Resolution #3: Memorial in Support of the Uniting American Families Act

Eastern Washington-Idaho Synod Assembly 2013
Resolution 3
Memorial in Support of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA)

Whereas, under current U.S. immigration law, a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident is permitted to sponsor his or her spouse, child, or parent for permanent resident status; and

Whereas, U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents are not permitted to sponsor their same-gender partners for permanent resident status; and

Whereas, twenty-five other countries allow their citizens to sponsor their same-gender partners in the immigration process; and

Whereas, there are approximately 36,000 bi-national, same-gender families in the U.S.; and

Whereas, 35% of male bi-national couples and 39% of female bi-national couples are raising more than 17,000 children; and

Whereas, due to the inability of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents to sponsor their same-gender partners, they can be forced to live abroad, thus uprooting their children, disrupting their careers, and breaking ties with their families, communities, and places of worship; and

Whereas, current immigration law does not provide for equal justice and equal protection for gay and lesbian citizens and legal permanent residents; and

Whereas, the ELCA has a long-standing commitment to calling for comprehensive federal immigration reform; and

Whereas, a bill called the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) has been introduced in the Federal legislature to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate discrimination in immigration by permitting permanent partners of United States citizens and of lawful permanent residents to obtain lawful permanent resident status in the same manner as spouses of citizens and of lawful permanent residents and to penalize immigration fraud in connection with permanent partnerships; therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Eastern Washington-Idaho Synod in Assembly, memorializes the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly to call upon President Obama and elected officials in Congress to support and to press for passage of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) or its equivalent as a component of comprehensive immigration reform; and be it further

RESOLVED, that if a bill for comprehensive immigration reform is passed before the start of the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, and if the bill does not include UAFA or its equivalent, the Eastern Washington-Idaho Synod, meeting in assembly, memorializes the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly to call for the reintroduction of UAFA in the U.S. legislature; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Eastern Washington-Idaho Synod, meeting in assembly, memorializes the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly to commend

Bishop Thomas M. Aitken, Northeastern Minnesota Synod,
Bishop James A. Arends, La Crosse Area Synod,
Bishop David H. Brauer-Rieke, Oregon Synod,
Bishop Bruce H. Burnside, South-Central Synod of Wisconsin,
Bishop Jessica R. Crist, Montana Synod,
Bishop H. Julian Gordy, Southeastern Synod ,
Bishop Richard H. Graham, Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod,
Bishop Wolfgang D. Herz-Lane, Delaware-Maryland Synod,
Bishop Mark W. Holmerud, Sierra Pacific Synod,
Bishop Felipe Lozada-Montañez, Caribbean Synod,
Bishop Dean W. Nelson, Southwest California Synod,
Bishop Margaret Payne, New England Synod,
Bishop Robert A. Rimbo, Metropolitan New York Synod,
Bishop Michael Rinehart, Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod,
Bishop Stephen S. Talmage, Grand Canyon Synod, and
Bishop Martin D. Wells, Eastern Washington-Idaho Synod

for their courageous witness and their stand for justice in adding their names to the Faith 62 Coalition for UAFA (1); and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Eastern Washington-Idaho Synod, meeting in assembly, memorializes the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly to encourage the clergy and other leaders of congregations in this church to support the Uniting American Families Act by communicating with their elected representatives, encouraging them to co-sponsor and to support a just, comprehensive reform of U.S. immigration law that includes the principles of UAFA. (1) http://immigrationequalityactionfund.org/images/FaithCoalition_SignOnLetter.pdf

Respectfully submitted by:
Mary Lauver, Trinity Lutheran Church, Pullman, WA
Pastor Wesley Howell, Trinity Lutheran Church, Pullman, WA
Pastor Roger Pettenger, Trinity Lutheran Church, Pullman, WA
Annette Pettenger, Trinity Lutheran Church, Pullman, WA