Countries around the world must get serious about reforming their immigration policies to respect the rights of migrants and refugees and establish orderly procedures for welcoming newcomers, Pope Francis said.
The lack of will by politicians to move forward on immigration reform is affecting the lives of 11 million people in the country and something must be done, said the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' migration committee.
It will come as no surprise to anyone who has followed Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez that immigration reform is at the top of his priority list as the newly elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Jan.16 was my last day in El Paso. With a noon flight, I didn’t sign up for a shift at Casa Nazareth, the refuge for immigrant families where I’d volunteered the previous eight days. I stayed away from the kitchen, where I had spent a lot of time helping prepare meals for an ever-changing population of guests.
The confusion surrounding the executive action is emblematic of an immigration debate that has been distorted. Avoiding that trap requires more from us as Catholics, including: 1) reading broadly; 2) listening faithfully; and 3) seeking to “encounter” with people affected by our choices, all of whom are made in the image and likeness of God.
As in “Les Miserables,” the crime illegal immigrants have committed is often motivated by a desire to feed a family. We must be careful of adopting a resolute, unforgiving, uphold-the-law-at-all-costs approach.
They urged the state's congressional representatives to support immigration reform that provides a roadmap to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, upholds human dignity, promotes family unity and secures borders.
At 2 years old, Helen was brought to the United States from Mexico as her family struggled to provide food for the table and hope for a better life. They were poor urban workers in Mexico, where there was a long line for day labor but no line for legal immigration to the United States. Like many people, Helen’s parents began a dangerous journey north, seeking a better life for their children.
