At the core of our Christian commitment is to love our neighbors and to speak out for and defend vulnerable and marginalized people. The Bible shows a special concern for those it refers to as "the stranger," what today we would call an immigrant. Because immigrants are often vulnerable to exploitation or discrimination, Christians should go out of their way to show both empathy and kindness to them as well as speak out for justice on their behalf. SB 1070 violates all of these principles and as a result families, churches and communities are being ripped apart. The goal of the legislation is to make life unbearable for undocumented people in an attempt to get them to "self-deport." Legislation intentionally designed to increase the suffering of any of God's children is unconscionable. It encourages mistrust and racial profiling through making anyone with brown skin or an accent automatically a suspect. And, it hurts Christian ministries that believe they should help those in need whether or not the needy can show their papers