email of 1/28/2010 from General Board of Church and Society, The United Methodist Church

The Window for Passing Humane Immigration Reform is Closing

Dear Raymond,

You know the scene in the opening of the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark when Indiana Jones is escaping from a cave with a golden idol? He barely crawls underneath a stone door that is falling, quickly reaches underneath the door and grabs his hat and somehow, someway he makes it out.

Well, that is the best way for me to describe where we are right now on passing comprehensive immigration reform. The stone door is falling on us, due in large part to the politics-as-usual in Washington DC, and we now have only one hope for our way out: YOU!

YOU, and those YOU can mobilize, are the only way we do not get the stone door of inaction and political ineptitude slammed shut on us. Somehow, someway we can make it out, but only with YOUR involvement.

So, here are some ways you can get involved:

February 1 National Faith and Immigration Conference Call at 4 pm EST. We will hear about legislation we are currently supporting, details regarding the 2nd Annual February Prayer Vigils, Ecumenical Advocacy Days and an historic rally that same weekend.


2nd Annual Prayer Vigils for February. It is not too late to plan a prayer vigil for your community of faith! Use our organizing guide, invite your member of Congress. They need to know you care about this issue. Your efforts, joined with people of faith throughout the United States, are moving Members of Congress to support just and humane immigration reform.


Attend the March 19-21 Ecumenical Advocacy Days and the March Faith Rally, or Support Someone Who Does. The conference and rally may be our last hope for reform this year and we need YOU to attend. There could be as many as 100,000 people attending the rally, so you do not want to miss it!

It is crunch time - we can make the difference. Please get involved and get your church, Sunday school class, Wesley Foundation, and any other networks you are part of to join you in Christian witness! Together, we can advocate for a pathway to citizenship for all undocumented immigrants, the reunification of all immigrant families and the protection of the rights of all workers.

Grab your hat and let's go, because we still have some time!

In Christ,

Bill Mefford
Director, Civil and Human Rights
The General Board of Church and Society
United Methodist Church
100 Maryland Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002
202-488-5600
FAX 202-488-5619


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