“I thank God that after years of enduring harsh political rhetoric and dehumanizing treatment, immigrants without legal status in this country now have hope for a better day. It is long past time for our nation to provide legal status and a path to citizenship for those who toil in our fields, care for our children and elders, clean our homes and workplaces, and support our government through their taxes. It is a moral imperative that we give children brought to the United States at a young age opportunities for education and service here, in the country they consider home.”I applaud both the bipartisan group of senators who have proposed a framework for immigration reform and President Obama for his leadership in placing this issue before us.  His insistence that a U. S. citizen or a permanent resident be allowed to seek a visa for a same-sex partner is a necessary improvement on the senators’ proposal. The legislation must be clarified and refined, and we as people of faith will follow its progress diligently. But we have arrived at an excellent starting point, and I am especially grateful to the broad coalition of voters representing the wondrous diversity of our country who, in one election, changed the terms of this important debate.  The future of our country has spoken and our elected leaders cannot stand in the way.”