Bishops call for ‘humane, proportionate, and just’ immigration plan

Washington D.C., Jan 31, 2018 / 15:00 pm

Echoing an earlier USCCB comment about President Donald Trump's proposed framework on immigration reform released last week, Bishop Joe S. Vasquez, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, has offered a mixed review of the potential changes.

While Bishop Vasquez said the bishops are pleased that a path to citizenship for the "Dreamers" is part of the plan, he is critical of proposed restrictions on family unification and the elimination of the protections for unaccompanied minors.

"Family immigration is part of the bedrock of our country and of our Church," said Vasquez in a statement released by the USCCB.

"Upholding and protecting the family unit, regardless of its national origins, is vital to our faith."

Further, Vasquez said that he did not think it was right to effectively try to bargain one aspect of immigration reform, a path to citizenship for "Dreamers" brought illegally to the United States as children, with protections for unaccompanied minors.

"We know them all to be children of God who need our compassion and mercy," Vasquez said.

Vasquez urged for Republicans and Democrats to work together to come up with a solution, and fast, as "time is of the essence" for Dreamers and unaccompanied minors. He called on elected officials to "show leadership" to pass legislation that would both protect national security interests as well as "humane, proportionate, and just" to undocumented people.