US Bishops urge Congress to pass immigration reform

(Vatican Radio) As the U.S. Senate begins debate on immigration reform legislation this week, the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Migration, Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, urged Congress to approve a new bill that would reform the nation's immigration system.

Archbishop Gomez said the outcome of the debate on immigration reform “will impact the future of our nation in the twenty-first century and beyond.”

“Each day in our parishes, social service programs, hospitals, and schools,” he said, “we witness the human consequences of a broken immigration system. Families are separated, migrant workers are exploited, and our fellow human beings die in the desert. Without positive change to our immigration laws, we cannot help our brothers and sisters.”

Archbishop Gomez was joined at the Conference by Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, California, board member of Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC); and Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City, chair of the USCCB Communications Committee.

The bishops highlighted the need for comprehensive immigration reform that provides an achievable and accessible path to citizenship that includes the maximum number of people and improves family reunification. They also opposed proposed amendments that would mandate additional border enforcement as a prerequisite to legalization and citizenship. They also opposed amendments relating to the redefinition of marriage, which would be unacceptable and would jeopardize passage of the bill.

Archbishop Gomez encouraged elected officials “to move forward and debate immigration reform in a civil and respectful way” saying the U.S. Catholic Bishops “are committed to working with them to enact humane immigration reform legislation as soon as possible.”

“In the end,” he concluded, “the outcome of this debate will not only affect our nation’s future – it will impact our soul.”

Listen to Christopher Wells’ report: