NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS CALLS FOR REFORM OF US IMMIGRATION LAW

This week at the annual National Conference of Catholic Bishops in the US the members approved a resolution calling on people and the church to be more welcoming of immigrants. It also approved a statement calling for the reform of US immigration laws, saying that under the current law undocumented immigrants are being denied their basic human rights. Current US immigration law was also criticized for breaking families up.

Most undocumented immigrants in the US are from Central American countries, where Catholicism is the dominant religion.  This was a large part of why the bishops acted as they did.  While the bishops were unanimous in their condemnation of US immigration policy, they know that not everyone in the Catholic Church feels the same way, a factor which could hinder efforts by the Church to change the law.

During the 1980s many Catholic priests in the US southwest were active in shielding Central American refugees from the INS.  Churches would declare themselves a sanctuary and would not allow law enforcement officials inside.

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