Food for thought.
The Catholic Church and
Undocumented Immigration
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you …” Jesus Christ
Love
Love above all, but love without action is incomplete.
The reality of the Issue
An open American border, sanctuary cities, and states, and
facilitating public and private agencies are an invitation for desperately poor
people to jump the fence, and the non-removal of temporary Visa overstayers
invites those who can afford to fly into our country to come and live
here. To declare them all criminals now is, in effect, a form of de facto
legal entrapment. Furthermore, the mass deportation of tens of millions
of law-abiding undocumented immigrants already established here is unrealistic,
as well as cruel, economically unbearable, and socially destructive.
Dozens of wealthy nations outside the U.S. share this dilemma and concern;
their populations are also clamoring for just action. The American people
are clearly behind the arrest and deportation of criminal aliens residing in
the U.S. Nevertheless, our U.S. Department of Homeland Security is
running media ads asking all undocumented immigrants in the country to
self-deport, albeit with a new government incentive program, or risk being
detected and expelled forever. This is an overreach affecting tens of
millions of undocumented immigrants who have already established families here
and are not committing crimes.
Obligation of the Church
The Church cannot be uninvolved; it must act. It must
serve as an example to other churches in the nation by standing for common
sense. Ideally, we would have a Vatican proclamation supporting the right
of nations to defend borders and the expulsion of criminal non-citizens from
their soil. At the same time, defending the humane wisdom of allowing
non-criminal and non-freeloader undocumented immigrants who are already
well-established in a country to remain. This would not be an intrusion by the Holy See into the internal affairs of nations but rather guidance on the condition of immigrants within just sovereign borders, open to the growth of globalization and a functional world government. Will Communist
China allow it?
Proposal
The Catholic Church must stimulate grassroots initiatives
throughout all its congregations to begin a mass registration program for
law-abiding undocumented immigrant parishioners, who are, for the most part,
Hispanic Catholics. This initiative can start with a demonstration program in a
local congregation led by a courageous pastor; we desperately need a 'Prime
Mover.'
Justification
A local demonstration program would be a catalyst that
ignites a national movement today. Undocumented immigrants, who are now
living in fear, would trust churches the most, not the government. The
Catholic Church has the largest national infrastructure, resources, and
volunteers; it would have instant credibility and the wherewithal to create the
first demonstration program. The government, through the Department of
Homeland Security, would be chastened to create a central registry and
virtually eliminate the deportation of fine people, who we as a nation have
indirectly invited to come and allowed to settle. It matters not which
political party is most responsible; our country is accountable for its
actions. This issue has gained further
urgency with the growth of violent anti-deportation protests nationwide.
Process
A chosen parish church would advertise a confidential
registration program for undocumented immigrants in its congregation, staffed
by its own selected volunteer members, as a new ministry. Registrants
would be required to have their photos and fingerprints taken. They would
also reveal their address, occupation, age, length of stay in the country, and
nationality. They would swear before a public notary that they have never
been arrested for a crime and are not involved in criminal activities, e.g.,
driving without a license and insurance or ‘driving under the influence,’
domestic violence, gang membership... Finally, they would have to formally declare their intent to become Americans, learn the English language, be loyal to the nation, respect the American Flag, and be prepared to defend the country.
The parish identification card they would receive would not be legally binding,
nor would there be any verification mechanism for their pledge to become
law-abiding Americans. Nevertheless, it
would separate them from ‘persona-non-grata’ immigrants, and it would be a
valuable 'seal of good housekeeping' when defending against deportation, as well as evidence of a legitimate American social anchor. Given the stated government goal of 3,000 deportations a day and a request from the Homeland Security Department for self-deportation of all undocumented immigrants with the threat of eternal banishment, any undocumented immigrant could be expelled for a Jaywalking infraction or accidental detection by the authorities.
Funding
Initial funding for equipment and supplies for this
demonstration program would be obtained through community donations, business advertisements, and local institutional support. Government funding would eventually
support a coast-to-coast national expansion. Registrants would be
provided with an identification card. Confidentiality will be ensured by
storing the information with the local bishop in a secure location. Eventually, this program would become multi-denominational and would shame the government into
backing this effort with a formal national registry.
Benefits
The Church would benefit from a potential increase in its congregation. Law-abiding Undocumented immigrants would receive valuable defense from deportation. The government would benefit from facilitating the screening of undocumented immigrants in the population. The deserving undocumented immigrant population would benefit from decreased fear and anxiety. Americans might feel justice was served. God would smile.
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