Citing Nicaragua, 2 US bishops’ committees back Stateless Protection Act
July 25, 2024
» Continue to this story on USCCB
CWN Editor's Note: The chairmen of the US bishops’ Committee on Migration and Committee on International Justice and Peace have expressed support for the Stateless Protection Act of 2024 (S 3987/HR 7755), sponsored by Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD).
“Motivated by our belief that each person is endowed by God with an inherent dignity that confers certain universal, inviolable, and inalienable rights, the USCCB is deeply concerned for those who have been deprived of the most basic of political rights—their national identity,” Bishops Mark Seitz and A. Elias Zaidan wrote in a letter to members of Congress.
“This concern has only been heightened by recent and alarming abuses witnessed in places such as Nicaragua, where Catholic clergy and laypersons have specifically been targeted by the state and stripped of their citizenship,” the prelates continued. “If enacted, this bill would define ‘stateless person’ for the first time in U.S. law, afford protection to stateless persons through a new form of relief and path to permanent residency known as Stateless Protected Status, and support initiatives aimed at preventing statelessness and related human rights violations.”
The above note supplements, highlights, or corrects details in the original source (link above). About CWN news coverage.
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!