This is unusual for me. I don’t write long blogs but this is so important to me that it’s definitely longer than usual. The intercommunity Justice and Peace group sponsored two presentations on the Catholic teachings and immigration recently. Both included presentations by Sisters who have worked with immigrants here and at the border in Texas. In addition, there were talks by theology professors from TMU. The last evening included Jessica Ramos, an immigration attorney.
The three principles in the Church’s teaching about immigration:
- People have the right to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families.
- A country has the right to regulate its borders and control immigration.
- A country must regulate its borders with justice and mercy.
The most telling presentation to me was given by Jessica Ramos, an immigration attorney. I have heard many people say, “Why don’t these people just get their citizenship or work documents and they wouldn’t have a problem?”
Ms. Ramos addressed this directly. It takes from one year to many more years to get those documents. The person has to have a lawyer to go through the process with them, accompanied by the usual attorney fees. Both of these factors make getting documentation a very long, costly and complex process. Our country’s immigration process needs improvements if this is ever going to change. This is nothing new, Congress and leaders of both parties have asked for this for years. And yet, nothing changes.
It is important that immigrants be treated with dignity as human persons.
Examples are everywhere that this is not happening. Immigrants are being detained and jailed while they are at the courthouse in the process of getting their documents. While in jail, their families are not allowed to visit. Our own prisoners don’t get that treatment. Some are being detained and then deported either to their own country which they have fled for fear of death, having seen their family members killed before them, or some are sent to countries other than their home country. What are they supposed to do there? To me, the worst is that some can be sent to Uganda or Rwanda, countries known for their severe human rights violations. What horrors can they expect there?
We were told that the drug dealers, murderers and rapists would be arrested and deported. It is obvious that this isn’t true. Having two planes full of unaccompanied children to be sent to Guatemala shows how false this is. Thank goodness a judge stopped this unjust and immoral act.
God, have mercy!
