In a recent article for Mother Jones, Suzy Khimm asks whether a right-wing schism may be developing over immigration reform.  In recent months, many evangelical leaders—including conservative Christians like Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention—have voiced support for immigration reform that would include a pathway to legalization for many undocumented immigrants. While Land’s group has supported a comprehensive approach to reform for several years, he has become more adament in his support since the passage of Arizona’s contentious immigration law. These increased efforts by conservative Christians on behalf of immigrants have created conflict between their groups and right-wing groups opposed to immigration reform, making former allies into possible political enemies. She writes:

Following the passage of Arizona’s law, Land has sharpened his rhetoric and stepped up the SBC’s lobbying efforts, calling for an overhaul of the entire immigration system. “The federal government needs to step up to the plate. If not, it’s going to rend the fabric of our society,” Land said in a conference call last month organized by Conservatives for Comprehensive Immigration Reform. More strikingly, Land slammed anti-immigration foes on the right in harsh terms, suggesting they were misguided and even ignorant for opposing a pathway to legalization. […]

In response, anti-immigration advocates have raised the stakes, accusing the churches of harboring illegal immigrants.

According to a recent poll conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute, 60 percent of white evangelicals support immigration reform that outlines a path to citizenship. In contrast, only 31 percent want to see reform that stresses enforcement only. Thus, while white evangelicals typically lean to the right on political issues, on the issues of immigration reform they resemble their more liberal religious counterparts more than their conservative immigration allies would like.

This clearly has important implications for the future of comprehensive immigration reform. Few major religious groups have come out against CIR, while many coalitions on the right (e.g., Conservatives for Comprehensive Immigration Reform) and the left (e.g., the New Sanctuary Movement) are in support of it, suggesting that religious energy in the country is in favor of immigrants. But there may also be more far-reaching implications of conservative Christian support for what is seen by many conservatives to be a liberal issue. Khimm wonders whether this issue might create a deeper schism among conservatives that could influence national electoral politics.

Read more here.