Flawed law unintentionally shows urgent need for immigration reform
Over the past week various people from around the archdiocese have asked for help in reflecting on Arizonas new immigration law. As readers will know, Ive used this space many times in the past to urge sensible, national immigration reform. Citizens of this country have a right to their safety and the solvency of their public institutions. But we undermine those very goals if we ignore the basic human rights of immigrant workers and their families.
In the case of Arizona state law, Catholics should listen first to the leaders of the Arizona Catholic community, for obvious reasons. They know the situation there best. Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix, Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson and Bishop James Wall of Gallup, N.M. (whose diocese includes portions of Arizona) are all excellent pastors. Their leadership in the coming weeks and months should set the tone for our own response.
Having said that, its worth making a few simple observations:
First, illegal immigration is wrong and dangerous for everyone involved. Theres nothing good about people risking their lives for the mere purpose of entering the United States. Theres nothing good about our nation not knowing who crosses our borders and why theyre here, especially in an age of terrorism, drugs and organized violent crime. Theres nothing good about people living in the shadows; or families being separated; or decent people being deported and having to start their lives all over again, sometimes in a country that they no longeror never didknow.
Second, the new Arizona law, despite its flaws, does unintentionally accomplish one good thing. Thanks to Arizona, the urgency of immigration reform and the human issues that underlie itdeported breadwinners; divided families; the anxiety of children who grew up here but do not have citizenshiponce again have moved to the front burner of our national discussions. Our current immigration system is now obviously broken. Congress needs to act.
Third, no credible immigration reform will occur if the effort becomes an exercise in partisan maneuvering. Both of our major political parties got our country into our current immigration mess. Both parties bear responsibility for fixing it. Neither will solve it alone. Unfortunately, the recent national health-care debate compromised public confidence in some of our key federal lawmakers. Having pushed through a deeply flawed national health-care bill in the face of serious concerns and widespread public displeasure, Congress now faces an equally hard task with an equally volatile issue. This will require a transparency, patience, spirit of compromise and bipartisanship rarely seen in Washington in the best of seasons, and too often completely missing in the recent health-care debate.
To put it another way: If the immigration debate divides along the lines of party advantage and slogans, or becomes entangled with very different and unnecessary issues like same-sex relationshipsthen real people will suffer. And nothing enduring will result.
Finally, we need to remember that America is a nation built by immigrants. For nearly all of us, our ancestors were immigrants; and immigrantsincluding todays Latino immigrantsare a blessing for American society in every sector: our economy; our culture; and our religious and moral life. The American Catholic community has a long history of welcoming immigrants and helping them integrate into, and enrich, our nations life. Here in Colorado, the Church will continue that work with all of her energy.
Most Rev Charles J. Chaput O.F.M. Cap.
My addendum from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
2241 The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin. Public authorities should see to it that the natural right is respected that places a guest under the protection of those who receive him.
Political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions, especially with regard to the immigrants' duties toward their country of adoption. Immigrants are obliged to respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country that receives them, to obey its laws and to assist in carrying civic burdens.
Chaput, and most of the rest of the bishops, talk about "our broken immigration system" in the same tone as Obama, Chuck Schumer, and Lindsay Graham. They are NOT on the side of American patriots on the immigration issue.
Don't get me started on how they believe every cholita with an IQ of 70 should pop out babies once the get stateside as it is "God's will."