Religious and community leaders in North Carolina on Tuesday began a support campaign for immigrants by placing billboards in the state’s main cities.

The initiative, coordinated by the non-profit group Uniting NC, seeks “to put a human face on immigration and change the negative rhetoric that has poisoned public discourse on the issue.”

“Our goal is not to fight against anti-immigrant laws - other groups are doing that - but to show the positive side and the voices that are not being heard in this debate,” Kristin Collins, the group’s director, told Efe on Tuesday.

“We have to welcome foreigners, especially at times like Christmas, and to treat immigrants with respect,” she said.