Having failed to solve the nation’s health care crisis, the federal government now appears incapable of resolving or even tackling the national problem of illegal immigration unless forced to the issue by those states (Arizona first, then Texas, and now possibly Oklahoma) which have accepted the necessity of doing what they can on the state level to stop the flow of illegal immigrants.
Illegal immigration is an issue which concerns every American; but the issues are complex and unless we are willing to recognize the fundamental human rights with which the Creator endows each individual - and enact laws which respect those human rights - our legislative response to the problem of uncontrolled illegal immigration will be the creation of an underclass of hunted, marginalized families, whose children belong neither to this country nor to the land of their parents.
It is the clear teaching of the Catholic Church that sovereign nations have the right to control their borders; but the corollary of this teaching must also be upheld: when our nation’s demand for labor attracts a massive number of potential immigrants, the United States must do what it can to establish an orderly process whereby needed workers can enter the country in a legal, safe and dignified manner to obtain jobs or to reunite themselves with family members.However in recent years, the federal government has neither protected the sovereignty of our borders, nor has it provided a realistic means for workers to enter the country legally. Instead it has allowed millions of immigrants to enter the country illegally for the sake of our economy; while leaving it to state and local governments to deal with the resultant chaos of millions of valuable workers who have no legal identity, no automobile insurance (and are unable to obtain it), no health coverage (with no funds to pay for it) and no means of acquiring legal residency.
These workers are not unknown to us. They live in our neighborhoods and pray with us at Mass. We benefit every day from their labor in framing and painting our houses, roofing our office buildings, finishing new cement for us, harvesting and processing our food, and serving us in our restaurants. These men and women broke the law by entering the country illegally; but they did this with the tacit permission of the federal government and most have since become part of the fabric of everyday life in America.
Without detailing the deficiencies either of the new law in Arizona or of the proposed legislation in Oklahoma, let me propose five principles which might serve to guide our work in implementing comprehensive immigration reform:• First the Federal government must find a way to protect its borders;
• Some way must be found to give the 11-12 million undocumented workers presently in the country some form of legal status. This need not include citizenship and should exclude anyone convicted of a felony;
• The creation of various avenues for migrants to enter the country legally based on a formalized agreement between employers and the immigration office.
• The restoration of due process protections for immigrants; and
• A bi-partisan, non-political approach to the problem which avoids the political temptation of promoting immigration reform in such a way as to gain political advantage over one’s political opponents.
Civilizations and cultures have always been enriched by the peaceful movement of peoples – languages enrich one another with new expressions and greater vocabulary, new ways of cooking are learned and enjoyed, religious and cultural customs educate, and the human spirit becomes enlivened and excited in the process. America has benefited from every wave of immigrants which has come to these shores. Whether brought here in slave ships or in the fevered holds of the Irish Famine Ships, whether they come as refugees from political and religious oppression or as men and women who flee extreme poverty, each immigrant group has strengthened this country. The same is true today for the illegal immigrants in our midst from Ireland, Honduras, Mexico, or Poland.
These are my suggestions, but in the meantime we must recognize that all men and women are equal whether they are United States citizens or not. The command of Christ is that we love one another and He meant this to be universal.
Nice to see at least one of our bishops FULLY gets it.
Amen to that!