(TNS) — Messiah University is invoking its Christian ethos and the dignity of every human to explain its support for a bipartisan immigration bill that calls for a more humane treatment of undocumented immigrants.

The Mechanicsburg-based private Christian school, however, stopped short of making a public statement, citing concerns that it would amount to taking a political stance.

Messiah, a member of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, is counted among the coalition of evangelical organizations that on Tuesday sent Congress a letter appealing to its members to support a bipartisan immigration bill that would depart from the hardline, aggressive immigration policies of the second Trump administration.

In an email to PennLive, Messiah acknowledged that it is an active member of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, and that it values the organization’s “service to the interests of Christian higher education and our students.” CCCU represents more than 170 Christian colleges and universities.

“Messiah is clear in its own institutional values about our ethos as a Christian institution of higher education,” university officials wrote in the email to PennLive. “This includes our commitment to the importance of person, that ‘every person is to be respected and valued, regardless of gender, race, nationality, ability, status or position, because each person is created in the image of God.’”

The university said it values “the global diversity” of its employees, alumni and student body, and that the Dignity Act, the bipartisan immigration bill, is consistent with “Messiah’s commitment to the importance of person.”

“It is Messiah University’s general practice, however, not to issue an institutional public statement on specific political positions or legislation,” the statement to PennLive said. “This would not be practical in that our stakeholders represent a diverse range of political and theological perspectives on this and many other issues.”

Messiah underscored that the university itself did not sign or send the letter to Congress, rather it is a member of one of the organizations that did so.

The Dignity Act, a bipartisan bill cosponsored by Representatives Maria Salazar, R-Fla. and Veronica Escobar, D-Tx., along with 18 lawmakers, would offer an alternative approach to family separation and detention and help undocumented immigrants secure a path to citizenship.

Under the measure undocumented immigrants who meet a particular criteria would be able to secure permanent legal status. The measure would also allow so-called “Dreamers,” who arrived in the country as infants or children, a pathway to citizenship.

“As Christians committed to the rule of law, rooted in the biblical conviction that God has ordained the government to restrain evil and ensure order, we believe the Dignity Act offers necessary reforms to help achieve a permanent immigration policy that remedies wrong-doings, protects our communities, and aligns with the priorities of evangelical Christians,” faith leaders stated in the letter.

The letter noted that while the vast majority of evangelical Christians believe that violent criminals should be prioritized for deportation, Lifeway Research, an evangelical research firm, finds only 17 percent of evangelicals say the same about those who would be willing to pay a fine as restitution for breaking U.S. immigration laws.

“The fines and penalties proposed by the Dignity Act would more than cover the billions of dollars that the bill proposes to improve border security, addressing another core immigration policy concern for evangelical Christians — but without expanding the federal deficit,” the letter states.

The letter notes that improving border security and creating a restitution-based legalization process for undocumented immigrants have the support of 76 percent of evangelical Christians, including about 7-in-10 evangelicals who voted for Trump in 2024.

David Hoag, president of the Council of Christian Colleges & Universities, underscored the importance of the inclusion of the DREAM Act provision.

“This critical component of the legislation offers a path to stability and opportunity for Dreamers—young people brought to this country through no fault of their own who have been shaped by our communities, churches, and campuses,” Hoag said. “The CCCU advocates for Dreamers to have the opportunity to thrive in environments where they can grow academically and spiritually, and this provision would contribute toward that important goal.”

The letter from the evangelical groups and schools to Congress noted that while the vast majority of evangelical Christians believe that violent criminals should be prioritized for deportation, Lifeway Research, an evangelical research firm, finds only 17 percent of evangelicals say the same about those who would be willing to pay a fine as restitution for breaking U.S. immigration laws.

“The fines and penalties proposed by the Dignity Act would more than cover the billions of dollars that the bill proposes to improve border security, addressing another core immigration policy concern for evangelical Christians — but without expanding the federal deficit,” the letter states.