US bishops decry failure of immigration reform

Washington D.C., Jul 3, 2007 / 09:00 am

The U.S. bishops decried the failure of comprehensive immigration reform legislation to move forward in the U.S. Senate.

“As a nation, we cannot continue to employ an immigration system that leads to the exploitation of millions of our fellow human beings,” said Bishop Gerald Barnes in a June 29 statement. Bishop Barnes is chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration.

“We cannot accept the toil of a large underclass which does not have full rights in our society. This strikes at the very character of our nation and lessens us as a people,” he continued.

The bishop lauded those senators who worked for comprehensive reform legislation and urged all Congress members to return to this issue as soon as possible.

“The status quo is morally unacceptable and should not be allowed to stand,” Bishop Barnes said. “The U.S. bishops shall continue to point out the moral deficiencies in the immigration system and work toward justice until it is achieved.”