Conference on immigration provides opportunity to become informed

by Sr. Anna Marie Reha, director

Office of Hispanic Ministry

"After I got married, my husband and I were very poor.We had a baby who was two months old. My husband worked his father’s land.We hardly had money to buy milk for the baby. So my husband decided we should come to the United States…" Recent Minnesota immigrants shared the stories of their struggles, fears, hopes and aspirations with the audience who attended the Conference on Immigration held May 12, 2007, at St. Aloysius in Olivia, MN.

John Keller, a lawyer and the executive director of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, updated the conference attendees on immigration-related legislation. Keller emphasized the importance of comprehensive immigration reform that would provide family unification. The process to obtain family based visas can take anywhere from two to 20 years, he said. He shared that in so many cases it is the children who suffer for they fear the deportation of their parents.

The conference provided an opportunity to become more informed about the reasons why people immigrate, taking great risks when crossing the border. Sr. Patricia Keefe, OSF and Sr. Ruth Snyder, OSF shared the "push – pull" dynamic related to immigration. The "push" dynamic is related to globalization that has ravaged the economy of many Latin American countries pushing people from their land and country in order to find opportunities for a better life. And then in turn the United States economy encourages the flow of immigration into the country and accepts their labor and other contributions to our economy dependent on their labor. The Catholic Church with its social teaching on immigration makes it very clear that to reap benefits from an immigrant labor force without providing opportunities for those workers to regularize their status is unjust.

Attendees of the conference also had the opportunity to become familiar with the pastoral statement written by the United States and Mexican bishops, Stranger No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope. The bishops remind us that we are all immigrants. The bishops call for a comprehensive immigration reform that addresses the root causes of migration, provides opportunities for undocumented immigrants to earn citizenship, reduces the time migrants and their families must wait to enter the country legally, and provides due process protection for immigrants.

The conference ended with words written by Archbishop Nienstedt in a letter sent to the conference attendees, "Responding to the plight of the immigrant is a Gospel imperative and for that reason the United States Catholic Bishops offers a comprehensive set of recommen-dations for changing the laws and policies of the United States to reflect the principles contained in Scripture and Catholic social teaching to bring about a more humane and just immigration system to our country. It is important that we mobilize in support of a broad legalization program as well as comprehensive immigration reform. Let us help create the political will among our Catholic people for positive immigration reform."