ATLANTA - As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to rule on Arizona's immigration law and as more states in the Southeast debate passing their own immigration laws, prominent figures in the region will convene Monday in Atlanta to discuss "the importance of immigrants and immigration to the region's economic and cultural vitality."
Key stakeholders from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee are expected to begin developing a common understanding of the "value of immigrants and immigration to the Southeast and to the country as a whole," and to renew calls for federal action.
Highlights will include a keynote speech by former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. In addition, a broad range of regional leaders will participate in interactive panel discussions, including Richard Land, President of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, and Larry Wooten, President of the North Carolina Farm Bureau.
Discussions will be organized around three topics:
*Economy: What role do immigrants and immigration play in the regional economy, and how are they important to the future of key industry sectors?
*Faith and culture: How are churches and communities being shaped by the arrival of immigrants in the region? How do state-level enforcement laws and issues with our current federal system our religious communities?
*Public Safety: How does the region's sense of public safety hinge on the relationship between immigrants and law enforcement agencies?
Wednesday
July 2nd, 2025
1:12AM
