In an effort to take action against illegal immigration, our state passed not long ago a bill that would allow our state government to take stronger measures against businesses that hire illegal immigrants and fining/deporting/ illegal immigrants.
The results of the bill passed have been raids on businesses. Arrests have been made.
But where I fail to see, maybe it is my stubborn hard heart or frustration, is how are these raids wrong? I do not want to see anyone who is trying to work and make a living go to jail, but laws have to be obeyed. Our “catch and release system” isn’t working. Are we to expect people to voluntarily walk up and say “I’m guilty” or to go back home? Are they hoping for a blanket amnesty?
Bishop Latino, has responded. One troubling point is when the Bishop states the law passed in the state is unjust: (emphasis mine)
The United States is built on a system of laws and principles. However, if a law or the means used to enforce that law violates human dignity and basic human rights, then it is not just. The current immigration enforcement policy is indeed unjust.
Here is an excerpt of one Sisters view of how it all happened at a particular raid:
In ______, ICE filed criminal identity-theft charges against 305 workers who ended up pleading guilty during mass hearings and were jailed to serve five-month prison sentences.
In ______l, most of the workers were being held by ICE on civil immigration charges which would generally lead to deportation.
ICE also tried to be more concerned about breaking up families by leaving one parent with a child/children even though they required the mother to wear an ankle bracelet so they could be under house arrest.
This Sister goes on to express her anger, albeit to no one in particular. But going back to the Bishop’s quote, how is any of that violating human dignity or human rights? The same Sister, in another article, stated we shouldn’t even use the term ‘illegal’ to identify immigrants who are here……illlegally?
It is times like these, especially trying to be a conscientious Catholic, that I become frustrated and discouraged. What do I take to our representatives? What are alternatives; you should have gotten them while they were home or maybe just leave them alone? Even in trying to reflect on what the late Pope John Paul II said, it is painfully obvious that he even realized there may come times when they need to be helped to go other places; back home?
The first way to help these people is to listen to them in order to become acquainted with their situation, and, whatever their legal status with regard to State law, to provide them with the necessary means of subsistence.
Thus it is important to help illegal migrants to complete the necessary administrative papers to obtain a residence permit. Social and charitable institutions can make contact with the authorities in order to seek appropriate, lawful solutions to various cases. This kind of effort should be made especially on behalf of those who, after a long stay, are so deeply rooted in the local society that returning to their country of origin would be tantamount to a form of reverse emigration, with serious consequences particularly for the children.4. When no solution is foreseen, these same institutions should direct those they are helping, perhaps also providing them with material assistance, either to seek acceptance in other countries, or to return to their own country
