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The
hot issue of immigration
PRAISED BE JESUS
CHRIST!
(Now and Forever)
Immigration
is a hot topic. As the election year cycle continues, there is no doubt
in my mind that it will become even hotter. The failure of Congress to
enact comprehensive immigration reform has resulted in state attempts to
address the issue. Election-time rhetoric, added to a number of myths
about those lacking documentation, has fed misinformation that fuels
discontent and antagonism toward immigrants, documented as well as
undocumented. Catholics are not immune from this anti-immigrant mindset.
Because of
the importance the Church places on the dignity of every human person,
it has an obligation to counter the misinformation directly and to do
what it can to encourage rational and civil discussion of the issues and
legitimate concerns about immigration. Citizens need to know the general
principles involved and be appraised of the expectations we should have,
from a moral point of view, of our federal government as well as at the
state and local levels.
The Catholic
Church’s public policy position on immigration is rooted in five general
principles.
First:
Persons have a right to quality of life in their homeland. Economic,
social and political conditions in an individual’s homeland should
provide an opportunity for that person to work and support his or her
family in dignity and safety. In terms of public policy, this means that
effort should be made to address global economic inequities through just
trade practices, economic development and debt relief. Peace-making
efforts should be advanced to end conflict which forces persons to flee
their homes. To quote our Holy Father: “In the drama of the Family of
Nazareth, we perceive the sorrowful plight of so many migrants … (T)he
human person must always be the focal point in the vast field of
international migration” (Word Day of Migrants and Refugees 2007).
Second:
Persons have the right to migrate to support themselves and their
families. It is the strong position of the Catholic Church that when
persons are unable to find work and support themselves and their
families, they have a right to migrate to other countries where they can
do so. This right is not absolute. There must be just reasons to
immigrate. In the current condition of our world in which global poverty
is rampant and political unrest has resulted in wars and persecution,
migrants who are forced to leave their homes out of necessity and seek
only to survive to support their families must be given special
consideration.
Third:
Sovereign nations have a right to control their borders. However, this
is not an absolute right. Nations also have an obligation to the
universal common good and should seek to accommodate migration to the
greatest extent possible. Powerful economic nations such as our own have
a higher obligation to serve the universal common good. In the current
global economic environment in which labor demands in the United States
attract foreign laborers, the United States should establish a workable
immigration system that provides legal avenues for persons to enter the
nation legally in a safe, orderly and dignified manner to obtain jobs
and reunite family members.
Fourth:
Refugees and asylum seekers should be afforded protection. Persons who
flee their home countries because they fear persecution should be
afforded safe haven and protection in another country. Conflict and
political unrest in many parts of the world force persons to leave their
homes for fear of death or harm. The United States should employ a
refugee and asylum system that protects asylum seekers, refugees and
other forced migrants and offers them a haven from persecution.
Fifth: The
human rights and the human dignity of undocumented migrants should be
respected. Persons who enter a nation without proper authorization or
who overstay their visas should be treated with respect and dignity.
They should not be detained in deplorable conditions for lengthy periods
of time, shackled by their feet and hands, or abused in any manner. They
should be afforded due process of the law and, if applicable, allowed to
articulate a fear of return to their homeland before a qualified
adjudicator. They should not be blamed for the social ills of a nation.
The way in
which a person enters the United States is a separate issue from our
response to that individual once he or she is here. While the action of
an immigrant can be illegal, a person can never be “illegal.” Illegal
entry is not condoned, but the large number of undocumented immigrants
is evidence the current system is broken. Comprehensive reform is
needed. There should be a window of opportunity for undocumented
immigrants to pay a doable fine and/or application fee, for criminal
background checks and security screenings, and a reasonable avenue to
obtain a visa that can lead to permanent residency.
Immigration
policies are the jurisdiction of the federal government. State and local
governments should not be enacting policies that give them authority to
enforce federal immigration law. Rather, they should be promoting
policies that help all immigrants provide for their families and become
participating members of their local communities.
These general
principles, hotly contested but rarely analyzed for their rooting in
Scripture and the tradition of the Church, may be met by a variety of
specific policies. Individuals may reach different prudential judgments
on specific policies. Yet the policies need to be rooted in the general
principles articulated above.
In an effort
to “clear the air,” so to speak, a series about common myths has been
prepared for publication in parish bulletins. Pastors have been asked to
begin using them the weekend of April 27. One will be presented each
week for seven weeks. Listed among the myths addressed are the
following:
• Immigrants
don’t pay taxes.
• Immigrants
take jobs and opportunities away from Americans.
• Immigrants
are a drain on the United States economy.
In December
2006, the bishops of the state of Indiana issued a pastoral statement
titled “I Was a Stranger and You Welcomed Me: Meeting Christ in New
Neighbors.” With quotes from sacred Scripture and popes, it outlines the
basic Catholic position on immigration, reminding us that we here in the
United States are an immigrant Church. A copy should be available from
your pastor. It can also be pulled off the Internet at
www.indiana.cc.org. Other Web site addresses worthy of your attention
are www.usccb.org/mrs and www.vatican.va.
It is my hope
that the Catholics of Northcentral Indiana will read and pray over the
myths/facts on immigration which will be highlighted over the next few
weeks. Look for this information in The Catholic Moment (see Page
2 in this week’s edition) as well as in your parish bulletin. |
