Compromise on Immigration Can Give us Secure and Compassionate Solutions

On immigration, how do we balance security concerns with compassionate need?

  For over 20 years, my wife and I have lived and worked in a ministry in Mobile, Alabama known as Friends of Internationals. Our focus has been mainly serving the international students studying as full-time students at the University of South Alabama.
  Along the way, though, we have interacted and built significant friendships with immigrants to our area who arrive in various ways. We learned that Mobile is the city in Alabama that receives refugees from war torn communities. We're also a community that has several large international businesses and an agriculture sector that employs international workers. We value diversity and have felt God's call to welcome these various groups to our city! Our personal mission as well as our country have been challenged severely in recent years by questions that immigration presents politically  and morally.
  Very recently, we were faced with a government shutdown due to the intractable issue of border wall funding and how to balance conflicting views. Beyond the border issue, I have personal friends whose lives have been thrown into turmoil over changing regulations and backlogs in the legal immigration system as well. We don't have a functioning immigration system in any sense of the word.
  Compromise isn't a dirty word. In a democratic society, compromise regarding difficult problems is often necessary to move forward.
  We need a secure border, but we also need a well functioning immigration system that allow for people to be treated fairly and with compassion, especially with regards to refugees and asylum seekers.
  What about children brought here illegally? What about those working illegally. Do we deport 11 million people one by one?
  All of these are legitimate issues and questions with, in some cases, obvious answers and others that are more complex and require careful planning and wise actions.
  We need a balanced solution that will allow increased spending on border security that aligns with the experts on the issues and not just political slogans. Whatever will work best to protect us as a nation from harm is what we should support.
  At the same time, we should be honest about the real human compassion issues that would best help the most vulnerable in their hour of need. America's long history of compassion and generosity can be sustained with legislative cooperation and a step back from threats, shutdowns and posturing for the sake of votes.
  We need our Congress and President to work together for a big picture, long term solution to immigration policy that would not kick the can down the road. We need some courage, and yes, even some compromise to move forward.

Jim and Mary Mather
Friends of Internationals
Mobile, Alabama