Justice for Immigrants

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Archbishop Wenski Op-Ed in the Miami Herald: Why deny full American DREAM?
May 8, 2012

These young people were brought to this country by their parents — some as infants. They are totally at home in America. They speak English, and many have excelled in school. Our country has already invested in them through public education. As citizens they can contribute to the common good of the only country that most know. They think and act like Americans, why can’t we allow them to dream like Americans?

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VIDEO: Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York and President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, discusses immigration and the GOP in a May 2, 2012, interview on MSNBC.

View the video.

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What's New at JFI

As Supreme Court Considers Arizona Law, Faith Leaders Call on President, Congress to Reassert Authority on Immigration Law
April 24, 2012
WASHINGTON—On the eve of oral arguments to the Supreme Court on Arizona’s immigration law, 15 religious leaders urged President Barack Obama and the 112th Congress to “reassert your authority” and move to enact immigration reform legislation “as soon as possible.”
The national faith leaders expressed concern that, because of its inaction on this issue for several years, the federal government is implicitly transferring “unprecedented authority” to state and local governments to implement immigration policy, to the “detriment of our nation and our local communities.”

Read the letters to the President and to Congress | Read the USCCB testimony to the Senate Immigration Subcommittee | Read the USCCB amicus brief | See Cardinal Mahony after the Supreme Court session | Cardinal Mahony's blogpost: Immigration and U.S. Supreme Court

Op-Ed by Archbishop José H. Gomez in the Washington Post regarding the Supreme Court and its consideration of Arizona's SB 1070
April 24, 2012
"Human dignity not up for debate."

Minnesota Catholic Bishops Renew Their Call for Comprehensive Immigration Reform
April 12, 2012
In the 1,300-word statement, “Unlocking the Gate in Our Hearts,” Minnesota’s Catholic bishops have joined their voice with their brother bishops around the country to encourage reform of the nation’s immigration laws. Due to the nation’s broken system, several states, most prominently Arizona and Alabama, have recently tried to address the problem by enacting their own policies. Minnesota has been considering similar enforcement measures. The bishops generally oppose these efforts.
Read more | Read the Minnesota Catholic Bishops' statement | En Español

U.S. Bishops, Other Denominations File Amicus Curiae Brief in Supreme Court Case of Arizona vs. United States
March 27, 2012
Citing numerous examples of federal immigration policies designed to further family unity and human dignity, the brief argued that Arizona’s SB 1070 is not a solution to the problems in federal law and in fact creates more problems than it solves.
Excerpts from the brief | Q & A | Read the entire brief

Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop Gomez Urge Congressional Leaders To Build Consensus On Immigration Reform
March 22, 2012
“Passage of immigration reform is more important now than ever, as state laws and local enforcement initiatives are filling the policy vacuum left by Congress,” the bishops wrote in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the Minority Leaders of both chambers. “This has created a patchwork of laws and policies throughout the country which has led to discord in our communities.”
En Español | Read the Letter

VIDEO: Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles reflecting on immigration in an
introduction to the USCCB document, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the call to political responsibility issued by the U.S. bishops in 2007 and reissued last fall.

View the video.