뉴욕이민자연맹(NYIC)은 2월 27일 오전 11시 맨해튼 사무실에서 드림액트 법 통과와 포괄적 이민개혁법안 실현을 위해서 뉴욕의 종교 지도자들 9명을 초청하여 입장을 듣고 발표하는 시간을 가졌다. 이민자보호교회 조원태 목사도 참석하여 다음과 같이 입장을 발표했다. 

I am the Chairperson of the Korean American Sanctuary Churches consisting of 98 local churches with 10 immigration lawyers. We stand firmly with the NYIC and all of you here to protect the rights of all immigrants documented or undocumented.

By looking at the clouds, we can see the signs of rain. By looking at the immigration policy from the Trump administration, we can see the signs of destruction, destruction of the lives of immigrants and destruction of peace and justice in this nation.  That is why we are here today.

Our clothes can become wet from the rain, if we do not prepare an umbrella. Then, what is our umbrella? It is our solidarity for justice, solidarity for love. 

Sometimes, when the rains become so hard, we will be drenching in rain together. But, no matter how hard the rains become, we will keep walking  the path. And, we will keep walking  this path together as people who walk courageously and victorious over evil policy and evil system. This is the legacy and inheritance we must pass down to our next generations to come.

It is our calling and duty as Christian to protect the weak, to save lives,and  to welcome strangers. Also, Christians mission is to build a bridge not a wall. We must welcome everyone to our Churches and communities regardless of their status, documented or undocumented because we are all children of God, our father.  We firmly stand with the DACA dreamers and will work together continuously and tirelessly until Congree passes the Dream Act.

I am an immigrant from Korea, the last place on earth that's divided due to the Cold War.....The greatest sorrow brought by the 70 years of division is the separation of families. A husband is living in the North while his wife is living in the South. This is the pain of separated families. A mother in the North separated from her children in the South knows better than anyone else, the sorrow and pain of a separated families.....

Trump's administration Is trying to reduce family immigrants by 50 percent and will bring the same sorrow and pain to our immigrant families. We must stand up against this inhumane and injust policy of Trump administration with all our hearts. Just like the outcome of the Cold War was "separated families" in Korea, trump's anti-tje outcome of those ant-immigrant policies will be separated families all over the world.

We are all family. In God, we are all brothers and sisters and each other's parent and child. Family value and right to live with familiy have been one of the most important value and right in American history for a long long time. 

From the Christian point of view destroying this precious value is an act of evil. We will not simply overlook this evil. We will overcome evil with good. To overcome evil with good, we will band together with our neighbors who are shedding tears. 

"We shall overcome, we shall overcome someday, we will walk hand in hand, we shall live in peace someday, we are not afraid today, the whole wide America around someday, Oh deep in my heart, I do believe we shall overcome someday". 

Discouragement is the clever trap Satan lays down. So, don't be discouraged. Don't be afraid. Be courageous and keep hope alive. Hope is our promise of victory. At the end, victory will be ours!

ⓒ 아멘넷 뉴스(USAamen.net)