This week, dozens of Catholic dioceses across the United States stood up for the rights of undocumented immigrants. Demonstrations organized by churches to support comprehensive immigration reform are expected to be held in nine states this weekend.
“We want undocumented immigrants to work for the good of the country’s economy, revive agriculture and apply for American citizenship,” said Bishop Bernard Harrington, leader of one of the most influential Catholic dioceses in Minnesota. “We are against deportation and the cruel treatment of U.S. residents by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).”
Many immigration experts agree that the church’s involvement in passing reform legislation granting 12 million undocumented immigrants amnesty will be greater than in past years. There are two reasons for this. First of all, Christians want to attract as many new members as possible (97 percent of immigrants from Mexico call themselves Catholic). Second of all, legalizing undocumented residents is practically the only way to save the entire U.S. economic system, which has been destroyed by the toothless politics of George Bush and members of the Republican Party.
Catholics are divided on their opinion of Barack Obama. Religious figures are agreeing to support the President-elect’s efforts to carry out immigration reform quickly, but they intend to oppose him on the issue of legalizing abortion.
Former Obama opponent John McCain, in turn, has announced to journalists that Obama will be able to carry out immigration reform within the first half of 2009: “Many believe that Obama used the interests of the Latin American community to win the election, but that’s not how it is. I can tell you for certain: the fate of illegal immigrants is the main priority for Barack Obama.”
At the same time, McCain has spoken a great deal about the need to close the Mexican-American border “with a lock.” The border in its current state “contributes to an increase in the number of illegal immigrants and fuels narcotics trafficking.”
According to data from social agencies, almost 72 percent of Catholics support immigration reform. This figure could be much higher if the white population in the South would start treating Mexicans with less hostility.
Experts at the National Immigration Forum, however, expect that in 2009 about 90 percent of Christians (who make up approximately 76 percent of the country’s population) will support legislation granting amnesty to undocumented immigrants without criminal records.
