Evangelicals come out to support undocumented immigrants

>>> more than 150 evangelical leaders have broken with the republican party on a key issue for the campaign -- immigration. they signed this statement. it says the country needs to pass toward citizenship for the 11.5 million illegal immigrants. joining me now my guests. good morning to both of you.

>> good morning.

>> jim, let me start with you. this group is wading into one of the most controversial issues of this campaign. tell me what the argument is to republicans. what are they doing wrong?

>> you know, chris , the big things don't change first in washington. they come here last. social movement changes things. evangelicals across boundaries have come together and said this system is utterly broken. one side says no trespass. the other says help wanted. 10 million people are stuck in between those signs. the bible says those people are the stranger and jesus says how we treat them is how we treat him. that's brought us all together and we're saying to both sides you're both responsible for this. it's time to fix it. we'll press both sides here to do the moral thing and the common sense thing and fix the broken system.

>> how do you do that, though, in a campaign that is so divided and where republicans have made very clear their opposition to some of the kinds of things you're talking about?

>> what changes politicians, chris , is constituents. when their constituents say you're wrong about this, you have to change, neither side has shown the political will and leadership to change a broken system. so the people in the country, vulnerable people, are pawns. they're part of bases and they're looking at votes. we're looking at what is going to happen to ordinary people and families. these people are in our churches. some of them are pastors in our choichls. undocumented people are part of the growth of our churches and we're saying, they're us. we have a biblical approach, what the bible says, and a relational approach. these are our brothers and sisters in christ. we're going to stand with them against anyone who says they should be punished for this.

>> you can't look at this outside of the context of what is going to be a very close election and something we've talked about multiple times. the growing number of latinos, the push to register more latino voters. when you're looking at a group like the conservative evangelical leaders how big a deal is this for them to sign this kind of statement?

>> i think this is huge. i just have to say it's really, i find it quite commendable. how often do you have groups like the southern baptist convention , focus on the family , taking what amounts to a progressive, liberal point of view on an issue sf i think it is quite remarkable. when you look at the bigger picture we've seen people like the mormons and i think just recently jeb bush calling for changes in the way we look at immigration. as he said, it is very important. the immigration policy we have now is tearing families apart. it's inhumane. i think it's very admirable that they're doing something and also practical. this is what the gop should be doing. they should be growing up, waking up and wising up and adjusting their strategy when it comes to immigration.

>> is it, though, a practical decision on their part? i looked at a recent poll that frankly surprised me. it was about the arizona immigration law decision. the quinnipiac poll found 49% of latinos opposed the law. 47% supported it.

>> i know. i am very glad you brought up that poll. that poll is a huge dispute among spanish language media and what i consider a much more accurate poll has been done by latino decisions because the quinnipiac poll, they don't always poll mobile phones , spanish speakers. when you look at polling by latino decisions it is 70% plus oppose the -- of hispanics oppose the arizona immigration law . i think practically what they're doing is smart. it's good policy. it is good for their churches and i think filling a leadership void we have.

>> we'll continue to follow this because it is obviously very key to this campaign. i hope you'll both come back. thank you so much for being on the program.

>> thanks, chris .