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Community Corner

Bishop Robert Rimbo Visits Capitol Hill to Push for Immigration Reform

Bishop Robert Rimbo, bishop of the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, met with Congressman Steve Israel on Capitol Hill to advocate for immigration reform.

"Our immigration system is deeply broken; it is a serious moral issue that impacts millions of people. Our elected officials can no longer stand by as immigrant communities and families are being ripped apart," said Bishop Rimbo, who was in Washington to take part in the annual Lutheran Immigration Leadership Summit, hosted by Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS). "Regardless of their faith or political affiliations a majority of Americans want to see this system fixed. The powers that be need to understand that they have the support of our nation's faith communities. I pray that our elected officials do not ignore the support of the American people to do what is right, what is just and what is moral.”

After meeting with Bishop Rimbo, Congressman Israel stated, “Comprehensive immigration reform is the right thing to do to help our economy and American families. The votes are there to pass the bill, but Speaker Boehner must allow us to vote on it. I thank Bishop Rimbo for discussing this critical issue with me today, and I will continue to fight to bring comprehensive immigration reform to a vote.”

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Bishop Rimbo was one of forty-two Lutheran leaders and community leaders taking part in the summit, engaging in direct conversation with lawmakers and policy makers and discussing the dire need to transform America’s broken immigration laws into a welcoming, just, and compassionate system.

LIRS’s principles for immigration reform include providing a roadmap to citizenship to undocumented immigrants, ensuring enforcement measures are humane and just, protecting families from separation, promoting integration of vulnerable migrants, and protecting U.S. and migrant workers.

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