And who is my neighbor? Religion and immigration policy attitudes

This study explores immigration reform as a possible new “moral ” issue upon which American religious elites and organizations take public positions. It is argued that religion is a key independent variable necessary for understanding the determinants of public attitudes regarding immigration policy. Theoretical expectations are formed from the ethnoreligious, religious restructuralism, and minority marginalization frameworks. Quantitative evidence is presented, that demonstrates that those who attend religious services more frequently are more likely to support liberal immigration reform policies. Members of minority religions, notably Jews and Latter-day Saints, are also more likely to empathize with the plight of undocumented immigrants and support liberal immigration reform measures. Immigration reform has emerged as one of the more salient political issues in recent years. At the urging of President Bush, Congress attempted to pass sweeping immigration reform legislation in both 2006 and 2007. Proposals ranged from a “hard-line ” mass deportation of all undocumented immigrants to more “comprehensive ” reform measures that would provide a path to citizenship for those currently in the United States. These congressional debates provoked heated and passionate discussion among the public, which ultimately prevented representatives from being able to reach a consensus on the issue, dooming the various reform proposals