Bishop John C. Wester calls for comprehensive immigration reform

Intermountain Catholic

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Bishop John C. Wester responds to spirited questions at the conclusion of the 2008 Aquinas Lecture. The lecture drew a large crowd of parishioners, students, and the public. IC photo by Barbara S. Lee

SALT LAKE CITY — Urging comprehensive immigration reform in the United States, Bishop John C. Wester invited more than 500 people at St. Catherine of Siena Newman Center to look at immigration issues, "through the lens of our Catholic perspective."

Bishop Wester gave the 2008 Aquinas Lecture, clearly outlining the position of the Catholic Church on issues of immigration, which have become hot-button issues during this election year.

Speaking of the negative words and phrases often heard in immigration debates, Bishop Wester said, "We are social creatures and we are by nature interested in each other and even caring for each other. But what happens to that instinct? Where does it go as we mature? Where do the fences come from? It seems all of a sudden, we hear, ‘not in my backyard,’ or ‘I was here first,’ or ‘Welcome to such and such a place, now go home,’ or ‘certain people need not apply.’"

Bishop Wester said how we handle immigration now will determine the future of our country – and the type of country we are – for the 21st century. Drawing from the Scriptural tradition, he used words from Deuteronomy: "You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt." (Dt. 10-12)

In the Catholic tradition, he said, in the face of the immigrant we see the face of Christ. "Repeatedly, we see that movement to places of hope is woven into the fabric of Scripture, a movement that continues throughout our church’s history."

Papal encyclicals released over the years call us to welcome the stranger, encyclicals like Pope Leo XIII’s "Rerum Novarum," the apostolic constitution "Exsul Familia," by Pope Pius XII, and in Pope John XXIII’s "Pacem in Terris," as well as in the statement by Pope John Paul II that opened this article. "Finally," Bishop Wester said, "the bishops of the United States in their pastoral letter, "Strangers No Longer: Together On the Journey of Hope" put forward five basic rights of immigrants and the nations who accept them."

The bishop also noted the immigrant character of the Catholic Church in the U. S. "Today, the Church in the United States has members from countries all over the world – countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. "In a phrase reminiscent of that well-known toy store, the Church would say, ‘Immigrants R Us.’"

He mentioned also that the Church is present at every point of migration – "in the sending communities, along the route, along the borders, and in receiving communities. Catholics are involved in migration as elected officials, border patrol agents, service providers, and as migrants. We bishops have an obligation to show leadership on this issue, so that Catholics can work together for a just solution."

Bishop Wester said to the Church, the immigration issue is primarily a humanitarian one, "because it affects the human rights, human dignity, and the lives of millions of human beings, it has moral implications and must be viewed through a moral lens. This is primarily why the Church is involved in this important issue."

He recommended, in the spirit of the American bishops’ pastoral letter, "Faithful Citizenship," that the faith community become involved in the political process and bring immigration issues before their Senators and Congressional Representatives.

From the bishops’ study and participation in the immigration discourse, he said, "many of us bishops believe that the United States’ immigration system, sadly, has an adverse impact on the rights, dignity, and lives of human beings and must be reformed..."

Bishop Wester then challenged some of the popular myths about immigrants: that they come to the U.S., not to work, but to benefit from the social programs, and that they contribute little compared to what they use in services. He also challenged the myth that many more immigrants come to this country than could possibly find work here.

"As many as 500,000 migrants without legal status come to the United States each year, 40 percent by overstaying their visas. Approximately 90 percent obtain work within six months.

Despite these numbers, our immigration system allots only 5,000 immigrant visas each year for low-skilled workers. This represents, in my view, a broken system.

"It seems clear our national immigration policies are not consistent, but contradictory. While we post a ‘no trespassing sign at out border, we erect a ‘help wanted" sign at the workplace. This incongruent policy leads not only to division and discord in states and local communities – which must bear the initial costs of new arrivals – but also to the exploitation, abuse, and even death of our fellow human beings."

He said ideally, all immigrants should enter the country legally, but asking those who are here illegally to leave the country and re-enter legally is untenable.

Bishop Wester shared the five points that govern how the Church looks at immigration law and the immigration system. These points come from the joint pastoral letter, "Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope" released by the Catholic bishops of the United States and Mexico in 2003:

• Persons have the right to find opportunities in their homelands.

• Persons have the right to migrate to support themselves and their families.

•Sovereign nations have a right to control their borders.

• Refugees and asylum seekers should be afforded protection.

• The human rights and the human dignity of undocumented migrants would be respected.

Those principles provide a basic framework for a fair and just immigration policy, the bishop said.

The principles, like a person’s right to migrate and a country’s right to control its borders, must be balanced, he said. "Neither of these rights is absolute... Two factors should shape our response: first, the capacity of the United States to accept immigrants, and; secondly, recognition that our economy needs and benefits from this immigrant labor force."

To fix the broken immigration system, he said, first we need to examine the root causes of migration and analyze how U.S. economic and trade policies influence economic flight, and second, we must comprehensively address and update the broken immigration system... "The central feature of this effort should be to bring the 12 million undocumented immigrants out of the shadows and offer them legal status. In return, these immigrants must learn English, pay a fine, and work for several years before earning the right to receive permanent legal status. Also included in this package is a new visa worker program to allow more migrant workers to enter legally, and updates to our family-based immigration system."

Such a system would not amount to amnesty, he said, rather, it would be an earned path to citizenship.

Also, he said, enforcement raids undermine basic human dignity, separating parents from children. "The sacred bond between parent and child must be honored and not used as a cudgel that in effect does nothing to improve the situation one way or the other... In this regard, comprehensive immigration reform also has the benefit of protecting families, which is the cornerstone of the Church position."