Archbishop of Denver Charles J. Chaput Bishop of Salt Lake City John C. Wester

U.S. Bishops call on Obama for Immigration Reform to End Migrant Suffering

SAN ANTONIO (CNA) June 21, 2009 — Cardinal Francis George, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), speaking at the conference’s annual spring meeting, called on President Barack Obama and congressional leaders to enact “comprehensive” immigration reform.

“It has been clear for years that the United States immigration system requires repair and that reform legislation should not be delayed,” Cardinal George said, speaking on behalf of the bishops. Stating that the bishops urge “respect and observance of all just laws,” he added that they do not “approve or encourage” illegal entry into the United States.

“From a humanitarian perspective,” he said, “our fellow human beings, who migrate to support their families, continue to suffer at the hands of immigration policies that separate them from family members and drive them into remote parts of the American desert, sometimes to their deaths. This suffering should not continue.”

Cardinal George said society should stop tolerating a status quo that perpetuates a “permanent underclass” and benefits from its members’ labor “without offering them legal protections.”

“As a moral matter, we must resolve the legal status of those who are here without proper documentation so that they can fully contribute their talents to our nation’s economic, social and spiritual well being.

“Only through comprehensive reform can we restore the rule of law to our nation’s immigration system.”

He encouraged the U.S. president and congressional leaders to draft comprehensive immigration reform legislation with the goal of enacting it by the end of 2009.

Bishop Wenski calls for ‘substantive plan’ for immigration reform

Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando, Florida called on President Obama and congressional leaders to move forward on immigration reform, saying a “substantive plan” must emerge to show the Obama administration intends successful change.

Writing in the Orlando Sentinel, Bishop Wenski reported that President Obama will meet with congressional leaders this week to discuss immigration reform and its political practicalities. Noting that some supporters of immigration reform are concerned the meeting is “more political show than substance,” Bishop Wenski said the government must move forward on a bill.

“While opinions differ as to whether it is politically wise to move immigration-reform legislation in the first year, the president cannot afford to leave supporters empty-handed,” the bishop wrote. “What must emerge from this meeting is a substantive plan that shows that the administration intends to win this battle, even if it might take longer than expected.”

Bishop Wenski advocated “legislative and administrative actions” to increase public confidence that immigrants are “systematically” integrating into U.S. society. The actions should also increase confidence in the government’s ability to efficiently implement and enforce a new immigration system, he advised.

“I am not talking about more border enforcement. I am speaking of initiatives to show that, if we do intend to require 12 million people to earn citizenship, the infrastructure is in place to ensure that they are processed and able to learn English and civics in a reasonable time period,” he explained.

“In short, the administration must prove that these new immigrants, now in the shadows, can emerge and become good Americans.”

He added that a detailed national strategy on immigration would allay “cultural fears” that immigrants are “taking over” the American way of life and changing the country beyond recognition. The Obama administration must also hold “unscrupulous employers” accountable and enforce the rights of both immigrant and U.S. employees in the workplace.

Bishop Wenski credited the administration for “small steps” in reform, such as shifting enforcement priorities away from migrant workers to employer investigation and prosecution.

The bishop also called for the establishment of infrastructure to identify and process the 12 million immigrants in the country. His Orlando Sentinel essay also called for a reduction in the wait times for citizenship and other immigration benefits, which can often take “years.”

“In an era defined by Hurricane Katrina, government competency is an issue that cannot be ignored.”

“In order to move immigration reform forward, President Obama needs to take action, not just hold a meeting,” Bishop Wenski said.

Response to immigration a ‘test of our humanity,’ Archbishop Chaput says at forum

Saying the immigration crisis is “a test of our humanity,” Archbishop of Denver Charles J. Chaput on Saturday told an open forum on immigration reform that Catholics must not ignore immigrants in need and cannot remain silent about flawed immigration policy.

He also noted that Catholics’ commitment to the immigrant arises from the same source as Catholics’ commitment to the unborn. The archbishop spoke at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in the Denver suburb of Northglenn on Saturday afternoon. He was joined by Congressmen Jared Polis (D-CO) and Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL).

Archbishop Chaput opened with a prayer asking God to help man “build a culture of life” and to “live the Gospel.”

“Make us quick to forgive each other, quick to listen to each other, and eager to serve those who are suffering and in need,” he prayed. “And finally Lord, in all things, fill us with the courage to follow St. Paul when he urges us to ‘speak the truth in love.’”

Beginning his remarks, the archbishop said that immigration reform has been “gridlocked” for more than three years. He blamed both Democrats and Republicans for creating “paralysis.”

“We made our immigration crisis in a bipartisan way. Now we need to solve it in a bipartisan way that involves good people from both parties or no party.”

He noted that he and Rep. Polis, who is openly homosexual and a supporter of abortion rights, would disagree “vigorously” on “some very serious social issues.”

However, the archbishop said the agenda for that day concerned the improvement of immigration laws.

“We have a mutual interest in that important work -- and I respect the congressman’s sincerity and energy in trying to do something about it,” he said.

“The Catholic commitment to the dignity of the immigrant comes from exactly the same roots as our commitment to the dignity of the unborn child,” since being pro-life also means making laws and social policies that will care for “those people already born that no one else will defend.”

“In the United States today, we employ a permanent underclass of human beings who build our roads, pick our fruit, clean our hotel rooms, and landscape our lawns,” Archbishop Chaput remarked.

Stating that most immigrants are law-abiding and “simply want a better life for their families,” he noted that many have children who are American citizens or have been in America for most of their lives.

These people live in a “legal limbo,” he stated.

“They’re vital to our economy, but they have few legal protections, and thousands of families have been separated by arrests and deportations,” he reported.

“We need to remember that how we treat the weak, the infirm, the elderly, the unborn child and the foreigner reflects on our own humanity. We become what we do, for good or for evil.”

Archbishop Chaput insisted that the Catholic Church respects the law, including immigration law, and also respects those who enforce it.

“We do not encourage or help anyone to break the law. We believe Americans have a right to solvent public institutions, secure borders and orderly regulation of immigration.”

However, he said Catholics cannot ignore those in need and cannot be silent about laws that “don’t work” and also create “impossible contradictions and suffering.”

Characterizing the present immigration system as one that adequately serves no one, he urged reform that will address economic and security needs while regularizing “the many decent undocumented immigrants.”

“We become what we do, for good or for evil. If we act and speak like bigots, that’s what we become. If we act with justice, intelligence, common sense and mercy, then we become something quite different. We become the people and the nation God intended us to be.”

He said he hoped those present at today's forum will all take part in immigration reform.

“The future of our country depends on it,” he concluded.

The June 13 forum is part of a national outreach tour called “Familias Unidas.” The tour will visit 22 major cities across the United States and is intended to advance a better understanding of the harm caused to individuals and families by the present immigration system.

Holy Spirit helps to overcome frontiers, Archbishop Carlos Osoro Sierra tells immigrants

Archbishop Carlos Osoro Sierra of Valencia, Spain said this week during the closing of a congress for immigrant families that the Holy Spirit helps to overcome all “barriers, distances and divisions.”

“The Holy Spirit eliminates barriers, distances and divisions, those that exist between rich and poor countries, between races, languages and cultures. He makes us citizens with the same rights and obligations, he reveals to us that we are children of God and brothers and sisters,” the archbishop said.

He went on to express his desire that immigrant families who settle in Valencia be given all of the opportunities they need to develop and flourish.

“The Church says to all mankind that she has only one way of understanding life, which is to have one spirit, the same spirit that unites all peoples and all men,” such that this very unity in the spirit “is what gives us the ability to understand each other and to hold events like this, with people who come from very diverse places,” Archbishop Osoro stated.

One year later, Bishop Wester notes ‘human cost’ of Postville immigration raid

Bishop of Salt Lake City John C. Wester marking the anniversary of the May 12, 2008 immigration raid in Postville, Iowa, the Catholic bishop who heads the U.S. bishops’ immigration committee said the anniversary was a "disturbing reminder" of the "human cost" of enforcement actions. He also called for the reform of national immigration policies.

Bishop of Salt Lake City John C. Wester, chairman of the Committee on Migration of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), said the Postville raid was precedent-setting as the largest work site immigration enforcement action to that point in history.

"As religious leaders, my brother Catholic bishops and I understand and support the right and responsibility of the government to enforce the law. We strongly believe, however, that worksite enforcement raids do not solve the challenge of illegal immigration. Instead, they lead to the separation of U.S. families and the destruction of immigrant communities," he said.

"The result of the Postville raid was family separation, immense suffering, denial of due process rights and community division," Bishop Wester charged.

"Our religious and social response to such harm to our God-given human dignity is based on Scriptures, which call believers to welcome the newcomers among us, to treat the alien with respect and charity, and to provide pastoral and humanitarian assistance to individuals and their families."

Bishop Wester asked all Catholics, other religious believers and persons of good will to commemorate the Postville raid by remembering in their prayers those hurt by it. He also asked them to work for "comprehensive immigration reform" so that others will not face "similar pain and cruelty."