A group of evangelical faith leaders pushing for an overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws is screening a documentary about the subject in Atlanta and across the nation this week.
Called “The Stranger,” the 40-minute film was commissioned by the Evangelical Immigration Table, which supports revamping the nation’s immigration system “consistent with biblical values.” Emmy Award-winning producer Linda Midgett wrote and directed the film.
The documentary highlights three immigrant families, the economic benefits of immigration and the tangles in the legal immigration system. One of those featured is a Mexican immigrant who came to work in Georgia’s agricultural industry at the age of 16, fleeing problems in her native country. She has four U.S. citizen children, who fear she will be deported, according to the film.
The film will be shown Friday at 8 p.m. at Open Table Community Church, 2605 Chamblee Tucker Road in Atlanta. More than 500 screenings are scheduled in more than 30 states. Atlanta’s screening is free and open to the public. See a trailer for it or download the film at: www.thestrangerfilm.org
The Evangelical Table is calling on Congress to create a pathway to citizenship for immigrants living illegally in the U.S. The coalition’s statement of principles also calls for respecting the rule of law and securing the nation’s borders.
Evangelicals are divided on the topic. Another group — Evangelicals for Biblical Immigration — has issued an open letter calling on Congress to scrap the U.S. Senate’s bipartisan immigration legislation and start over, saying it is “flawed to the point of being unworkable.” Now stalled in the Republican-led House, the Senate bill would create a route to citizenship for millions of immigrants without legal status.
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