NJCC shares letter from U.S. bishops pledging ‘firm solidarity’ with immigrants
December 12, 2024 at 12:26 p.m.
Marking the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12, the New Jersey Catholic Conference shared a “letter of pastoral interest” in support of the dignity of immigrants that had been written by several officers of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and a leading Catholic organization on immigration.
Posted to NJCC’s media and disseminated across the ecclesiastical Province of New Jersey, the letter states, “Compelled by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and recognizing the inherent dignity of each person as a child of God, we stand in firm solidarity with our immigrant brothers and sisters who live and labor in these United States." It calls for an immigration and asylum system that protects the vulnerable, keeps families together, offers a pathway to citizenship and upholds a safe and secure border, where enforcement policies focus on such dangers as gang activity, and the trafficking of drugs and human persons.
Originally released Nov. 14, the letter was written by Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Migration; and Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, chairman of the board for Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc. (Known as CLINIC, the network is a Maryland-based nonprofit that provides advocacy, training and support for more than 400 Catholic and community-based immigration law providers in 49 U.S. states.)
The bishops noted that "from the founding of our nation, immigrants have been essential to this society's growth and prosperity."
"They come to our shores as strangers, drawn by the promises this land offers, and they become Americans," said the bishops. "They continue to provide food security, health services, and many other essential skills that support our prosperous nation."
According to data from the Pew Research Center, immigrants currently account for 14.3% of the U.S. population -- the highest level since 1910, but still less than the 14.8% marked in 1890.
Data for 2022 showed that the majority of immigrants (77%) are in the U.S. legally, with close to half (49%) being naturalized citizens, just under a quarter (24%) lawful permanent residents and 4% legal temporary residents. Slightly less than one quarter (23%) are unauthorized.
The statement continues, "Our country deserves an immigration system that offers fair and generous pathways to full citizenship for immigrants living and working for many years within our borders." In particular, they said, "We need a system that provides permanent relief for childhood arrivals, helps families stay together, and welcomes refugees."
With much of global migration driven by conflict and natural disaster, the bishops stressed the need to "develop an effective asylum system for those fleeing persecution."
At the same time, the bishops called for "an immigration system that keeps our borders safe and secure, with enforcement policies that focus on those who present risks and dangers to society, particularly efforts to reduce gang activity, stem the flow of drugs, and end human trafficking."
Catholic social teaching on immigration balances three interrelated principles -- the right of persons to migrate in order to sustain their lives and those of their families, the right of a country to regulate its borders and control immigration, and a nation's duty to regulate its borders with justice and mercy.
The bishops said the U.S. "should have an immigration system that protects vulnerable migrants and their families, many of whom have already been victimized by criminal actors."
"Together, we must speak out on behalf of the 'huddled masses yearning to breathe free' and ask our government to provide fair and humane treatment for our beloved immigrant brothers and sisters," said the bishops, quoting a line from poet Emma Lazarus' "The New Colossus," the full text of which is inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty. "It is our hope, and our prayer, that all of us can work together to support a meaningful reform of our current immigration system."
To read the statement, click the link below.
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Marking the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12, the New Jersey Catholic Conference shared a “letter of pastoral interest” in support of the dignity of immigrants that had been written by several officers of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and a leading Catholic organization on immigration.
Posted to NJCC’s media and disseminated across the ecclesiastical Province of New Jersey, the letter states, “Compelled by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and recognizing the inherent dignity of each person as a child of God, we stand in firm solidarity with our immigrant brothers and sisters who live and labor in these United States." It calls for an immigration and asylum system that protects the vulnerable, keeps families together, offers a pathway to citizenship and upholds a safe and secure border, where enforcement policies focus on such dangers as gang activity, and the trafficking of drugs and human persons.
Originally released Nov. 14, the letter was written by Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Migration; and Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, chairman of the board for Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc. (Known as CLINIC, the network is a Maryland-based nonprofit that provides advocacy, training and support for more than 400 Catholic and community-based immigration law providers in 49 U.S. states.)
The bishops noted that "from the founding of our nation, immigrants have been essential to this society's growth and prosperity."
"They come to our shores as strangers, drawn by the promises this land offers, and they become Americans," said the bishops. "They continue to provide food security, health services, and many other essential skills that support our prosperous nation."
According to data from the Pew Research Center, immigrants currently account for 14.3% of the U.S. population -- the highest level since 1910, but still less than the 14.8% marked in 1890.
Data for 2022 showed that the majority of immigrants (77%) are in the U.S. legally, with close to half (49%) being naturalized citizens, just under a quarter (24%) lawful permanent residents and 4% legal temporary residents. Slightly less than one quarter (23%) are unauthorized.
The statement continues, "Our country deserves an immigration system that offers fair and generous pathways to full citizenship for immigrants living and working for many years within our borders." In particular, they said, "We need a system that provides permanent relief for childhood arrivals, helps families stay together, and welcomes refugees."
With much of global migration driven by conflict and natural disaster, the bishops stressed the need to "develop an effective asylum system for those fleeing persecution."
At the same time, the bishops called for "an immigration system that keeps our borders safe and secure, with enforcement policies that focus on those who present risks and dangers to society, particularly efforts to reduce gang activity, stem the flow of drugs, and end human trafficking."
Catholic social teaching on immigration balances three interrelated principles -- the right of persons to migrate in order to sustain their lives and those of their families, the right of a country to regulate its borders and control immigration, and a nation's duty to regulate its borders with justice and mercy.
The bishops said the U.S. "should have an immigration system that protects vulnerable migrants and their families, many of whom have already been victimized by criminal actors."
"Together, we must speak out on behalf of the 'huddled masses yearning to breathe free' and ask our government to provide fair and humane treatment for our beloved immigrant brothers and sisters," said the bishops, quoting a line from poet Emma Lazarus' "The New Colossus," the full text of which is inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty. "It is our hope, and our prayer, that all of us can work together to support a meaningful reform of our current immigration system."
To read the statement, click the link below.