http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/22/opinion/22mahony.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Current law does not require social service agencies to obtain evidence
of

legal status before rendering aid, nor should it. Denying aid to a fellow
human being violates a law with a higher authority than Congress - the law
of God.

That does not mean that the Catholic Church encourages or supports illegal
immigration. Every day in our parishes, social service programs, hospitals
and schools, we witness the baleful consequences of illegal immigration.
Families are separated, workers are exploited and migrants are left by
smugglers to die in the desert. Illegal immigration serves neither the
migrant nor the common good.

What the church supports is an overhaul of the immigration system so that
legal status and legal channels for migration replace illegal status and
illegal immigration. Creating legal structures for migration protects not
only those who migrate but also our nation, by giving the government the
ability to better identify who is in the country as well as to control who
enters it.

Only comprehensive reform of the immigration system, embodied in the
principles of another proposal in Congress, the Secure America and Orderly
Immigration bill, will help solve our current immigration crisis.

Enforcement-only proposals like the Border Protection act take the country
in the opposite direction. Increasing penalties, building more detention
centers and erecting walls along our border with Mexico, as the act
provides, will not solve the problem.

The legislation will not deter migrants who are desperate to survive and
support their families from seeking jobs in the United States. It will
only
drive them further into the shadows, encourage the creation of more
elaborate smuggling networks and cause hardship and suffering. I hope that
the Senate will not take the same enforcement-only road as the House.

The unspoken truth of the immigration debate is that at the same time our
nation benefits economically from the presence of undocumented workers, we
turn a blind eye when they are exploited by employers. They work in
industries that are vital to our economy yet they have little legal
protection and no opportunity to contribute fully to our nation.

While we gladly accept their taxes and sweat, we do not acknowledge or
uphold their basic labor rights. At the same time, we scapegoat them for
our
social ills and label them as security threats and criminals to justify
the
passage of anti-immigrant bills.

This situation affects the dignity of millions of our fellow human beings
and makes immigration, ultimately, a moral and ethical issue. That is why
the church is compelled to take a stand against harmful legislation and to
work toward positive change.

It is my hope that our elected officials will understand this and enact
immigration reform that respects our common humanity and reflects the
values - fairness, compassion and opportunity - upon which our nation, a
nation of immigrants, was built.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Roger Mahony is the cardinal archbishop of Los Angeles.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/22/opinion/22mahony.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 22, 2006
Op-Ed Contributor

Called by God to Help
By ROGER MAHONY
Los Angeles

I'VE received a lot of criticism for stating last month that I would
instruct the priests of my archdiocese to disobey a proposed law that
would
subject them, as well as other church and humanitarian workers, to
criminal
penalties. The proposed Border Protection, Antiterrorism and Illegal
Immigration Control bill, which was approved by the House of
Representatives
in December and is expected to be taken up by the Senate next week, would
among other things subject to five years in prison anyone who "assists" an
undocumented immigrant "to remain in the United States."

Some supporters of the bill have even accused the church of encouraging
illegal immigration and meddling in politics. But I stand by my statement.
Part of the mission of the Roman Catholic Church is to help people in
need.
It is our Gospel mandate, in which Christ instructs us to clothe the
naked,
feed the poor and welcome the stranger. Indeed, the Catholic Church,
through
Catholic Charities agencies around the country, is one of the largest
nonprofit providers of social services in the nation, serving both
citizens
and immigrants.

Providing humanitarian assistance to those in need should not be made a
crime, as the House bill decrees. As written, the proposed law is so broad
that it would criminalize even minor acts of mercy like offering a meal or
administering first aid.

Current law does not require social service agencies to obtain evidence of
legal status before rendering aid, nor should it. Denying aid to a fellow
human being violates a law with a higher authority than Congress - the law
of God.

That does not mean that the Catholic Church encourages or supports illegal
immigration. Every day in our parishes, social service programs, hospitals
and schools, we witness the baleful consequences of illegal immigration.
Families are separated, workers are exploited and migrants are left by
smugglers to die in the desert. Illegal immigration serves neither the
migrant nor the common good.

What the church supports is an overhaul of the immigration system so that
legal status and legal channels for migration replace illegal status and
illegal immigration. Creating legal structures for migration protects not
only those who migrate but also our nation, by giving the government the
ability to better identify who is in the country as well as to control who
enters it.

Only comprehensive reform of the immigration system, embodied in the
principles of another proposal in Congress, the Secure America and Orderly
Immigration bill, will help solve our current immigration crisis.

Enforcement-only proposals like the Border Protection act take the country
in the opposite direction. Increasing penalties, building more detention
centers and erecting walls along our border with Mexico, as the act
provides, will not solve the problem.

The legislation will not deter migrants who are desperate to survive and
support their families from seeking jobs in the United States. It will
only
drive them further into the shadows, encourage the creation of more
elaborate smuggling networks and cause hardship and suffering. I hope that
the Senate will not take the same enforcement-only road as the House.

The unspoken truth of the immigration debate is that at the same time our
nation benefits economically from the presence of undocumented workers, we
turn a blind eye when they are exploited by employers. They work in
industries that are vital to our economy yet they have little legal
protection and no opportunity to contribute fully to our nation.

While we gladly accept their taxes and sweat, we do not acknowledge or
uphold their basic labor rights. At the same time, we scapegoat them for
our
social ills and label them as security threats and criminals to justify
the
passage of anti-immigrant bills.

This situation affects the dignity of millions of our fellow human beings
and makes immigration, ultimately, a moral and ethical issue. That is why
the church is compelled to take a stand against harmful legislation and to
work toward positive change.

It is my hope that our elected officials will understand this and enact
immigration reform that respects our common humanity and reflects the
values - fairness, compassion and opportunity - upon which our nation, a
nation of immigrants, was built.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Roger Mahony is the cardinal archbishop of Los Angeles.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
a.. Copyright 2006The New York Times Company
b.. Home
c.. Privacy Policy
d.. Search
e.. Corrections
f.. XML
g.. Help
h.. Contact Us
i.. Work for Us
j.. Site Map
k.. Back to Top