Church World Service, General Board of Global Ministries – Justice for our Neighbors (JFON),  General Board of Church and Society, North Carolina Conference Commission on Church and Society, the Office of Missions and Justice, and the NC Conference Refugee and Immigration Chairperson raise an urgent appeal. 

Bill H.R. 4088, The Save Act, is expected to come to the Congressional House Floor in the immediate future, perhaps in the next week.  These church bodies believe the bill is deeply flawed on a number of issues, particularly with regard to language around rendering assistance and transporting undocumented immigrants.   In short, as Church World Service notes, under the SAVE Act, the definition of “alien smuggler” could be interpreted to include anyone who provides transportation or assistance to an undocumented immigrant. This would impact churches, humanitarian groups, bus drivers, and others who are in no way “smugglers” but simply do not examine immigration status prior to helping people in need.  The GBCS states that the bill approves of detaining children and dramatically expands detention space, without effectively addressing widespread concerns about the way the government treats immigrant detainees.  Naomi Madsen, JFON Program Director, noted most of the JFON lawyers agree that although it would be difficult to convict a citizen as a smuggler who was ferrying someone on a humanitarian trip – store, hospital, church, etc. it could be a possibility.  However, if someone was a legal visitor, the risk of a smuggling conviction or deportation would be dramatically greater.

To see the North Carolina Conference Church and Society response, click here:  NC Confence Commission on Church & Society Response 

To see the General Board on Church and Society response, click here:  General Board of Church & Society Response

To see the Church World Service response, click here:  Church World Service Response

To see more information on General Board of Global Ministries Justice For Our Neighbors, click here:  JFON Information

To see the actual bill, click here:  http://thomas.loc.gov/  - under the search block type in H.R. 4088.  The language on transport is found in section 141.  

Please prayerfully consider contacting your congressional representative and strongly note these concerns about this legislation. 

To see your congressional representative contact information, click here:  House Contact

For more information, you can contact Jen Smyers, Associate for Immigration and Refugee Policy Church World Service jsmyers@churchworldservice.org, Naomi Madsen, Program Manager - Justice for Our Neighbors, Immigration & Refugee Ministries, NMadsen@gbgm-umc.org, or the General Board of Church and Society at:  gbcs@umc-gbcs.org