Washington D.C., Apr 17, 2013 / 16:03 pm
Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles applauded the introduction of legislation to change the U.S. immigration system, while pledging the bishops' help in reviewing and improving the proposal.
"The U.S. bishops look forward to carefully examining the legislation and working with Congress to fashion a final bill that respects the basic human rights and dignity of newcomers to our land-migrants, refugees, and other vulnerable populations," he said April 17.
Archbishop Gomez, the chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Migration, refrained from commenting on specific details of the bill – which is more than 800 pages in length – until the U.S. bishops' conference can thoroughly analyze it.
However, he commended the sponsors of the Senate bill for their "leadership and courage" in working to address the immigration system in the United States.