US bishops ask ICE to assist families, communities after immigration raids

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Comments: 15

Washington D.C., Feb 17, 2008 / 03:10 pm (CNA).- Two United States Catholic bishops involved in immigration issues have written to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to express their concern about the protocols and the increased law enforcement activity of Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE).

The bishops asked the agency to adopt policies that would assist the families and communities affected by immigration enforcement actions. They also asked that the agency refrain from conducting enforcement actions at or near churches, hospitals, schools, or charitable organizations.

Bishop of Salt Lake City John Wester, Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, and Bishop Jaime Soto, coadjutor bishop of Sacramento and Chairman of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, wrote the letter requesting policy changes to Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and his undersecretary Julie Meyers.

“Although ICE has recently issued guidance regarding worksite enforcement operations, we believe that the guidance falls short of what is necessary," the bishops wrote.

Bishops Wester and Soto urged the release of primary caregivers after immigration enforcement actions and the improvement of family members’ ease in locating detained relatives. Detained individuals should have better access to legal counsel, and ICE should avoid transferring detainees out of their community.

Community outreach and education programs should be developed to follow enforcement actions, the bishops said, and enforcement should be suspended during natural and man-made disasters.

In an additional statement on February 7, Bishop Wester criticized the recent congressional economic stimulus package that prohibited undocumented immigrants from receiving tax rebates.

“The decision to prohibit undocumented immigrants from receiving tax rebates in the stimulus bill highlights the injustice in our immigration system. It proves that these workers pay into the tax system and help support our economy. It also reveals the hypocrisy of our laws. With one hand our government attempts to deport these workers, but with the other it holds tight the taxes they pay into the system. This perpetuates an underclass of workers without full rights,” Bishop Wester said.

“We should not accept the fruits of the labor of these workers at the same time we refuse to provide them the protection of our laws. As a democratic and free nation protective of human rights, we cannot have it both ways. Congress must mend a broken system and show the courage to enact comprehensive immigration reform," he continued.

Comments: 15

Subscriber comments:

Published by: JanetP
Columbus GA 02/23/2008 06:44 AM EST

The obvious solution for those in the church who feel such compassion for the plight of Latinos is to GO TO THEIR MOTHER COUNTRY and minister to them. Educate them, organize them to oppose their corrupt governments, help them build houses. Bringing our country down to the level of the third-world countries from whence the illegals came does not serve them and certainly doesn't serve us.

Published by: Robert King
Hollandale, MN, USA 02/20/2008 09:54 PM EST

The Catholic church has another hidden motive and little noticed agenda for encouraging the illegals from Mexico. Islam is fast becoming the dominant religion in the world..replacing Catholicism. The corrupt Chathlic practices in their history is depleting their vast wealth. And where do you suppose the mass population of Catholics reside. Yeah, in Mexico. And why do you suppose the Church wants to protect,aid,and abet the Catholic illegal alien foreign nationals from Mexico? Money..Money.. a necessity to power.

Published by: Ex_OC
Idaho, USA 02/20/2008 02:25 PM EST

FAITH, HOPE, & CHARITY. I have lost all Faith and Hope in the Catholic Church, and I have since stopped my Charity to them too. Illegal aliens, pedophile priests...all protected by the Church! Hey, Church, what part of Separation of Church and State don't you understand?

Published by: Jonathan Stuart
Traphill, NC USA 02/20/2008 09:35 AM EST

Illegal, what is it the Bishops do not understand? What made them illegal? Stealing themselves into a foreign Country.
Illegal Aliens, not Immigrants totally different.

Published by: susan
new jersey 02/19/2008 10:58 PM EST

I agree! If only people could move beyond knee-jerk mentality and research the issue in depth. I would advise all to read a NY Times article from 2005, or many similar articles since that time which reveal information concerning the $585 billion dollars sitting in the "suspense file" at the Social Security administration. This is money which has been collected from undocumented workers. This money is propping up our struggling social security system. Isn't this amazing since most people believe that the undocumented do not pay into social security. Let's do what is right and let these people work their way to citizenship. 12 to 15 million people are not going to go away, and if they did our economy would collapse.

Published by: george dous
Huntingdon Valley pa 02/19/2008 09:10 AM EST

according to FBI statistics 25 Americans are killed everyday by illegals 13 by violent crimes and 12 by vehicles. This is still a nation of laws and the catholic church does not understand this.The church has more serious matters to deal with.

Published by: Erik Kengaard
Falls Church/VA/USA 02/18/2008 06:01 PM EST

Thou shalt keep they Religion to thyself! "Reason will be replaced by Revelation . . . . Justice will be replaced by Pity as the cardinal virtue, and all fear of retribution will vanish." Auden

Published by: Lisa
Columbus, Ohio US 02/18/2008 04:31 PM EST

What if God said you could not immigrate to heaven? What if God did not forgive us for our sins or breaking HIS laws?

Published by: Margaret Adelsberger
Willow Grove, PA, USA 02/18/2008 04:04 PM EST

When asked whether the Seventh Commandment - Thou Shalt Not Steal - applied to illegal aliens who are guilty of identity theft, falsifying documents, etc., Cardinal Mahony of California answered, "These are thou shalt not commandments." According to his answer, the Cardinal believes in his "thou shalt" for illegal aliens which superceed the commandments of God.

Published by: JanetP
Columbus, GA 02/18/2008 12:31 PM EST

With the little respect I have left for my religion, I want to say to all the catholic clergy: Please go back to saving souls and stop interfering with the lawful administration of justice. I appreciate and respect the compassion for illegal immigrants but your actions are encouraging those who have broken the law to continue to do so, and you are encouraging others to illegally cross the border. It is not within your authority or discretion to decide which laws you will obey and which you will disregard.

I am a life-long faithful Catholic who has lost faith in her church because of this issue. I also stopped sending the checks for my contribution about 18 months ago. I know of nine families in my church who have done likewise. The two Bishops who are meddling in this issue are the ones who need to reconsider their position. They do not have the support of their parishioners - some of whom have been driven out of work because of the actions of illegal immigrants.

Published by: legalatina
sanctuary city 02/18/2008 11:07 AM EST

The bishops ignore the plight of millions of innocent victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens and the families of the victims. The hypocrisy is that the Bishops are favoring illegal aliens over the most vulnerable citizens in our midst, that is Americans and legal immigrants whose jobs, communities, schools, hospitals have been negatively affected by uncontrolled illegal immigration of millions of uneducated, illiterate and Socialist, and increasingly criminal illegal aliens that require innumerable amounts of special services to the detrment of law-abiding citizens.

Published by: B. J. blackerby
Parkville, Mo., usa 02/17/2008 10:14 PM EST

I have advised my church they would NOT get another thin dime as long as they harbor illegal alines !

Published by: WESLEY
MONTEREY, CA 02/17/2008 07:16 PM EST

SUPPORTING A FAMILY IS DIFFICULT FOR MANY AMERICAN CITIZENS. I SEE NO REASON TO GIVE EXTRA SPECIAL FINANCIAL INCENTIVES TO THOSE AMONG US THAT DO NOT ADHERE TO AMERICAN LAWS.

Published by: zeezil
NC 02/17/2008 07:14 PM EST

We have immigration entrance requirements that are based on controlled growth, economic conditions and the legal right of the United States as a sovereign nation to protect and defend itself. That means to protect its citizens, their health, their economy, their rights to education and their safety, among other issues. These entrance requirements allow controlled entrance for temporary employment, for temporary travel and business and for a codified legal process to citizenship if that is what a foreign person desires.
If you are a legal immigrant, welcome to the United States of America. If you are here illegally, you are a criminal who faces deportation. If your homeland has barriers to your return or to your family's return, it is not our problem - you created it through your willful disregard of our immigration laws. It is far beyond time to toss away the emotional outcry from illegal aliens, open border advocates and church bishops who cry racism, xenophobia and profiling at every instance. There is only one standard to apply to immigration and that is the law.

Published by: zeezil
NC 02/17/2008 05:16 PM EST

There is ONLY one standard that applies to immigration. That is the LAW.

It's not what they (illegal immigrants and their advocates) want.
It has nothing to do with someone’s perceived concept is of what's moral.
It has nothing to do with considering the perceived impact on families.
It has nothing to do with considering the needs of the illegals.
It has nothing to do with taking into account their motivations for illegally entering.
It has nothing to do with any claims the illegals advocates may make; such as: they do the jobs American won't (absolutely wrong), they benefit our economy (they absolutely don't), they aren't a drain on our social services, infrastructure and education systems (wrong again).

The only standard that applies to immigration is the LAW!!!

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