US Immigration System 'morally unacceptable'
Bishop says U.S. immigration system ‘morally unacceptable’
The
chairman of the Migration Committee of the United States Conference
of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) made this comment when he outlined the USCCB’s
recommendations for immigration reform in a testimony submitted to the
Senate Judiciary Committee.
“The
Catholic Church holds a strong interest in the welfare of immigrants
and how our nation welcomes newcomers from all lands,” said Bishop Barnes.
“The current immigration system, which can lead to family separation,
suffering, and even death, is morally unacceptable and must be reformed.”
Citing
a long history of Catholic social teaching on migration, including a
historic joint pastoral letter by the bishops of the United States and
Mexico in 2003, Bishop Barnes noted that the Church’s interest in migrants
“stems from the belief that every person is created in God’s image.”
Bishop
Barnes detailed the USCCB’s policy recommendations in six broad categories,
which address the economic root causes of migration; legalization of
the undocumented; employment-based immigration; family-based immigration;
due process; and enforcement.
In
addressing the economic root causes of migration, the bishop recommended
that Congress examine NAFTA’s impact on low-skilled Mexican workers
and to consider ways to mitigate the negative impacts which lead to
migration and consider an economic package which targets sectors of
the Mexican economy.
The
system should allow undocumented immigrants in the U.S. the opportunity
to obtain permanent residency,” either because of contributions already
made or through a prospective work requirement,” Bishop Barnes said.
This would keep families together, improve wages and working conditions
for all workers, and promote development and stability in Mexico and
Central America.
The
bishop also said the statutory limits on family immigration, enacted
in 1990, are now inadequate and can lead to waits of more than eight
years for spouses to reunited or parents to reunite with minor
children. Adult siblings can wait up to 20 years or longer.
“Such
lengthy waiting times are unacceptable and can actually provide unintentional
incentive for some migrants to come to the United States illegally,”
Bishop Barnes said.
While
reaffirming the Catholic Church’s recognition of nations’ rights to
protect their borders, Bishop Barnes also said the human dignity of
the individual must be protected in any law enforcement action. “We
have grown increasingly concerned that the U.S. immigration enforcement
regime violates basic human dignity and has placed the lives of migrants
at risk,” he said.
Bishop
Barnes again endorsed the Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and
Security Act (AgJobs) and the Development, Relief, and Education Act
for Alien Minors Act (DREAM) and urged their inclusion in any comprehensive
reform package.
“We
are hopeful that, as our public officials debate this issue, immigrants,
regardless of their legal status, are not blamed for the social and
economic challenges we face as a nation,” Bishop Barnes said. “Rhetoric
which attacks the human dignity of the migrant
does not serve the interest of fair deliberation and leads to polarization
and division.”