Baptists support legalization but not `amnesty'

(RNS) Southern Baptists adopted a resolution Wednesday (June 15) that
supports a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants but clearly
states they reject "amnesty."

After heated debate at their annual meeting in Phoenix, the Baptists
approved a statement that called for secure borders and "a just and
compassionate path to legal status, with appropriate restitutionary
measures" for illegal immigrants already in the U.S.

Some delegates said the language on "legal status" was tantamount to
amnesty, prompting an almost equally divided vote over whether to remove
it. In response, officials added language that said: "This resolution is
not to be construed as support for amnesty for any undocumented
immigrant."