"Prayer is important. But in addition to prayer, we have to petition Congress. We have to talk to them, we have to make it really intense. Not nasty, but really intense. My hope would be to write, to call, to include Congress, in calling for an integral immigration reform."
Gomez said that families should be prioritized in legislative efforts.
"If we want something from the administration and from congress, it's family unity. Because that's essential for the human person. And we are willing to do whatever we can to help make it happen."
"The way they came here-we can address the legal requirements of our country to make the decisions that are correct- but with family unity," he added.
DiNardo was grateful that policies seperating children from their parents at the border have come to an end, but said the bishops "have some concerns about family detention."
The cardinal called for the use of case-management programs as a "cost-effective alternative" to family detention, and said that Catholic-run charities would be glad to assist the government in case-management initiatives.
Undocumented immigrants waiting legal proceedings "need to be accounted for." he said.
Through case-management programs, families, many of whom want to find employment quickly, are "able to live with a little more. I call it hope. When you go through this kind of thing, whether you're a family or an unaccompanied minor, there's an element of real trauma that happens to you, and you can see it on their faces."
DiNardo said that he doesn't believe U.S. officials intend to traumatize immigrants, but said that "case management gives them some chance to breathe, and some hope."
The delegation of bishops visiting the border, which also included Bishop Robert Brennan, auxiliary bishop of Rockville Centre, toured two federal facilities, along with the Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen, Texas, run by Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley.
DiNardo said the visit was a prayerful and pastoral visit.
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"We have had a full 2 days and they have been a very beautiful 2 days," DiNardo said.
"Some parts painful, but very beautiful."
DiNardo praised the hospitality of federal officials and local Church leaders, especially singling out Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, a member of the delegation and its local host, along with Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley.
"There are lots of challenges here, there are lots of things we found, but we have found is that we have received incredible cooperation at every site we visited," DiNardo said.
"All of the people who are involved in this were incredibly helpful. I want to make sure everyone knows that," he added.
DiNardo said that the bishops are especially calling for the reunification of families separated at the border.