Ahead of Super Tuesday, conservative and faith-based leaders in support of immigration reform have called on presidential candidates show compassion on immigration.

Letter to the Candidates

Twenty-four faith leaders from Texas and Georgia, two of the states hosting primaries on March 1, wrote a letter to all candidates, calling on them to create a "new, solutions-based message" on immigration that includes border security, the well-being of immigrant communities and the economy.

"Immigrants continue to contribute to our economy. Texas is home to almost 4.4 million immigrants. More than 40 percent of Texans are Latino or Asian. As of 2010, more than 20 percent of all business owners in Texas were foreign-born, and from 2006 to 2010, immigrant businesses in Texas generated a total net business income of $10 billion," the letter noted.

According to National Immigration Forum Executive Director Ali Noorani, some presidential candidates appear to be determined to "overlook" local views on immigration. In the letter, which was promoted through Noorani's organization, the leaders said they believe a sensible solution is possible between the "extremes" of mass deportation and "blanket amnesty."

"Across the country, local leaders are underscoring the important role immigrants play in their communities and calling for a national conversation that confronts the realities of our current immigration system and the implications of candidates' policy recommendations," said Noorani. "We need our candidates to recognize that America is better when we embrace the contributions of immigrants and give them the opportunities, skills and status they need to succeed."

The need to address immigration is not an exclusive message from faith leaders but also comes from law enforcement. In a statement from the National Immigration Forum, Miguel Lugo, a police officer for the Atlanta Police Department, said community relations improve once police are involved, since crime affects all communities regardless of immigration status.

"We have to build trust with immigrants and work hand-in-hand. Once that trust is built, we cannot break that trust and start from scratch," said Lugo in a statement. "We have a commitment to our communities and to our citizens that we are here to serve them. Immigrants have these same rights and we are here to protect them."

Super Tuesday

Texas and Georgia are among the 13 states hosting either a primary or caucus on Super Tuesday, when 661 Republican delegates and 1,034 Democratic delegates will be up for grabs. In the Republican Party, Donald Trump leads the delegate count with 81, while Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are tied at 17 each. In the Democratic Party, with the inclusion of "superdelegates," Hillary Clinton leads with 504 delegates to Bernie Sanders' 71.

Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Virginia will host primaries for both major political parties, while Alaska will have a Republican caucus and American Samoa will host a Democratic caucus. Wyoming will host a Republican primary.

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