A Second LDS Branch President Uncovered As An Illegal Immigrant; Manuel Antonio Carias-Odonez Deported To Guatemala

In the publicity associated with the departure of one former LDS branch president, Felix Joaquin Callejas-Hernandez, who was uncovered as an illegal immigrant, the Deseret News has reported that a second former LDS branch president was also revealed to be an illegal immigrant and deported. Manuel Antonio Carias-Odonez, who served as the president of the South Cache Spanish-speaking branch, was deported to his native Guatemala on June 13th, 2011. He had been detained in the Weber County Jail on an immigration hold since May 20th, and was turned over to federal immigration officials on June 9th.

Carias-Ordonez temporarily leaves behind a wife, Aracely, and three children aged 18, 14 and 8. Aracely and the three kids will remain in Utah for now, but she's committed to keeping her family together. That means they will have to leave the United States for an uncertain future in country that is unfamiliar to them. Her husband was trained as a physician and she as a teacher so they should be able to make a living. Carias-Odonez himself was underemployed while living in the United States.

Scott Trotter, senior media relations manager for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, reacted. He said, "This case reminds us all of the need to address immigration reform. As we have stated, we believe any solution should include the following three principles: The commandment to 'Love thy neighbor;' the importance of keeping families intact; and the federal government’s obligation to secure its border."

Trotter's reaction comes on the heels of a new Church statement on immigration issued on June 10th. In that statement, the Church discouraged its members from entering any country without legal documentation and from deliberately overstaying legal travel visas, condemned any policy which would lead to mass expulsion, and expressed support for an approach where illegal immigrants are allowed to square themselves with the law and continue to work without this necessarily leading to citizenship. In summary, the LDS Church supports a balanced and civil approach to the immigration problem which is fully consistent with its tradition of compassion, its reverence for family, and its commitment to law.

On the same day, the LDS Church issued a shorter statement in which they reaffirmed that undocumented status should not by itself prevent an otherwise worthy Church member from entering the temple or being ordained to the priesthood. It also counseled Church members to avoid making judgments about fellow members in their congregations. Both statements have triggered some unofficial LDS reaction on the Bloggernacle, notably at Times & Seasons and Keepapitchinin

Politically, the Church statement has triggered debate amongst mostly-Mormon Utah politicos, who are discussing the status of HB116, a guest-worker bill which currently is in violation of federal law. Keri Witte, who is leading the charge for a resolution calling for repeal of HB116, argues that the bill is not in harmony with church teachings of being honest and obeying the laws of the land. She also claims the church would not support anything that would create amnesty, something Witte claims HB116 does.

In contrast, Jeremy Roberts, who is leading the charge against a resolution calling for repeal of HB116, is trying to convey the message that even though the law allows an immigrant to have a guest worker permit in the state, it contains tough provisions that would deter an illegal immigrant with a criminal background from entering the state and trying to obtain a guest worker permit. It does not give citizenship nor protect people with a guest worker permit from federal prosecution. Roberts points to the church's statements on immigration, its support of the Utah compact and its presence at the signing of HB116 as evidence that the church supports it.

The non-binding resolution to repeal HB116, which has already passed in the Utah, Salt Lake and Washington County Republican conventions, will be presented Republican State Organizing Convention on Saturday June 18th.

LDS Church Branch President Felix Callejas And Immediate Family Arrested By ICE As Illegal Immigrants In Draper, Utah

Update June 13th: Felix Callejas and family departed the United States for El Salvador on June 13th.

This story has just been reported on August 29th, 2011 by KSL Channel 5, and full details are still forthcoming, but a branch president over a congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Draper, Utah has been arrested for immigration violation, along with his entire immediate family. The Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret News have now picked up the story.

While KSL specifically reports that Felix Joaquin Callejas-Hernandez and his wife Luca Margarita Castillo de Callejas were arrested by ICE, the photo gallery accompanying the story shows their two adult children, Margarita Concepcion Callejas-Castillo and Jose Moroni Callejas-Castillo. Felix Castellas was the president of a Spanish-speaking branch of the Church located in Draper. He and his family were reportedly taken into custody by ICE agents at their Draper home on April 19th. The Tribune reports that Callejas is still on an ICE hold in their facility in Spanish Fork, but his wife and two children were booked and released. Callejas is from El Salvador. KSL news video embedded below:

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

In checking the Mormon.org meetinghouse locator, I found that out of four different stakes in Draper, only one of them, the Draper Utah Eastridge Stake, contained a Spanish-speaking branch. That branch is identified as the Eastridge 9th Spanish Branch.

An interesting sidelight: On February 6th, 2011, the Salt Lake Tribune published an article entitled "Lawmakers’ talk of reform rattles undocumented SLC worker" which focused on the experiences of an illegal immigrant identified only as "Jorge" who was also an LDS branch president somewhere in the Salt Lake Valley. However, this individual has four kids and came from Mexico, so it's not Felix Callejas.

Self-appointed local Latino activist Tony Yapias, director of Projecto Latino de Utah and also an LDS member, said that Callejas had sought asylum through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services but had been denied. He also claims members of Callejas' branch are "devastated" by the news. The LDS Church haf not yet officially reacted to this story, but in their most recent pronouncement on immigration, they said that the Church’s position is based on three basic principles:

1. The commandment to love thy neighbor.
2. The importance of keeping families intact.
3. The federal government’s obligation to secure its borders.

The Church also stated that they do not favor establishing a path to citizenship for or granting amnesty to illegals, although in the same statement, they expressed support for allowing illegal immigrants to work legally, a position which is creating confusion among some people. Later, LDS Church spokesman Scott Trotter issued the following statement: "This case reminds us all of the need to address immigration reform. As we have stated, we believe any solution should include the following three principles: the commandment to 'love thy neighbor,' the importance of keeping families intact and the federal government’s obligation to secure its border."

Because the Church tends to look upon illegal immigration as a civil trespass rather than a criminal violation, the Church is unlikely to take action against Felix Callejas' membership -- unless ICE determines that Callejas also used his position as branch president to facilitate illegal immigration by others. This means that Callejas won't be excommunicated, and is unlikely to be disfellowshipped. It's also possible that Callejas might appeal ICE's decision and be allowed to stay in the country, particularly if he could show that deportation to El Salvador would expose him to political persecution or danger from criminal gangs such as MS-13.

A commenter to the Deseret News story provides some more information on Callejas:

Brer Rabbit | 9:02 p.m. April 29, 2011 Spanish Fork, UT:
This man was a custodian at a Draper Charter School. Charter schools are taxpayer funded. I wonder who was in charge of doing the background check on him. In public schools, not only teachers undergo a background check, but so do other full time personnel such as custodians and bus drivers. Most good background checks would have picked up this illegal status. A background check that didn't find this must have been very sloppy.

When I worked for the Jordan School District they did checks on employees that had worked for years for the district. They picked up on several that had been arrested for DUI and other offenses. If an illegal alien could pass a background check for this charter school, so could any pedophile, and other serious criminals. I am not saying that this illegal alien is a dangerous criminal, but I am saying that a poor background check was done

If this illegal alien was hired after July 1,2009 it means that this charter school was not using E-Verify as required by Utah Law 63G-11-103

Paradise Valley Stake High Council Member Daryl M. Williams Says One Cannot Be A Good Mormon And Want To Deport Illegal Immigrants

The Phoenix New Times discloses that a member of the high council of the Paradise Valley Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mesa, Arizona gave a talk at a fireside on April 8th, 2011 in which he questioned whether any member of the Church who desired to deport illegal immigrants could be considered a "good Mormon". According to the RecallRussellPearce site, the fireside was not sponsored by the LDS Church.

Daryl M. Williams, a commercial trial attorney working for Baird Williams & Greer LLP, had been invited to address a fireside organized by DeeDee Blase of the Hispanic-Republican advocacy group Somos Republicans. Williams, who describes himself politically as to the right of Genghis Khan, is one of those mercantile conservatives who believes conservatism is defined merely as the unconditional right to make as much money as possible by any lawful means with minimal regard for the impact upon sovereignty or community cohesion. Steeped in the history of immigration law, Williams takes a free-market approach to the issue of immigration. This view is discussed at length in an essay of his, entitled "Illegal Immigration", which mirrored Williams' fireside address. Williams also contended that the market should dictate the flow of immigrants onto American soil, explaining that our immigration laws are not criminal in the traditional sense that there is no intent to injure involved, or an "evil mind," which lawyers refer to as mens rea.

While the latter statement is true, it must be noted that even if there was no intent to injure, if an injury exists, it must be redressed in some fashion. This is a premise of our civil justice system, in which personal injury lawyers go after anyone even remotely associated with an injury to their clients. It also serves as the basis of our dram shop laws, in which bar owners can incur some responsibility for the misbehavior of their drunk patrons even after the patron has left the bar. Some people who have received DUIs have sued the bars where they got drunk.

But Williams' most controversial statement was when he attempted to link immigration politics with spiritual worthiness. "I don't believe you can be a good Mormon and hate illegal immigrants and want to deport them and break up families and leave children without their parents here," he told attendees. "I don't believe you can be a good Mormon and be a nativist." It is this extreme attitude which caused Williams' own stake president to distance himself from Williams; indeed, Williams basically told his stake president to go take a hike when the two discussed it. A one-hour video of Williams' talk is embedded below:



Daryl Williams is at odds with another prominent LDS member, State Senator Russell Pearce (R-Mesa). Williams claims Pearce's views do not reflect the official position of the LDS Church, and even presumes Pearce’s views to be inconsistent with the official position of his church. However, Williams conveniently ignores the fact that the Church itself has publicly stated that they do not expect their members who serve in politics to be microphones for the Church. Russell Pearce strikes me as a dedicated, determined patriot resolved to protect the sovereignty of Arizona and, by extension, the United States.

A group called Arizonans for Better Government has joined with another group, Citizens for a Better Arizona to launch a recall effort against Senator Pearce. They oppose the controversial SB1070, which they falsely claim promotes profiling of Hispanics, and want to substitute the Somos Republicans’ Twelve Point Immigration Plan. They need 7,756 valid signatures from registered voters from within Legislative District 18 by May 31st to trigger a recall election; as of April 12th, they've received two-thirds the necessary signatures.

LDS Church Clarifies Position On Immigration After Criticism Of Presiding Bishop H. David Burton's Presence At Bill-Signing Ceremony In Utah

On March 17th, 2011, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a clarification of its position on immigration in the wake of criticism directed towards it because of the presence of Presiding Bishop H. David Burton at the ceremony where Utah Governor Gary Herbert signed four different immigration bills into law. Because Bishop Burton is a General Authority, his presence at the event was considered to be an implicit Church endorsement of the bills, since it is widely perceived that when General Authorities speak out publicly, they are speaking authoritatively on behalf the Church even if its not an official "thus saith the Lord" appearance. Specifically prompting the Church's response was an article in the Salt Lake Tribune in which reporter Peggy Fletcher Stack suggested Burton's presence was no accident or private decision, and further wrote “One thing is clear: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has abandoned its claims to neutrality on these bills.”

Although the LDS Church does not endorse or oppose specific political parties, candidates or platforms, it has always reserved the right to address, in a nonpartisan way, issues that have significant community or moral consequences. They consider immigration to be one of those issues. Here's the pertinent part of their response:

Before the 2011 Utah Legislative session began, the Church announced its support for the Utah Compact. Our hope was that lawmakers would find solutions that encompassed principles important to Mormons and other people of good will:

* We follow Jesus Christ by loving our neighbors. The Savior taught that the meaning of “neighbor” includes all of God’s children, in all places, at all times.
* We recognize an ever-present need to strengthen families. Families are meant to be together. Forced separation of working parents from their children weakens families and damages society.
* We acknowledge that every nation has the right to enforce its laws and secure its borders. All persons subject to a nation’s laws are accountable for their acts in relation to them.

Our focus during the legislative session was to encourage laws that incorporated these principles. The Church did not dictate what kinds of bills should be proposed. Like many others on Capitol Hill, Church officials voiced its views and trusted the state’s elected officials to do their job. We consider the comprehensive package passed by lawmakers to be a responsible approach to a very complicated issue. Bishop Burton was invited, along with other community leaders, to witness the signing of a series of immigration bills by Utah Governor Gary Herbert and to show support for the diligent efforts of lawmakers in this area.

So not only was Bishop Burton present at the signing ceremony strictly of his own volition, but the LDS Church, despite its neutrality on immigration, explicitly recognizes the right of every nation to enforce its laws and secure its borders, and to hold accountable those who fail to respect a nation's borders.

Whether this statement by the Church will mitigate the anger manifested by immigration restrictionists who are specifically upset with the guest worker provisions in Utah HB116 remains to be seen. ALIPAC's William Gheen, who encouraged people to target the LDS Church prior to the signing of the bills, has renewed his criticism of the Church, and based on the Tribune's article, erroneously accused the Church of "sending" Bishop Burton to the signing ceremony. ALIPAC is calling for the defeat of every Utah lawmaker who voted for HB116.

Roy Beck of NumbersUSA also criticizes the Utah bills, claiming that the "cheap-labor Chamber of Commerce lobby has taken over the Republican Party and is, in effect, blocking thousands of unemployed citizens and legal immigrants from jobs being held by illegal foreign workers". But he avoids criticizing the LDS Church, as does most others who criticize the Utah Bills.

The LDS Church will survive the criticism, just as it survived the criticism over Proposition 8.

LDS Church Presiding Bishop H. David Burton Puts Church's Stamp Of Approval Upon Four Controversial Immigration Bills Signed By Utah Governor Gary Herbert

The Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, H. David Burton, appeared to put the Church's stamp of approval upon four controversial immigration bills signed by Utah Governor Gary Herbert on March 15th, 2011. At the signing ceremony, Bishop Burton said, “Our presence here testifies to the fact that we are appreciative of what has happened in the Legislature this session. We feel the Legislature has done an incredible job on a very complex issue.” Salt Lake Tribune reporter Peggy Fletcher Stack suggested Burton's presence was no accident or private decision. KSL news video embedded below:

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

The bills as follows (click on the designation to read the actual text of the bill):

-- HB116: Originally entitled the Guest Worker Program Act, it was signed as the Utah Immigration Accountability and Enforcement Amendments. It basically establishes a guest worker program.

-- HB466: Entitled the Migrant Workers and Related Commission Amendments. Includes a migrant worker partnership with the state of Nuevo Leon in Mexico.

-- HB469: Entitled Immigration Related Amendments. Enacts the Utah Pilot Sponsored Resident Immigrant Program Act, and provides for the issuance of identification documents.

-- HB497: Entitled the Utah Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act, this started out as the Arizona-style law desired by Rep. Stephen Sandstrom (R-Orem). Originally a well-crafted law, Sandstrom was prevailed upon to water it down somewhat. Nevertheless, its most prominent and commendable provision requires that an officer verify the immigration status of a person arrested for a felony or a class A misdemeanor and a person booked for class B or C misdemeanors and requires that an officer attempt to verify immigration status for a person detained for a class B or C misdemeanor.

The Deseret News notes that the legislature's own attorneys have deemed the guest worker and immigrants sponsorship programs unconstitutional, meaning the state would need a waiver from the federal government to put them into practice.

One LDS lawmaker said the Church's support for these bills influenced him. Sen. Stuart Reid (R-Ogden) said “There is no question that the Utah Compact, with the church’s endorsement, made a significant difference to me and others in the Legislature who helped craft immigration legislation.” Senate President Mike Waddoups said the legislation was a testament to the give-and-take process of making laws. He also explained that the new laws did not grant amnesty nor would they result in racial profiling. The bills were not carbon copies of bills passed in Arizona, Oklahoma or Missouri. And House Speaker Rebecca Lockhart said she was proud of lawmakers who rolled up their sleeves and took on one of most vexing issues of the day amid intense criticism from people who had no answers of their own. Governor Herbert said, "Utah is doing the right thing, is doing the hard thing. Doing nothing is not an option".

But there's opposition. Arturo Morales-Llan, a GOP delegate, said in a statement that Herbert's signature of HB116 "is the worst insult the legal residents of Utah have ever received by their sitting governor! HB116 is typical Washington-style politics and we condemn its practice by our elected officials. This new law puts a stamp of approval on illegal immigration and those who come into this country illegally. This fatally flawed law confirms that Utah is a sanctuary state." An online petition to veto HB116, which was signed by 4,500 people, made it clear that they do not approve of HB116 and would rather see enforcement of laws against illegal immigration. Morales-Llan also said he would not believe the Church officially approved of these bills until he sees a statement from the First Presidency itself.

Ron Mortensen, an ardent opponent of illegal immigration, was also unhappy with the legislation, saying, “I am shocked that the church would support a bill that literally sacrifices 50,000 Utah children, who are the victims of identity theft, for the benefit of illegal aliens. The church has sent so many conflicting messages, I just don’t know where they are coming from.”

In the days preceding the signing, one of the noisiest immigration restrictionist groups, ALIPAC, has waged an all-out campaign to prevent these bills from being signed into law. However, ALIPAC didn't merely target lawmakers, but also targeted the LDS Church itself, a tactic which may have backfired. The LDS Church has been beset by a number of anklebiters from both sides of the immigration issue, and perhaps they decided they're done listening to anklebiters. ALIPAC has posted its reaction to the signing HERE and HERE.

Unofficial LDS member reaction is already showing up on the Bloggernacle, first on By Common Consent.

ALIPAC Boss William Gheen Targets LDS Church For Its Support Of The Utah Compact On Immigration, Which Calls For Limited Amnesty For Illegals

The Utah Compact on immigration has been highly touted by the elite as a "sensible and humane" approach to the immigration issue. However, it has been criticized for being potentially too solicitous towards illegal immigrants; it fails to properly distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants, and dismisses illegal immigration as merely a "civil violation of Federal code". While the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints didn't formally sign on to the Compact, it did issue a separate statement in support of the Compact's principles back in November 2010.

The failure of the Utah Compact to promote more vigorous measures against illegal immigrants has attracted valid criticism from immigration restrictionists. One of the most prominent critics is ALIPAC (Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Committee). ALIPAC boss William Gheen has published a series of appeals on March 7th (HERE and HERE), on March 8th, on March 9th, and again on March 10th, urging people to contact various Utah public officials to oppose proposed legislation friendly towards allowing illegal immigrants to become "guest workers" and steal jobs from unemployed Americans.

All well and good. Unfortunately, on March 10th, William Gheen crosses the line in this post entitled "Update and Warning: New Strategy to Defeat Amnesty in Utah" and targets the LDS Church for "activism" as well, not only urging people to e-mail the LDS Church protesting its solicitous attitude towards illegals, but also urges them to play the "tax exemption card", the same way that gay activists did in opposition to the LDS Church's support of California Proposition 8 on gay marriage. Here's the pertinent part of the text of ALIPAC's appeal:

Step 4: Politely remind the LDS Church of their tax status

"I'm calling/writing the LDS Church to remind you that our government gives tax exempt status to churches for charitable work. We do not give you a tax break to pursue political activity as you have in the matter of HB 116 and the Utah Compact. The LDS Church's effort to influence Utah lawmakers to pass an Amnesty for illegal aliens is unacceptable. Around 70% of Americans oppose Utah's HB 116 and the efforts of the LDS church in this matter. I intend to work against the agenda of the LDS Church in Utah and across America as long as your church continues to try to aid and abet illegal aliens in violation of our existing federal laws."

LDS has several ways to contact:

50 West North Temple Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84150
Telephone
801-240-1000
http://radio.lds.org/eng/about/contact-us
email: feedback@allegiancetech.com
Fax: (801) 524-4379

All calls and emails must be highly professional, civil, and respectful. You can be firm, but not over the top. Anyone who goes over the top will only help the cause of illegal aliens.

While the tax-exempt status does not permit religious leaders to endorse specific candidates from the pulpit, it does permit them to speak out on various issues. It's designed to better protect the constitutional dictum that "Congress shall make no law regarding the establishment of a religion, nor prohibit the free exercise thereof." For William Gheen to target the tax-exempt status of the LDS Church over this issue is a despicable form of blackmail.

I don't believe that William Gheen is driven by any anti-Mormon bigotry; I know of no prior public statements where he's criticized the LDS Church. But his call to target the LDS Church is likely to backfire and draw Mormons together to circle the wagons in support of the Church; it will have the opposite effect of what he intended. As it should.

The LDS Church has taken an unofficial position of benevolent neutrality on illegal immigration. They do call missionaries who turn out to be illegal immigrants, and at least one branch president in the Salt Lake Valley was recently outed as an illegal immigrant by the Salt Lake Tribune. However, the LDS Church obeys the law as it is currently written, which does not require them to inquire into the immigration status of its members. If stricter laws are passed, you can be sure the LDS Church will obey those laws, as they proclaim in the 12th Article of Faith, which states "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law".

Consequently, while I urge those who favor more robust policies against illegal immigrants to contact the various public officials identified by ALIPAC. I urge people to leave the LDS Church out of it.

LDS Church Issues Revised Statement On Immigration On The Eve Of Utah Governor Gary Herbert's Immigration Roundtable

On the eve of a immigration summit to be chaired by Utah Governor Gary Herbert, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has issued a revised statement on immigration that goes beyond mere neutrality; it specifically calls for lawmakers to to find solutions in the best interests of all whose lives will be impacted by their actions.

Scott Parker of the LDS Church's Salt Lake Public Affairs Council will be one of 30 community leaders participating in the Governor's roundtable on July 20th. Others identified specifically include Dee Rowland of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City and Rep. Stephen Sandstrom (R-Orem), who is crafting an Arizona-style immigration enforcement law for Utah; see the complete list of participants HERE. Referred to as the Utah Immigration Roundtable Discussion, it will take place at the Utah Senate Building from 10 a.m. to noon. To promote civil discourse, the Church issued this statement:

"The complex issues surrounding immigration are a matter of increasing concern and debate for all in this country.

"Elected individuals have the primary responsibility to find solutions in the best interests of all whose lives will be impacted by their actions.

"We repeat our appeal for careful reflection and civil discourse when addressing immigration issues. Finding a successful resolution will require the best thinking and goodwill of all across the political spectrum, the highest levels of statesmanship, and the strongest desire to do what is best for all of God's children."

KSL news video embedded below:

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Two sometimes passionate opponents in Utah's immigration debate both praised the Church's statement. Ron Mortensen, spokesman for the Utah Coalition on Illegal Immigration, said his group agrees with Church leaders. They will unveil a plan before the legislative session that will coordinate a guest worker program with America's developmental assistance program overseas. Tony Yapias of Proyecto Latino de Utah praised the Church's statement as being direct, strong, and compassionate.

Mormons favoring more vigorous enforcement of immigration laws cite the church’s 12th Article of Faith in support of their position. That article says Mormons believe in “obeying, honoring and sustaining the law.” On the opposite side are Mormons who argue for a more complex and humane approach to immigration. They point to Church teachings about taking care of one’s family, being hospitable to the stranger and building the kingdom of God. The latter are part of a group dubbed "social justice Christians" by Glenn Beck. The dialogue between the two sides can be contentious, as both sides sometimes seek to moralize their positions.

LDS Church Taking Criticism Over New Arizona Immigration Enforcement Law Because Its Sponsor, State Senator Russell Pearce, Is A Mormon

The chief sponsor of Arizona's immigration enforcement law, originally SB 1070 but now replaced by the more moderate SB 2261, is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and as a result, the LDS Church is drawing some criticism and proselytization efforts are being hampered, according to a May 18th, 2010 article in the Arizona Republic.

Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce (R-Mesa), who drafted the original SB 1070, is a member of the LDS Church. The new immigration law has been severely misrepresented and criticized by so-called "immigrants rights" groups and progressives on the hard left. The combination of these two factors means that some prospective Latino converts have changed their minds about joining the Church, and LDS missionaries now find more doors slammed in their faces.

Jose Corral, a 45-year-old fourth-grade teacher and legal permanent resident from Mexico, met with Mormon missionaries at his home in Laveen to read the Book of Mormon and prepare for his baptism. Corral, a Catholic and the father of two preteen daughters, was especially drawn to the church's commitment to family values. But once he found out that Senator Pearce was a Church member, he told the missionaries to stop coming because he considers the law to be anti-immigrant and anti-Hispanic, even though the law does not target any particular race or ethnic group. And Kenneth Patrick Smith, a Mesa lawyer and president of the Valencia Branch, a Spanish-speaking LDS congregation in Mesa, said missionaries from his church have had doors slammed in their faces since Arizona's new law was signed by Gov. Jan Brewer in April.

While Senator Pearce has never claimed to speak for the LDS Church on immigration, he frequently cites the Twelfth Article of Faith, which reads "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law", as part of his philosophical justification for tougher immigration enforcement. Kim Farah, a spokeswoman for the LDS headquarters in Salt Lake City, reiterated in an e-mail that elected officials who are Mormons do not represent the position of the Church. She said the Church has also not taken a position on immigration, which is clearly the province of government. "However, Church leaders have urged compassion and careful reflection when addressing immigration issues affecting millions of people," she said in the e-mail.

A non-doctrinal statement by Elder Marlin K. Jensen, a member of the Quorum of the Seventy, given at an Interfaith Dialogue on Immigration in 2008 is frequently seized upon as reflective of official Church thinking, though. Elder Jensen said “Immigration questions are questions dealing with God’s children...I believe a more thoughtful and factual, not to mention humane approach is warranted, and urge those responsible for enactment of Utah’s immigration policy to measure twice before they cut.” Elder Jensen further stated that "The church's view of someone in undocumented status is akin, in a way, to a civil trespass...There is nothing inherent or wrong about that status."

Interesting. I wonder what would happen if upon returning to his home some evening, Elder Jensen were to find squatters in his own home. Would he give them a ticket for "civil trespass"? Unlikely - he'd probably call the cops. Being an illegal immigrant is clearly a status offense, just like a curfew violation is for a teenager. But it it still an offense. We must be merciful - but mercy can not be allowed to rob justice.

Another LDS blog addressing this issue is Millennial Star. Millennial Star makes the point that "supporters of this law, no matter how well-intentioned, completely underestimate how much the Latin community opposes this law and how discriminatory they believe it is towards them. Hispanics truly feel this law makes them second-class citizens, constantly under suspicion because of their ethnicity". But just because much of the Latin community is paranoid, does it mean we need to cater to that paranoia? The language of the law clearly does not target any particular race or ethnicity. If Latinos are disproportionately targeted, it is because illegal immigrants are disproportionately Latino due to Mexico's proximity to the United States. If China shared a border with the U.S., illegal immigrants would be disproportionately Chinese instead.

UCSB Professor Jacqueline Stevens Alleges ICE Agents Impersonating Mormon Missionaries To Apprehend Illegal Immigrants

University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) Law & Society professor Jacqueline Stevens alleges that Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are impersonating missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in order to identify and apprehend illegal immigrants in the United States. I first noticed this story posted on Times and Seasons and on the LDS Law blog.

The details are published in an interview in The Nation, which includes both a video and a written transcript of the interview. The subject of the interview was the alleged practice of ICE holding an untold number of people in secret detention facilities all over the United States. The Nation is also reporting that ICE agents regularly impersonate civilians and rely on other questionable tactics to arrest longtime US residents who have no criminal history. ICE agents have posed as OSHA officials, insurance agents, and even religious workers. And it was during the following segment that the allegation of the impersonation of LDS missionaries surfaced:

JUAN GONZALEZ: What about the whole issue of how many of these people are picked up, the question of ICE agents impersonating, in some cases, Mormon missionaries, you write about, or insurance agents. Could you — how does that work?

JACQUELINE STEVENS: OK. So, one consequence of the detention operations and the removal operations moving away from these big workplace raids—that is something that the Obama administration has, you know, dedicated itself to—has been more surreptitious operations, and an increase in those. I mean, these have been going on under the Bush administration, as well, but there’s an impression that there’s been a shift to these more surreptitious operations for targeting people.

And among the operations that I encountered, and ICE calls these “ruse operations”—and just to be clear, under our law, ruse operations, for the most part, are legal. It is legal for, you know, federal agents to impersonate civilians for the purpose of tricking people who they suspect have arrest warrants and so forth in obtaining their custody.

It is not legal for federal agents to impersonate religious workers. And a spokesperson for the ACLU explained why, and I, you know, quote her in the article, but it’s a pretty obvious principle. If religious workers are suspected of being federal agents, then that makes it very difficult for them to fulfill their duties. If it’s part of the Mormon practice to proselytize and a community is suspecting Mormons of being federal agents, then they’ll be hostile to them. And that will, you know, constrict their ability to practice their religion. So that is one operation that ICE has been reported as doing.

The federal government’s response to this was really shocking to me. I sent them a question, and I said, “Is it consistent with ICE policy for ICE agents to impersonate religious workers?” And I would have expected a flat-out “no.” But instead, they explained exactly why and how it was consistent for ICE agents to impersonate religious workers.

JUAN GONZALEZ: And just to be clear, this would be a situation where supposed Mormon missionaries are knocking on doors trying to find out who lives in a particular house or not?

JACQUELINE STEVENS: Right. Well, it’s actually more targeted than that, typically. The ICE agents will suspect that a particular individual who has an outstanding warrant lives in a certain address and want to ascertain the time that that person will be there for purposes of effecting an arrest. And so, you know, they’ll go to any means necessary to try to obtain that information, including impersonating Mormon missionaries.

You can also read a December 17th article in The Nation, where Stevens documents a specific instance in Utah.

There was no initial reaction from the LDS Church. It should be noted, however, that The Nation is politically a left-of-center publication, and that Jacqueline Stevens, whose UCSB biography is available HERE, is a vocal advocate of open borders. She operates two websites, http://www.jacquelinestevens.org/ and the StatesWithoutNations blog.

But while skepticism is warranted because of the prospective bias of the source, concern is also necessary. If ICE is actually impersonating LDS missionaries, it could undermine the Church's proselytization efforts, and it also impinges upon the traditional sanctity of the pulpit. If the LDS Church wants to cooperate in the effort to reduce illegal immigration, it could start by asking prospective missionaries to prove their legal residency in the United States first. The Church has a habit of calling illegal immigrants to serve missions. Let's clean up our own house first.

Update December 28th: According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Virginia Kice said the allegations that agents pretend to be missionaries is "patently untrue." But in response, Jacqueline Stevens was dubious of ICE's denials. "How do we know it's not part of their ruse operation to lie about ruse operations?", she asked. Meanwhile, LDS Church spokeswoman Kim Farah declined comment. "The church cannot comment on unsubstantiated allegations," she wrote Monday in an e-mail.

Mormons In The 111th Congress: Where LDS Lawmakers Stand On Immigration

The latest effort at immigration reform promoted by Utah U.S. Senator Bob Bennett triggered my interest on where members of Congress who are also members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stand on immigration issues, since Senator Bennett himself is LDS.

In case you are not familiar, Senator Bennett has introduced a bill entitled the "Fairness In Representation Act", which would require the U.S. Census Bureau to collect information on the citizenship status of respondents. The primary purpose of the bill is to prevent illegal immigrants from inflating a state's population totals to the point to where they would get additional U.S. House seats as a result. That's only fair, since the Census Bureau won't count American LDS missionaries deployed abroad, a decision which screwed Utah out of a fourth U.S. House seat in 2000. It's uncertain whether it could be passed and implemented in time for the 2010 census, but could be applied in all future census determinations. The bill is currently co-sponsored by Sens. Mike Enzi (R-WY), Mike Crapo (R-ID), and Jim Bunning (R-KY); Crapo is also LDS.

If you want your Senators to co-sponsor this bill, you'll find contact information for U.S. Senators available HERE.

NumbersUSA has been tracking and grading U.S. lawmakers over a period of many years. Their standards and ratings are consistent and can be considered reliable. To view the grades assigned to all lawmakers, click HERE, then click on the name of the lawmaker of interest. The grades of LDS lawmakers are posted below. Click on the lawmaker's name to go to the official Congressional website, and on the grades to go to the raw data, which is current as of September 18th, 2009:

(1). U.S. Senate:
-- Michael Crapo (R-ID): Career grade A-, Recent grade A
-- Harry Reid (D-NV): Career grade C-, Recent grade F-
-- Tom Udall (D-NM): Career grade D, Recent grade D-
-- Bob Bennett (R-UT): Career grade C-, Recent grade C-
-- Orrin Hatch (R-UT): Career grade C+, Recent grade B

(2). U.S. House:
-- Jeff Flake (R-AZ): Career grade C, Recent grade C
-- Wally Herger (R-CA): Career grade A, Recent grade B+
-- Howard McKeon (R-CA): Career grade A, Recent grade A
-- Mike Simpson (R-ID): Career grade B, Recent grade B
-- Dean Heller (R-NV): Career grade A, Recent grade A
-- Rob Bishop (R-UT): Career grade B, Recent grade B
-- Jason Chaffetz (R-UT): Career grade A+, Recent grade A+
-- Jim Matheson (D-UT): Career grade C+, Recent grade B+
-- Eni Faleomavaega (non-voting delegate from American Samoa): Not listed, because he doesn't cast votes on bills

Most LDS lawmakers are fairly strong on immigration issues. The variability tends to reflect party differences; the LDS Church, despite its belief in the 12th Article of Faith, which states, "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law", maintains a benign neutrality on immigration issues, pursuing a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" attitude, particularly when it comes to calling elders for missionary service.

Salt Lake Tribune Poll Shows 62 Percent Of Respondents Don't Want The LDS Church To Call Illegal Immigrants To Serve Missions

During the recent controversy over the arrest and detention of Jose Calzadillas, an LDS missionary who was serving in the Cincinnati area, a number of stories were written about the practice by LDS Church authorities of calling people to serve missions without regard to their immigration status. This means that illegal immigrants can be and have been called to serve missions, although in the case of Elder Calzadillas, he did have a valid passport, but had allowed his visa to expire during his mission.

And the Salt Lake Tribune decided to ascertain public opinion by running a poll which asked readers if they agreed with the practice of calling illegal immigrants on missions. The poll, which is included in this Tribune story, shows that out of 2,146 respondents at this point, 62.2 percent say No, 27.2 percent say Yes, and 10.6 percent had No Opinion. This ratio has held pretty constant throughout the life of the poll. It's been removed from the main News page but is still included with the story link provided above, so you can still vote on it.

Church leaders continue to avoid taking any stance on Federal immigration law, pursuing a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy similar in concept to the U.S. military's policy on gays. "The church does not have an official position on immigration policy, but encourages compassion in dealing with the complexities of immigration issues," said spokesman Michael Purdy earlier. "The blessings of the church are available to anyone who qualifies for membership and accepts the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The church will continue to focus on the spiritual well-being of its members while complying with the law. Immigration status is an issue left to each individual and the corresponding government authorities."

The LDS Church leadership generally does not make policy decisions based upon secular poll results. However, the results of this poll can provide them some valuable supplemental information on how to better address and implement whatever decision they make. If two-thirds of LDS members in the U.S. disagree on calling illegals to serve missions, and much of that disagreement is based upon the 12th Article of Faith, then this tells Church leaders that they must do a better job de-conflicting the two issues and communicating the value of the policy more persuasively and succinctly. Perhaps it should be the subject of an address at the next General Conference in October 2009.

This issue continues to trigger contentious debate on the Bloggernacle. Earlier the issue was discussed on Milennial Star, and now another contentious debate on a related subject is taking place on Juvenile Instructor. As usual, open borders advocates are ducking the central issue, instead attempting to characterize their opponents as xenophobic and even borderline racists, while those who oppose illegal immigration give measured and reasoned responses. Those on the left have a much greater tendency to evade logical discussion and engage in hysterical and juvenile name-calling than those on the right, and this tendency also exists within the ranks of Latter-day Saints as well. Not only does this not promote respect, but actually sows dissension and division. It should be beneath our dignity as Latter-day Saints to engage in hysteric name-calling and intellectual bullying. If we intend to call ourselves by Christ's name, then we incur the obligation to behave exactly as He would, to the best of our ability.

LDS Missionary Jose Calzadillas Arrested By Customs And Border Patrol Agents At Cincinnati Airport On April 8th, 2009 For Immigration Violation

An April 8th incident involving a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cincinnati has triggered a fresh round of sharp debate within the LDS community over the disposition of illegal immigrants.

Jose Calzadillas, an LDS missionary completing two years of service in Ohio, was arrested by Customs and Border Patrol agents at Cincinnati Airport on April 8th, 2009. The 24-year-old was initially detained in Kentucky's Boone County Jail until April 13th, when he was transferred to Chicago. He had a custody hearing on April 22nd in front of Judge Carlos Cuevas of the Chicago Immigration Court. He was released, and has another court appearance there on August 27th.

According to information earlier posted on Voice Of Deseret, Calzadillas was not an illegal immigrant in the classic sense of the term. He had a passport, but he had allowed his visa to expire. He was initially denied ministerial visits by Church authorities upon his detention, but this was later relaxed. Calzadillas' parents are allegedly illegal immigrants themselves.

Complicating the issue is the fact that the LDS Church takes an ambiguous "don't-ask, don't tell" position on membership for undocumented member. And it supported a 2005 federal law amendment, pushed by Utah Senator Bob Bennett, that gives churches legal immunity for having undocumented immigrants do volunteer service, including serving missions. In a recent interview, LDS Apostle Jeffrey R. Holland pointed out that "We're not agents of the immigration service and we don't pretend to be, and we also won't break the law."

But church leaders have taken no overall stance on federal immigration law. "The church does not have an official position on immigration policy, but encourages compassion in dealing with the complexities of immigration issues," said spokesman Michael Purdy. "The blessings of the church are available to anyone who qualifies for membership and accepts the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The church will continue to focus on the spiritual well-being of its members while complying with the law. Immigration status is an issue left to each individual and the corresponding government authorities."

But some LDS members are starting to question their faith as the church continues to recognize undocumented immigrants as worthy of baptism, temple entrance and missionary work while one of the faith's founding principles is to obey all laws, said Eli Cawley, chairman of the Utah Minuteman Project. "The risk that the church runs by supporting illegal aliens is the risk of alienating their own white membership," Cawley said. A Salt Lake Tribune "unscientific" poll, accessible HERE, tends to show support for Cawley's position; out of 1,479 votes, 62.33 percent disagree with the church's practice of sending undocumented immigrants on missions, 26.77 percent agree, and 10.88 percent expressed no opinion.

This question triggered a rather contentious debate on Milennial Star. Those on the side of "compliance" cited the 12th Article of Faith, and its counsel to honor, uphold, and sustain the law. In contrast, those on the side of "compassion" don't generally defend their positions logically, but stoop to emotion-laden diatribes and name-calling to intimidate the other side.

In general, there's probably no need for Church authorities to check residency status of members during ordinary worthiness interviews. But when interviewing prospective missionaries, this issue is too complicated to ignore. If Church authorities are allowing illegal immigrants to accept missionary service and exposing them to possible arrest, they incur a responsibility for such people. The problem needs to be corrected.

Compassion Vs. Compliance: Latter-Day Saints Grapple With The Issue Of Illegal Latino Immigrants Within The Ranks, Particularly In Arizona

While the California Proposition 8 campaign uncovered sharp differences within the ranks of Latter-day Saints over gay marriage, a quieter dispute over illegal immigrants in the Church is brewing, particularly in the front-line state of Arizona. It's a dispute between compassion vs. compliance. Read the full story in the Arizona Republic.

In Arizona and elsewhere, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the fastest-growing denominations in the country, and much of that growth is coming from Latino immigrants. The Church teaches that many of the Amerindians on the American continents are descendants of one of the leading Book of Mormon tribes, the Lamanites, and many Latinos who have Amerindian blood find this attractive. Also a factor is the LDS emphasis on family and community, also at the center of Latino culture. There are now about 7,000 Latino Mormons in greater Phoenix alone, and nationwide, it is estimated that 70 percent of all Latino converts in the past 10 to 15 years are illegal immigrants.

The Latino outreach has provoked conflict within LDS ranks because the majority of the Latino converts are illegal immigrants, and their disposition bumps up against the Twelfth Article of Faith, which states, "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law".

Compassion advocates such as Brigham Young University professor Ignacio Garcia claim that some LDS members have been influenced by "anti-immigrant" rhetoric. "What has happened among a good number of LDS members is that they have been shaped by the Republican Party of the last 40 years. They gravitate to the Republican Party, and the party has become very anti-immigrant, culture-wars-oriented", said Professor Garcia.

Compliance advocates, most notably Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce (R-Mesa), are not anti-immigrant, but believe a Church that officially preaches obedience to the law shouldn't be winking at the law in the name of "compassion". Pearce has spearheaded a crackdown on illegal immigrants in Arizona, attracting the ire of Phoenix New Times blogger Stephen Lemons, who has waged a vicious and persistent smear campaign against Pearce, attempting to link him with a wide variety of national socialists and other pro-White activists in the area. The Phoenix New Times is considered more suitable for litter boxes and bird cages rather than for human consumption.

But Pearce doesn't believe his fellow Mormons are undermining his efforts by reaching out to Latinos. "They are not providing sanctuary policies for them, unlike some folks who hide behind their religious status and are (promoting) sanctuary policies. This church simply doesn't ask (about immigration status)". But while this is not an active sanctuary policy, it could be considered a passive sanctuary policy.

Mark Bassett, president of the LDS Mesa mission, confirms the LDS Church has no particular policy towards illegals. "Our position is to invite everyone to learn more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and his plans for his children independent of national origin. We don't know what their immigration status is. We are not the government or the police". Likewise, individual missionaries don't inquire about immigration status when prosletyzing, and bishops do not question immigration status during worthiness interviews.

Of the 186 missionaries assigned to the Mesa mission, the largest in the state, 52 are Spanish speakers. Their work has helped grow the number of Spanish-speaking Mormon congregations in the Phoenix area from fewer than five a decade ago to more than 30 today. The majority of the Spanish-speaking congregations are in Mesa, which was founded by Mormon settlers in the late 1800s, but congregations have also sprouted in Phoenix, Tempe, Scottsdale, Peoria, Glendale, Chandler, Queen Creek and Gilbert. Three new area temples are being constructed in Gila Valley, Gilbert, and Phoenix to augment an overburdened temple in Mesa.

In the final analysis, the illegal immigration problem is best dealt with politically. Bishops and stake presidents shouldn't be put in the position of being enforcers. But if LDS business owners are caught deliberately employing illegals, they should be subject to Church discipline after the justice system is done with them.

Are Latter-Day Saints Inadvertently Aiding And Abetting Mass Immigration And Even Illegal Immigration Into The United States?

The answer to the question posed in the title of this post is ambiguous. Certainly, there are many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who take a strong stand against both mass immigration and illegal immigration into the U.S. One of the most prominent examples is Utah's 3rd District Congressman Jason Chaffetz, himself a devout Mormon, who promotes the idea of enforcement through attrition, and who believes the path to citizenship for all illegals must, at some point, lead back OUTSIDE the United States. He also wants legal immigration ratcheted down to more sustainable and manageable levels.

However, many Mormons not only do not share Congressman Chaffetz' commitment to protecting our country's borders, but they actually believe we should throw our borders wide open to facilitate what's called "the gathering of the elect to Zion", notwithstanding the Twelfth Article of Faith, which states that we shall "obey, honor, and sustain the law". And the current law quite clearly states that prospective immigrants must take their place in line and follow proper procedure to seek admittance to our national home.

One such individual who believes our borders must be thrown wide open to facilitate this "gathering" posted the following comment in response to a mostly-unrelated post on Times and Seasons entitled "Why Are The Faithful Fleeing":

Comment #53, posted by Bookslinger:

I think immigrants, Hispanic and other, are going to be a big factor in the growth and makeup of the LDS church in North America, just like they’ve become a factor in the Catholic church.

I believe that the huge number of immigrants in the US in the last 20 years, not just Hispanics, but Asians and Africans, is part of the fullfillment of the gathering prophecy in the Book of Mormon: “I will gather my elect from the four corners of the earth”. That’s not just a specific gathering to the city or land of Zion or the city or land of Jerusalem, but a gathering to the stakes of Zion. And the US currently has the most stakes of Zion. There currently are no stakes in China, or India, or Senegal, or Ethiopia, or Mali, so I think the Lord is gathering them here.

And in some countries where there are stakes, and even temples, there are still vast areas without a church presence.

The Lord has “gathered” thousands of Africans, East Indians, Chinese, Filipinos, and other Asians to Indianapolis, and every major US city. And I mean thousands from each of those areas/countries just to Indianapolis alone, not merely thousands in the aggregate.

And, in order to gather “the elect”, (whoever they are) the Lord also has to bring in others with them. The Lord didn’t say he will gather the elect and ONLY the elect. I think that their brothers, sisters, cousins, parents, children, uncles, aunts, neices and nephews are coming along with them too. [Ed. Note: That's called chain migration.]

Of course, Bookslinger completely disregards the aforementioned Twelfth Article of Faith, which commands us to "obey, honor, and sustain the law". But more importantly, Bookslinger also does not reference the other dictum, which is to carry the Gospel to ALL parts of the earth. This means the fulness of the Gospel must be carried to every nation, kindred, and tongue. While the Lord may gather the elect in the future through forces yet to be completely set in motion, we have a current mandate to exert every reasonable effort to bring the Gospel to them. This is why we have over 50,000 missionaries in the field.

And when we make an honest effort to obey this commandment, the Lord opens doors for us. One of the most common ways the Lord opens doors to recalcitrant nations is through "regime change". Most of the time, regime change must be imposed externally, as it was in World Wars I and II, and in Iraq. However, in one of the greatest miracles of the 20th century, regime change took place internally when the Soviet Empire voluntarily and peacefully disbanded. Since that time, the Gospel has more successfully penetrated Eastern Europe, and now there's a temple in Kiev, Ukraine.

To add insult to injury, many of the immigrants that Bookslinger cherishes hardly constitute the "elect". I certainly don't consider MS-13 gangbangers to be the "elect".

The LDS Church does not have an official "thus saith the Lord" position on illegal immigration. But on February 15th, 2008, the Deseret News recorded the unofficial position espoused by Marlin K. Jensen, a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. During an interfaith forum on immigration at Westminster College, Elder Jensen stated, "The church's view of someone in undocumented status is akin, in a way, to a civil trespass", relating it to coming onto someone's property uninvited. "There is nothing inherent or wrong about that status", he concluded. The Church also does not ask local leaders to question prospective converts or members seeking temple privileges about their citizenship status, because, as spokesman Mark Tuttle later put it, "The church does not see itself as an enforcement agency".

And in response to Latter-day Saints who use the Twelfth Article of Faith argument to question why the church baptizes people and issues temple recommends to members who live in the country illegally, Tuttle responds, "I wonder how they'd feel about the second great commandment, to love thy neighbor as thyself. It's not an answer to your question, but it's another question. Sometimes it's hard to do them all". But does Tuttle love our foreign "neighbors" enough to put them up in HIS house?

I'm not suggesting that the LDS Church should become an enforcement agency. But put the moral burden on the interviewee during a worthiness interview by asking the person "are you obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law to the best of your ability?". This might encourage some illegals, out of a sense of conscience, to answer honestly.

If a member identifies himself as an illegal immigrant to his bishop, should his bishop turn him in? Tough question, but if bishops are required to turn in admitted sex offenders and others who confess crimes to them, aren't they also equally obligated to turn in self-confessed illegal immigrants?