CRS: Support fair, comprehensive immigration legislation

In session
April 2006

CRS: Support fair, comprehensive immigration legislation
USCCB rep calls Senate Immigration Bill “a good start”

CRS: Contact your Senators today to support fair, comprehensive immigration legislation

WHY THIS ISSUE IS IMPORTANT: The Senate Judiciary Committee with jurisdiction over immigration issues passed comprehensive immigration reform legislation last night that includes a guest worker program and addresses the situation of undocumented immigrants now living in the United States.

Meanwhile, Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) last week introduced a bill that only addresses enforcement and border security issues. Sen. Frist may make a procedural move to allow the full Senate to proceed with debate on immigration as early as today. It is yet unclear whether he will allow the Judiciary Committee-passed bill to replace his own.

Your urgent action is needed today! Please enter your message below to contact your Senators and urge them to support the immigration reform bill passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee and to oppose all enforcement-only proposals.

WHY YOU SHOULD GET INVOLVED: Our Catholic faith calls on us to uphold the dignity of the poor and vulnerable among us, whether they live in the United States or overseas. In response to this call, Catholic Relief Services serves displaced people, refugees, migrants and victims of human trafficking worldwide, daily confronting the suffering and exploitation of migrants and families separated across borders often for years. At the same time, CRS works with the Catholic Church throughout the world to create economic opportunities so that people are not forced to migrate.

The Catholic Bishops of the United States, Mexico and Central America have called for comprehensive immigration reform that addresses the root causes of migration, provides worker protection and a pathway to citizenship, reunites families in a timely manner and more effectively utilizes resources to address security concerns because: “we judge ourselves as a community of faith by the way we treat the most vulnerable among us.” As part of the USCCB Justice for Immigrants Campaign, Catholic organizations including CRS are raising concerns about current immigration legislation that prioritizes enforcement rather than comprehensive immigration reform. For more information about the Justice for Immigrants Campaign, please visit: http://www.justiceforimmigrants.org/.

BACKGROUND: In December 2005 the House of Representatives passed one of the harshest immigration bills in years, the H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Anti-Immigration, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. Now the Senate is considering its own immigration reform legislation with several proposals pending, including bills that deal with migration comprehensively and those that only include enforcement provisions.

TAKE ACTION NOW! Please contact your Senators today by entering your information below and urge them to:

* SUPPORT the comprehensive immigration reform bill passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

* OPPOSE Sen. Frist’s enforcement-only bill or any other enforcement-only bills that may be considered.

Once the Senate begins debate on immigration reform proposals, we expect many amendments to be offered. Please stay tuned for specific action as this process moves forward.

For further information contact:
Tina Rodousakis, Legislative Network Specialist, 1-800-235-2772 x 7462; trodousa@crs.org

Catholic Relief Services' advocacy efforts flow from the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, especially the call to protect the dignity of people, uphold rights and responsibilities, safeguard the common good and to act in solidarity with people in poverty.

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