United States Catholic bishops launch Immigration Reform Campaign

Washington - Saying the nation’s immigration system is "broken and badly needs repair," U.S. Catholic bishops and leaders of a diverse group of Catholic organizations announced the official launch of Justice for Immigrants: A Journey of Hope. The Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform.

Comprehensive immigration reform - including a broad legalization program - is the goal of the national campaign. Catholic organizations which have come together to launch the campaign intend to mobilize a growing network of Catholic institutions and individuals in support of its goals. The campaign also marks a new effort to educate and galvanize Catholics on the need for "justice for immigrants."

Speaking at a news conference held at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick said the goals of this multi-year campaign are four-fold: to educate Catholics and others of good will about the benefits of immigration and the benefits to the nation; to strengthen public opinion about the positive contributions of immigrants; to advocate for just immigration laws which promote legal status and legal pathways for migrant workers and their families; and to organize Catholic legal service networks to assist immigrants to access the benefits of reforms.

One of the goals of the campaign is to try to change laws "so that immigrants can support their families in dignity, families can remain united, and the human rights of all are respected," Cardinal McCarrick stated.

"However, before we can change our laws we must also change attitudes, including those of many of our own flock," the Cardinal said.

Cardinal McCarrick said the U.S. Bishops have grown increasingly concerned with the current public discourse surrounding immigrants, in which newcomers are characterized as a threat to the nation and not a benefit. "Anti-immigrant fervor on TV and radio shows, citizens attempting to enforce immigration laws, and, most disturbingly, the enactment of restrictive immigration laws are evidence of this negative public environment," the Cardinal said.

"We are here today to add the voice of the Church to the public discourse and to remind Catholics, as well as all Americans, that we are, and should remain, a nation of immigrants," Cardinal McCarrick stated.

"We acknowledge that the current negative environment towards immigrants is due, in part, to the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001, which have had a profound impact on our nation," the Cardinal said. "Let us not give into the temptation to scapegoat all immigrants who come to our land -and who contribute their God-given talent to our communities - because of the actions of a few. It is my belief, and that of my brother bishops, that our nation can meet the challenge of ensuring national security without closing America’s door to the oppressed and downtrodden," Cardinal McCarrick said.

The Cardinal said the Catholic church has a deep stake in immigration reform because, like the nation itself, it is ethnically, socially and culturally diverse. "Regardless of race, heritage, or national origin, we are one family under God," he said.

Some 20 Catholic organizations with national networks have come together to form Justice for Immigrants: A Journey of Hope. The Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform. For a listing of all 20 member organizations visit www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2005/05-117.shtml