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Immigration reform migrates to top of legislative agenda

03 Feb 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Jesus' neighbors in Nazareth were not pleased when he pointed out in this Sunday’s gospel that the benefits of God’s care and concern are not reserved only for the "home team" but are available to outsiders and foreigners alike. Immigration reform picked up momentum this week, but battle lines began to emerge over whether a clear path to the benefits of citizenship will be laid out for those currently in the country without legal documentation.Both President Barack Obama and members of a bipartisan group of U.S. senators called “the gang of 8” unveiled immigration plans this week. The approaches are in broad agreement on basic principles, but issues such as border security and the route to citizenship could spark division between the president and Republicans.The Senate's avenue to citizenship would allow many undocumented immigrants to obtain legal status immediately upon passage of the law. Their ability, however, to then seek legal permanent residency would be contingent upon the U.S.-Mexico border being deemed secure by measures as yet undefined.While the White House has said that it is withholding judgment on the Senate plan until actual legislative language is drafted, the president said he wants a bill that makes it clear from the outset that undocumented immigrants eligible to earn their way to citizenship can eventually obtain it."What we don't want to do is create some kind of vague prospect in the future that somehow comprehensive immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship will happen, you know, mañana," Obama said. "We want to make sure we are very clear this legislation provides a real pathway."Emphasizing the idea that the U.S. is a nation of immigrants, Obama said: "A lot of folks forget that most of 'us' used to be 'them.' . . . Unless you're one of the first Americans, a Native American, you came from someplace else."Homily hint: Biblical values such as the proper treatment of strangers and sojourners in our midst are front and center in the immigration debate. Providing information in the parish that reviews some of these core biblical principals as well as church teaching on the subject would go a long way toward informing the local debate on immigration reform. Testimony from faith-community members who are recent immigrants, as well as those who recall their ancestor’s stories of immigration, would also serve the cause of-consciousness raising. Sources: Articles by Jordan Fabian for ABC News, Matthew L. Skinner for The HuffingtonPost, and Christi Parsons and Kathleen Hennessey for the Los Angeles Times

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The stakes are raised on immigration reform

24 Feb 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

“Our citizenship is in heaven,” Saint Paul reminds the Philippians in this Sunday’s second reading, “and from it we also await a savior.” As the Obama administration awaits Congressional action on comprehensive immigration reform which includes a path to citizenship for the undocumented, its own “backup plan” has been leaked to the press, stirring the pot and increasing the tension in what is becoming a high stakes game of political poker.The leak frustrated Republicans working on a bipartisan bill because the president had pledged to withhold his own plan while lawmakers crafted theirs. The White House claimed that the leak was unintentional and the president phoned GOP senators to reiterate his support for the negotiations in Congress.Wednesday the president said that a leak wouldn't damage the effort. "It certainly did not jeopardize the entire process. The negotiations are still moving forward," he said. "Information floats out of Washington all the time; that shouldn't prevent anybody from moving forward. I've said repeatedly that I want Congress to go ahead and negotiate and get a bill done. But what I've also said is we're preparing a bill so that if Congress doesn't do its job, we're going to go ahead and put a bill on the floor of the United States Senate," Obama saidThe president’s phone calls appear to have smoothed the waters with negotiators across the aisle, with spokespersons for the Republican senators issuing optimistic statements following the conversations. “Senator [Marco] Rubio [of Floria] appreciated receiving President Obama’s phone call to discuss immigration reform late tonight,” said one such statement. “The senator told the president that he feels good about the ongoing negotiations in the Senate, and is hopeful the final product is something that can pass the Senate with strong bipartisan support.”While some differences between the White House and Senate plans exist, the president said that on the whole they are very similar because they both include an earned path to citizenship, enhanced border security measures, and tougher crackdowns on businesses which hire undocumented immigrants.Homily hint: How many of your own members are immigrants? For those who have documentation, what stories do they have to share on their journey to residency or citizenship? And can there be some form of outreach to the undocumented who still live in fear of discovery? Sources: Jordan Fabian for ABC News, Justin Sink for TheHill, and Adam Clark Estes for The Atlantic Wire

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Faith groups migrate to comprehensive immigration reform

17 Mar 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

"The Lord has done great things for us,” say the captives of Zion upon their release, proving, as the psalmist proclaims, that even exiles might hope for full restoration to the land God prepares for them. In a meeting with a wide range of religious leaders last Friday, President Barack Obama expressed hope that the millions of undocumented workers in the U.S. might soon be given a path that provides their right to work and reside in the land with dignity.Religious leaders who attended the meeting said the president spent more than an hour with them, and after making a few remarks at the start of the meeting he let each group discuss their priorities and problems with comprehensive immigration reform. During the discussion, these faith leaders said, Obama made it clear that he wanted to see a bill on immigration reform in the next 60 days and laid out a timetable for them.“I really sensed that this is a high priority for him,” said Jim Wallis, president of the Sojourners magazine and communuty. “We are all looking at something being introduced this month and then the bill passing in May or June. We are all hoping that kind of time frame could work.”Wallis, who has spearheaded a group of evangelical leaders on immigration reform, said that Obama particularly mentioned the importance of faith leaders in the immigration debate. “He said that while every issue has politics . . . on this question, it really was a moral issue to him and he sees the faith community as lifting that up,” Wallis said. “He was really fervent about the role of faith in this debate.”This was the broadest, most well-rounded group of folks that I have ever met with on this issue,” said Stephan Bauman, the president of World Relief. “And pretty much everyone in the room had a chance to share their opinion on the issue.” Archbishop José Horacio Gomez of Los Angeles represented the Catholic Church at the meeting of some 20 faith groups. The church has long supported comprehensive immigration reform. Homily hint: Comprehensive immigration reform is long overdue, as witnessed in the broken families and shattered dreams that current policies have generated. Instead of walls it is time to build bridges. Faith communities have so much to contribute to the effort, both in terms of scriptural roots and a long tradition of advocacy on behalf of the strangers and sojourners in our midst, not to mention a large number of powerful personal stories in the community. Encourage parishioners whose lives have been touched in one way or another by immigration issues to make their voices heard now while those in Washington are listening. Source: An article by Dan Merica for CNN

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The journey continues for immigration reform

30 Jun 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The law is no longer a yoke around the neck, the second reading affirms this Sunday. As the U.S. Senate sets to vote on a proposed law offering undocumented immigrants a path to legal status and eventual citizenship, House Republicans are pushing ahead with a more onerous bill that would instead crack down on the millions living in the country illegally.Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida tried to reassure his fellow conservatives that many of the criticisms of the bill, which he helped write, are "just not true." The potential 2016 White House contender said in remarks on the Senate floor that it has been difficult for him "to hear the worry and the anxiety and the growing anger in the voices of so many people who helped me get elected to the Senate and who I agree with on virtually every other issue."The political impact of the matter aside, there was no doubt that the Senate bill was on track for passage by Thursday or Friday. At its core the legislation includes numerous steps to prevent future illegal immigration, while at the same time it offers a chance at citizenship for millions currently here illegally.The basic legislation was drafted by four Democrats and four Republicans who met privately for months to produce a rare bipartisan compromise in a polarized Senate. They fended off unwanted changes from the Senate Judiciary Committee and then were involved in negotiations with Republican Sens. John Hoeven of North Dakota and Bob Corker of Tennessee on a package of tougher border security provisions that swelled support among Republicans.Homily hint: Biblical values are pretty transparent on the duty to welcome the sojourner in our midst. With sensible safeguards in place, it should be possible for the nation to allow millions of hardworking people living with the constant threat of discovery and deportation to come out from hiding and live without fear. Source: An article by David Espo and Erica Werner for the Associated Press

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Activists hope to fast-track immigration reform

08 Dec 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In the first reading from the prophet Isaiah we hear there is a hope that one day even the wolf and the lamb will live together in peace. Enemies and rivals will welcome each other in a new way. Having gone without food for 22 days to pressure leaders of the U.S. Houseof Representatives to come together and pass a bill on the contentious issue of immigration reform, four activists have ended their fast in Washington, D.C.“You have truly put your faith in action,” said retired Washington Roman Catholic Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, one of a number of political and church dignitaries who came to the National Mall on Wednesday to praise those who have gone without food. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama spoke with the activists earlier in the month.Now the “Fast for Families” campaign, organized by a broad coalition of labor, immigrant, and Christian groups, enters a new phase as the original group of fasters begins to recover from the physical ordeal and a larger group takes up the cause.Immigration reform stalled in the House this summer and House Speaker John Boehner has refused to put the issue on the body’s schedule this year. That has worried many who fear that action is less likely next year as lawmakers set their sights on midterm elections.During his discussion with the fasters Obama said that he believes Congress will eventually change the system to allow immigrants in the country without proper papers to live and work legally. In June the Senate passed an immigration bill that would increase spending by more than $30 billion for border security and allow most of the estimated 11 million people in the country illegally to pay a fine, submit to background checks, and eventually become citizens.Homily hint: Concern for immigrants and other people on the move has long been a concern of church in the United States. Read the statement of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on comprehensive immigration reform. Sources: Articles by Lauren Markoe for Religion News Service and Brian Bennett for the Tribune Newspapers.

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Deportations depress immigrant communities

29 Dec 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Confronted with life-challenging circumstances, Joseph and Mary fled Israel for Egypt under cover of night, we hear in the gospel for Holy Family Sunday. Many an immigrant family that has risked all to slip across the U.S. border without permission can relate to the story. For them and some 11 million others in the same situation, getting relief from deportations is more important that creating a pathway to U.S. citizenship, a new study finds. With immigration legislation stalled in the U.S. Congress, two polls released Thursday by the Pew Research Center expose a potential conflict for minority groups that voted overwhelmingly last year for President Barack Obama. Obama is under pressure from immigration supporters to use his executive power to stop deportations. "There's no question that these groups want a pathway to citizenship for the unauthorized, but the surveys also show that, especially for Latinos, it's the threat of deportation that casts the longest shadow on their communities," said Mark Hugo Lopez, Pew's director of Hispanic research and author of the report. Earlier this year the Senate passed far-reaching immigration legislation that would strengthen border enforcement and allow a 13-year pathway to citizenship, but activity has stalled in the Republican-controlled House, with the citizenship provision a major sticking point. The delay has put pressure on Obama to act, as he did last year in halting deportations for some young immigrants. Still, under his administration deportations of immigrants in the country illegally have hovered near 400,000 annually. That level continues a trend of rising deportations that began during the George W. Bush administration. In recent weeks 29 House Democrats urged Obama in a letter to suspend deportations; last month "executive order" was the rallying cry of hecklers at an Obama Democratic fundraiser in San Francisco. Any action by Obama to halt deportations would mean that immigrants here illegally would in effect get interim legal relief; only action by Congress, however, could give the immigrants legal status. Homily hint: “I’ll be home for the holidays” is wishful thinking for the millions of undocumented immigrants separated by thousands of miles and a national border from loved ones. Whatever your position on immigration at the policy level, on a human level we can all reach out to those who are here on their own to let them know they are not alone. Source: An article by Hope Yen for the Associated Press

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Immigration advocates warm to GOP legalization plan

16 Feb 2014 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The psalmist this Sunday blesses those who “follow the law of the Lord,” for their way “is blameless.” Many advocates for immigrants would be content with just such a blameless condition in the eyes of the law and are responding positively to new Republican Party overtures on immigration reform that would legalize undocumented immigrants but not necessarily allow them all to become U.S. citizens.During a recent Republican gathering, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner released a list of Republican “principles” on immigration. The statement declared that there would be “no special path” to citizenship for illegal immigrants but that in general they should be allowed to “live legally and without fear” in the United States if they meet a list of tough requirements and rules.Tamar Jacoby, head of the Washington-based advocacy group ImmigrationWorks USA, called the Republican statement on legalizing undocumented immigrants a “historic breakthrough” and a “critical first step” to meaningful immigration reform. The principles did not include any specific policy proposals or timeline.Some labor unions and immigrant groups said they would continue to insist on a full path to citizenship, and some conservative Republicans said they would fight against legalizing undocumented immigrants, which they call an “amnesty” for lawbreakers, but Boehner’s statement seemed to signal a sea change in the party’s stance, and many major immigrant advocate groups seemed eager to respond in kind.“To see the Republicans moving from self-deportation to legalization is a major shift,” said Clarissa Martinez of the National Council of La Raza in Washington. “There is a big chasm between saying ‘no special path’ and shutting the door to citizenship entirely. It could mean a lot of things. There is no clarity or definition yet, but it is a start and we are definitely encouraged.”Homily hint: Catholic teaching is clear on the rights of immigrants to basic human dignity and freedom from reprisal. “The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he [sic] cannot find in his country of origin. Public authorities should see to it that the natural right is respected that places a guest under the protection of those who receive him” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2241). See the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops document, Catholic Church’s Position on Immigration Reform. Source: An article by Pamela Constable for the Washington Post

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Bishops go forth to lobby on immigration

08 Jun 2014 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The Lord visited a “confusion of languages” and a scattering “all over the earth,” says the reading from the Book of Genesis for the Vigil of Pentecost. An appeal to overcome disunity caused by a fractious immigration policy led U.S. Roman Catholic bishops to Capitol Hill late last week in a renewed push for immigration reform.Before fanning out to meet with lawmakers, members of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration held a Mass at a Wahington, D.C. church where Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski called the failure to address immigration reform “a stain on the soul of our nation.” “When laws fail to advance the common good,” said Wenski, the committee’s chairman, “they can and they should be changed.”The bishops were scheduled to meet with U.S. House of Representatives members from their home districts, among others, and to conclude their day with House Speaker John Boehner. Advocates have been pushing the House to pass an immigration bill for months; the Senate passed the bill last June but it has faced steep opposition in the Republican-controlled House. Boehner has said he would not bring an immigration reform bill passed a year ago by the Senate onto the House floor unless it had the support of a majority of Republicans. Supporters believe there are enough Republican supporters of the bill for it to pass, along with the votes of nearly all House Democrats, although there is not the majority Boehner seeks within the Republican caucus on its own.The bishops’ push was accompanied by a separate open letter to Boehner signed by 30 Catholic leaders. “Legislative obstruction in the face of preventable suffering and death is not only a failure of leadership. It is immoral and shameful,” the letter said."Outdated laws, ill adapted to the increasing interdependence of our world and the globalization of labor, are bad laws," said Wenski. He also criticized those who, “on radio and TV talk shows, fan flames of resentment against supposed law breakers, equating them with terrorists intent on hurting us.”Homily hint: Ironically, according to the biblical story, the inability of people to understand one another came from their overreaching their original unity. While that arrogance may have produced discord, cultural differences need not separate people when it comes to the humanity we all share. Faith calls us to overcome negative differences so that everyone has equal access to opportunity and justice. Sources: Articles by Heather Adams for Religion News Service and Patricia Zapor for Catholic News Service

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Keep the dream alive, Obama encourages young immigrants

08 Feb 2015 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Job speaks of the pain of the “hireling who waits for his wages” as he lives a life of “drudgery” filled with “misery and troubled nights.” Many an undocumented immigrant working on the margins and living in fear of deportation can relate. As congressional Republicans take aim at President Barack Obama's recent executive orders giving young undocumented immigrants provisional legal status, the president told a group of these “Dreamers” at the White House Wednesday that he wouldn't let that happen. "I will veto any legislation that got to my desk that took away the chance of these young people who grew up here and who are prepared to contribute to this country," Obama said. Homily hint: It’s said many a time that we live in a nation of immigrants, that we are all the children and grandchildren of immigrant ancestors. Yet each generation of immigrants seems to face hostility from those already on hand. Let’s remember that what was good and attractive and hopeful to our grandparents is that which draws our undocumented neighbor. Compassion rather than condemnation will lead us to the right balance. For more on immigration reform, see: Obama Promises Dreamers He Won't Back Down; Obama Promises Dreamers He'll Veto Bills to Deport Them, Others

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Judge temporarily shuts the door on immigration reform

22 Feb 2015 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Saint Paul’s efforts were focused not for “my own benefit but that of the many, that they may be saved,” he says in this Sunday’s second reading. President Barack Obama’s plan to shield more than 4 million undocumented immigrants from deportation and to save families from painful separations is on hold after U.S. District Judge Andrew temporarily blocked the effort Tuesday pending appeals. The president responded, “The law is on our side, and history is on our side.” Homily hint: Thoughtful people may disagree on the proper approach to fixing the nation’s broken system of immigration regulation. But it’s hard to argue the current system needs fixing. Let’s pray for and encourage bipartisan cooperation so that families can stay together and people do not die in the Arizona desert trying to find their way to loved ones and a better future. For more on the immigration judgment and deaths in the desert, see: Four key issues in states' lawsuit over immigration; Judge who blocked immigration action had criticized policy; The deadliest trip in America? Desperate search after immigrants die in desert; Federal judge stalls Obama's executive action on immigration

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