Bill Donohue comments on the immigration reform bill that was introduced in Congress today:
No institution, religious or secular, has been more vocal in its insistence that immigration reform is needed than the Catholic Church. The point person for the Church on this issue is Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles; he is chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration.
Today, Archbishop Gomez, speaking for the bishops, commended the senators who crafted this bill, expressing his support for “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.”
The Catholic League applauds the work of the so-called “Gang of Eight” senators responsible for the bill, and we especially salute Archbishop Gomez for his steadfast promotion of a just immigration policy.
The bill is appropriately multi-faceted. Enhanced border security, as well as a realistic pathway to citizenship, are at the center of the legislation. Until recently, both Republicans and Democrats have failed miserably in addressing these issues. To wit: some Republicans have thought they can somehow round up every illegal alien and send him back to his home country; some Democrats have thought they can just ignore the cry for greater border security.
Both political parties have, in effect, invited this problem by failing to come to grips with certain realities. Hopefully, we are about to change course, and with the help of the bishops, ably led by Archbishop Gomez, we are confident that progress will be made.
