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US bishops immigration reform campaign

Immigration wasn’t a major issue in the November presidential election. Part of the reason, some suggest, is that the two major candidates were of the same mind about meaningful reform. Others say the American people were more concerned about the economy.

Nonetheless, a group of comprehensive immigration reform advocates, including Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony, want to draw attention back this continuing problem.

The cardinal and other advocates will discuss reform at a media telephonic briefing tomorrow, Jan. 8, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“Cardinal Mahony will emphasize the need for immigration reform, highlighting the negative impact of a broken immigration system and enforcement-only measures on immigrant families,” according to a press release. “He will call for the new administration and new Congress to address the issue in a humane and comprehensive way during the 111th Congress.”

I recently spoke to leader in our community, very much involved in immigration reform, but I’d rather not name him here. When we spoke, he said he didn’t expect reform for another three or four years. He said reform would be dictated by the economy. In other words, we won’t see immigration reform until the economy picks up and we need more workers.

Considering how important the economy was to this last election, what he said really makes sense. It’s a shame though. As a country we often make decisions based on “economic health” — not based on the dignity of the human person.

To read more about the U.S. bishops’ nuanced position on immigration, visit their comprehensive reform Web site.