Tired and Poor or Wretched Refuse ?: Study of the Roles of Religious Groups and United States Government Policymakers in Regards to Immigrants Across the Mexican United States Border

This is a study of current immigration patterns across the United States-Mexico border and the lives of immigrants from Latin America as they begin life in the United States. The study examines the contrasting roles that religious groups and policymakers play in the current immigration situation. Attention is given to both the governmental role played in creating the hard conditions for immigrants in their countries of origin, their journey to the United States and their lives here, as well as to the religious groups who aid immigrants in these trials. A special focus is placed on the southern border of Arizona where record numbers of border deaths have occurred the past several years. Humane Borders and Samaritans are two groups located in Tucson, Arizona that are highlighted in the study. The author interviewed members and leaders of the groups and observed the work that the groups do in the desert. Domestic groups featured in the study include the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Catholic Legal Immigration Network and the National Farm Worker Ministry. The study also includes an in depth analysis of the motivations behind the work and actions of the religious groups and government policymakers and what these motivations indicate about the groups\u27 ethical frameworks and worldviews