US: The debate on immigration reform has created a deep split among America's evangelical Christians, pitting Hispanic and more liberal churches against the more numerous and influential conservative evangelicals.
Fifty evangelical leaders and groups this week signed a letter to President George Bush backing a proposal to give America's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants a chance to eventually become US citizens. Mainly white conservative groups such as the Christian Coalition and the Eagle Forum oppose such a measure, which they see as an amnesty, and favour tougher border security and the deportation of illegal immigrants.
Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, said his evangelical group had received support from Catholic, Jewish and Muslim organisations but from few white evangelicals.
"This is the watershed movement - it's the moment where either we really forge relationships with the white evangelical church that will last for decades, or there is a possibility of a definitive schism here. There will be church ramifications to this and there will be political ramifications," he said.
Liberal evangelicals argue that the Bible obliges Christians to take care of strangers but Christian Coalition lobbyist Jim Backlin reads the Bible differently. "We think our national boundaries should be respected. That's a biblical principle also."
Mr Bush yesterday urged senators to break through a stalemate in negotiations on immigration reform and to agree a comprehensive package of measures before a self-imposed deadline tomorrow.
Democrats are pushing for a vote today to curtail debate on an immigration Bill approved by the Senate judiciary committee.
Democrats object to an amendment proposed by Arizona Republican Jon Kyle which would make illegal immigrants ineligible for legal status if they were determined to be a danger to the US, guilty of a serious crime outside the US, or were convicted of a felony or three misdemeanours or a serious immigration violation in the US.
Senate majority leader Bill Frist was still hoping yesterday to create a consensus around a proposal to allow only those illegal immigrants who have been in the US for more than five years to win a path to US citizenship.
Senator John McCain initially dismissed the proposal but appeared yesterday to be warming to it.