Tucson, Ariz., Dec 8, 2005 / 22:00 pm
The bishops of Arizona are calling on Catholics to welcome immigrants into their parishes, whether documented or undocumented, and to work to reform the U.S. immigration laws in an effort to facilitate immigration and stem the growing number of migrant deaths at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Arizona Catholic Conference has made this appeal in its first-ever pastoral letter on migration, titled “You Welcomed Me.” It will be officially released Dec. 12, on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Arizona has become the focal point of the immigration debate in recent years, given the concentration of border crossing at the Arizona-Mexico border, the record number of migrant deaths, and the growing presence of civilian patrol groups, noted the bishops.
In 2005, at least 261 border crossing deaths were documented in Arizona—more than half of the 460 migrant deaths reported all along the U.S.-Mexico border.