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February
20, 2006 
VOL.
44, NO. 4Oakland,
CA
COMMENTARY
Immigration reform – a Catholic perspective
By Mary Doyle
The young
man is traveling on a rail car to get to a job in Canada. He has left
his family and his home in Mexico with the promise of work. The photographer
captures him praying for safe passage: He holds onto the train between
cars, arms extended, standing tall and looking up -- as if stretched upon
the cross.
His is just one story in a recent film, “Dying to Live,” that
portrays the dangerous journey of migrants crossing the U.S. border from
Mexico. The film gives us a different perspective from the policy discussions
and anti-immigrant fervor sweeping our country.
It tells us the stories of individuals: why they leave, what they hope
for, and what they risk crossing through the desert of the southwest.
It invites the viewer to relate to the migrant as our neighbor in need,
as our brother and sister in Christ.
As friends of Jesus, our starting point for the immigration debate is
to recognize migrants as people with dignity, gifts to share, and a rich
spiritual and cultural heritage. Catholic social teaching affirms “that
all people have the right to conditions worthy of human life and, if these
conditions are not present, they have the right to migrate.”
It also calls us to address “the root causes of migration -- poverty,
injustice, religious intolerance, armed conflicts -- so that migrants
can remain in their homelands and support their families.” (“Strangers
No Longer," #28, 29, U.S. and Mexican Bishops, 2003)
Americans seem to agree that the current laws and policies governing immigration
are outdated, ineffective and in serious need of repair. Now we face a
critical moment in history when we have the opportunity to create an immigration
system for the 21st century that provides for national security and reflects
our deepest values.
Recently the House of Representatives failed to achieve this when it passed
HR 4437, the Border Protection, Anti-Terrorism, and Illegal Immigration
Control Act of 2005, a punitive bill which focuses primarily on law enforcement.
The Justice for Immigrants Campaign, a program of the U.S. Catholic bishops,
summarizes some of the major provisions of HR 4437 considered harmful
to immigrants and those who support them:
• Unlawful presence” in this country would now be considered
a crime and a felony, meaning that undocumented immigrants may have to
serve jail time and would be barred from future legal status and from
re-entry into the country.
• Immigrants, including asylum-seekers, victims of human trafficking,
victims of domestic abuse, and children who are apprehended along an international
border or at a port-of-entry would be detained until such time as they
are removed from the nation or otherwise provided immigration relief.
• Anyone or any organization who “assists” an individual
without documentation “to reside in or remain” in the United
States knowingly or with “reckless disregard” as to the individual’s
legal status would be liable for criminal penalties and five years in
prison. This could include church personnel who provide shelter or other
basic needs assistance to an undocumented individual. Property used in
this act would be subject to seizure and forfeiture.
• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would be required to
erect up to 700 miles of fencing along the Southwest border at points
with the highest number of immigrant deaths.
• State and local law enforcement are authorized to enforce federal
immigration
laws. State and local governments which refuse to participate would be
subject to the loss of federal funding.
• The diversity visa lottery program, which allows 50,000 immigrants
each year from countries around the world to permanently reside in the
United States, is eliminated.
The U.S. Catholic bishops have urged the Senate to reject HR 4437 when
it comes before them next month because the provisions would lead our
nation down a path of intolerance and exclusion.
Instead, the bishops are urging the Senate to incorporate two basic principles
into its immigration reform proposals:
Reform must be comprehensive. True and effective immigration reforms must
deal with (1) the undocumented immigrants working and living in the U.S.,
(2) legal means to enter the country for work and to join family members,
(3) enforcement strategies that are effectively targeted and that uphold
human dignity.
Moreover, U.S. multi- and bi-lateral international policies must encourage
opportunities for people in their home countries to achieve a dignified
living and not be compelled to migrate out of necessity.
Provide a pathway to residency and citizenship. The undocumented immigrants
currently living in the U.S. must be given the opportunity to earn the
right to remain in the U.S. if they satisfy certain criteria, including
that they are not a security threat and not a criminal. Those who pass
background and security checks should be eligible for permanent residence
and citizenship, if they so desire
These comprehensive reforms are embodied in the Secure America and Orderly
Immigration Act of 2005 (S.1033), a bipartisan bill introduced by Senators
John McCain and Edward Kennedy.
The bishops are urging Catholics and others to study this issue and contact
their senators urging them to support SB1033.
Through national leadership and moral courage, the Senate can chart a
course for our country’s future that maintains our ideals as a nation
of immigrants.
(Mary Doyle is social justice resource specialist for the Diocese
of Oakland. She can be reached at mdoyle@oakdiocese.org)
Resources
available
The U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Justice
for Immigrants Campaign is an ongoing effort to educate and advocate for
humane changes in immigration policy. To learn more about proposed immigration
legislation and the Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform, visit the
Web site of the campaign: www.justiceforimmigrants.org
Resource kits for parishes, the DVD of “Dying to Live,” and
other resources are available now from the diocesan Social Justice Office.
Contact Mary Doyle at mdoyle@oakdiocese.org.
