A federal program that checks the immigration status of people booked into local jails is tearing immigrant families apart, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in San Francisco said at an interfaith gathering on Saturday.

The Bible tells its readers to obey the law, but it also tells them to welcome strangers and foreigners. That's left some Christians divided about the issue of immigration reform. Members of Clergy for Tolerance, based in Nashville, say new immigration laws have to mix justice with compassion.

Addressing a Catholic conference on immigration, Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City urged Catholics to advocate for immigration reform at the federal level.    

Putting the cart in front of the horse is one way to describe the federal government's pursuing immigration enforcement before immigration reform, according to participants at a recent conference here. 

Christians are divided over the issue of immigration reform, and the fight has come to Middle Tennessee.

John Wester, bishop of Salt Lake City’s Catholic Archdiocese, said Wednesday he was “sad” to hear Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney accept the endorsement of the key architect for several state-based enforcement-only immigration laws.

Three Iowa religious groups separately launched educational campaigns to promote national immigration reform with an eye toward fostering greater acceptance of immigrants.
 

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