 to announce the New Sanctuary Movement Coalition of Greater Kansas City.

"It is the very soul of our nation that is at stake" in how we treat families in which one or both parents are illegal immigrants but the children are American citizens, said the Rev. Rick Behrens of Grandview Park Presbyterian Church. "We are losing our soul as we separate children from parents."

None of the Kansas City churches has sheltered an illegal immigrant yet.

The churches say providing shelter isn't against the law because church members would refrain fromt interfering with agents coming onto church property.

But Kris Kobach, a University of Missouri-Kansas City law professor and chairman of the Kansas Republican Party, said it is a violation of federal law to harbor an illegal immigrant knowingly.

"There are many points of view about the role of churches in our society and how much civic engagement there should be," said Kobach, of Kansas City, Kan. "But I think one area that until very recently has been pretty clear is, churches shouldn't themselves violate federal law."

Last month, immigration agents arrested Elvira Arellano, an illegal immigrant, after she left a church in Chicago where she had lived for about a year after being scheduled to be deported. Agents arrested her in Los Angeles with her American-born son after the two traveled there to participate in a pro-immigration rally.

Arellano was sent to Mexico, while her son stayed in the United States.

Last weekend, immigrant advocates and anti-illegal immigration activists clashed outside a California church that is protecting an illegal immigrant from Mexico who is married to a U.S. citizen and has three American-born children.

The woman went into hiding after immigration officials ordered her deported

[Ban Hammer 13,345]

hmmm, time to go have a demonstration.

[brnidokiegurl 0]

if the immigrants have American-born children, clean criminal records and have worked for years in the United States. IF ALL THIS IS GOOD AND TRUE THEN FILE THE CORRECT PAPERS AND BECOME LEGAL

[Jasman0717 9]

Just because churches are doing it doesn't make it right

[almaty 19]

i think, the churches see themselves doing Jesus (pbuh) work...hye never turned his back on a pagan ...and helped those who needed it..regardless, of jewish or romans authorities rules

[Bootylicious!! 2]

if the immigrants have American-born children, clean criminal records and have worked for years in the United States. IF ALL THIS IS GOOD AND TRUE THEN FILE THE CORRECT PAPERS AND BECOME LEGAL

What papers would that be? If the kids aren't 21 they have no papers to file. Just because they have kids, clean criminal records, and have worked in the US doesn't give them a right to file papers. They're still illegal. They'd still have to go back to Mexico or whatever country they are from, come up with the money to file the papers, file the papers, get denied for illegal entry, and then live in said country because their chance of a waiver being granted would be slim to none. It's just not as easy as everyone wants to think it is.

[perfect 39]

"i think, the churches see themselves doing Jesus (pbuh) work...he never turned his back on a pagan ...and helped those who needed it..regardless, of jewish or romans authorities rules "

But he didn't actually aid and abet people in BREAKING the law.

Religion just should not be involved in these kind of things IMHO. And if a CHurch does then it should be charged for harboring illegals. They should not be immune to the consequences of getting involved in these issues.

[brnidokiegurl 0]

this is true im sure and i dont have dealing with this problem so unsure of the process just saying if they have been good citizens etc take the opportunity to do whatever steps it takes to try to do the correct thing, not just government handing them the right to be here

[Ban Hammer 13,345]

"i think, the churches see themselves doing Jesus (pbuh) work...he never turned his back on a pagan ...and helped those who needed it..regardless, of jewish or romans authorities rules "

But he didn't actually aid and abet people in BREAKING the law.

Religion just should not be involved in these kind of things IMHO. And if a CHurch does then it should be charged for harboring illegals. They should not be immune to the consequences of getting involved in these issues.

just remove their tax exempt status

[JeanneVictoria 55]

[almaty 19]

"i think, the churches see themselves doing Jesus (pbuh) work...he never turned his back on a pagan ...and helped those who needed it..regardless, of jewish or romans authorities rules "

But he didn't actually aid and abet people in BREAKING the law.

Religion just should not be involved in these kind of things IMHO. And if a CHurch does then it should be charged for harboring illegals. They should not be immune to the consequences of getting involved in these issues.

he was enough of a threat to the Romans to get nailed to a cross...

[Addie_Goodvibes 0]

if the immigrants have American-born children, clean criminal records and have worked for years in the United States. IF ALL THIS IS GOOD AND TRUE THEN FILE THE CORRECT PAPERS AND BECOME LEGAL

BS Go back to where you entered illegally from then file the correct papers after paying fines and penalties & waiting 5-10 year ban for breaking federal law.

THEN after everyone currently in line legally enter through legal means.

NO amnesty for Law breakers just beacuse they drop and anchor baby does not give them priviliages or rights to break the law with out consequences or allow them to simply have a free pass.

[brnidokiegurl 0]

BS Go back to where you entered illegally from then file the correct papers after paying fines and penalties & waiting 5-10 year ban for breaking federal law.

THEN after everyone currently in line legally enter through legal means.

NO amnesty for Law breakers just beacuse they drop and anchor baby does not give them priviliages or rights to break the law with out consequences or allow them to simply have a free pass.

.[/b] IF ALL THIS IS GOOD AND TRUE THEN FILE THE CORRECT PAPERS AND BECOME LEGAL

file the correct papers did we not just say the same thing, these would only be the clean records, people tht have not caused any problems (except being illegal) i doubt a person with criminal backgrounds would go to all the trouble to begin with, im not for just handing all the rights over and excuseing all past behaviour

[Jaseball 0]

You can't make exceptions for people who have children born in the US. All that would do is encourage illegals to have a kid ASAP if that was a way to bypass normal immigration.

Also, the government is not splitting families apart as the church claims. Both the illegal parent and the US citizen kid should go back to the parent's home country and see if they can all enter legally.

This is off topic a bit, but in all honesty gaining entry into the US really isn't the same now as back in the 1800-1900's. We're probably headed for a long recession and we're losing ground to so many countries in development, cost of living, quality of life, education, etc., that in another 10-20 years it may make more sense to make a life in their original countries anyways.

Either that or come into the US, then go into Canada. It isn't that hard to imagine the Canadian dollar being worth more than the US dollar now, which would have been a laughable suggestion only a few years ago.

[eric&gen 0]

Churchs around there are doing wrong thing they are sinners for hiding illegals they should be slapped with a hefty fine then shut down deport the illegals back home ban them from America so what if they have kids they don't belong here they are illegal period.