USCCB announces ‘strong opposition’ to Secure the Border Act, issues action alert
May 09, 2023
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration announced its “strong opposition” to the Secure the Border Act, sponsored by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL).
“If enacted, this measure would fundamentally weaken our nation’s decades-long commitment to humanitarian protection,” Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, chairman of the committee, wrote in a May 5 letter to members of the House of Representatives.
“Provisions of this bill would endanger unaccompanied children and inflict harm on other vulnerable persons, decimate access to asylum, mandate damaging detention and removal practices, restrict access to legal employment, limit—and potentially eliminate—federal partnerships with faith-based and other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), undermine the rule of law, and more,” he continued, as he spoke of the “extreme nature of this bill, its incompatibility with Catholic social teaching, and its inconsistency with our nation’s broadly bipartisan commitment to humanitarian protection.”
The USCCB’s Justice for Immigrants initiative issued an action alert on May 8 (Urge Your U.S. Representative to Oppose Extreme Immigration Bill). The USCCB suggested that the following language be used in communications with members of Congress:
While I strongly support comprehensive immigration reform, this bill is extreme, incompatible with Catholic social teaching, and inconsistent with our nation’s broadly bipartisan commitment to humanitarian protection. Its passage is beyond justification. Humane border management must include meaningful access to humanitarian protection and respect for the God-given dignity of migrants. Please vote against H.R. 2 and support the drafting of bipartisan legislation that is more in keeping with our nation’s rich tradition of welcome.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
-
Posted by: grateful1 -
May. 10, 2023 1:31 PM ET USA
The bishops have no competence whatsoever in the area of migration--particularly when it involves the wholesale destruction of a republic that lives by the rule of law. They are hell-bent on transforming the U.S. from a sovereign nation to a mere land mass, & are willing to pervert the social teachings of the Church to do so. God help us & the desperate migrants & citizens they are harming with their prideful, misguided political agenda.
-
Posted by: b_ulmen7713 -
May. 10, 2023 11:31 AM ET USA
More useless political word vomit. USCCB has yet to define, to any degree of specificity, "comprehensive immigration reform"; it never and never will provide clear, concise, complete suggestions. The Bishops of USCCB might consider doing some historical research so they clearly understand what our "nation's rich tradition of welcome" truly entailed. Start with the Cherokee nation.
-
Posted by: dover beachcomber -
May. 09, 2023 8:53 PM ET USA
Justice requires that our borders must be secured first, *before* we talk about making more generous exceptions to satisfy the bishop's desire for legislative changes more in keeping with what they believe is "our nation's rich tradition of welcome" — which has *never* included open borders.
-
Posted by: filioque -
May. 09, 2023 7:33 PM ET USA
I completely agree with Randal Mandock. We are witnessing an invasion, not reasonable and legal immigration. For many years our US bishops have encouraged and profited from the immigrant racket, a thinly disguised human trafficking program run by and for the drug cartels. Our Bishops need to come clean instead of refusing to answer questions or respond to criticism from investigators like the Lepanto Institute.
-
Posted by: Randal Mandock -
May. 09, 2023 11:10 AM ET USA
The problem at the U.S. border is a man-made free-for-all. When the government of a wealthy country announces to the world that its borders are now open to all comers, when border enforcement personnel are told to stand down and not do their jobs, when human trafficking is legitimized to an extent greater than in any jihadist country, the citizens of this country can expect mass migrations from dictatorships and other oppressive governments worldwide. Need good immigration policy and enforcement
