Gathering calls for "fair and humane" immigration policies

By John Allen Jr. - National Catholic Reporter
Thursday, July 31, 2008 - Web Link
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July 31, 2008

After the collapse of efforts to pass a national immigration reform bill last summer, more than 850 Catholic activists and service providers who work with immigrants have gathered in Washington, D.C., this week to call for what one American cardinal described as a more “fair and humane” system.

The July 28-31 conference, sponsored by the U.S. bishops and titled “Renewing Hope, Seeking Justice,” heralds a major push from the church on immigration heading into the 2008 elections.

“This is an important moment,” said Kevin Appleby, director of the U.S. bishops’ Office of Migration and Refugee Policy. “America could become more restrictive, belying our history as nation of immigrants.”

Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles, who delivered a Monday keynote address, said the hallmarks of the “fair and humane” approach sought by the Catholic church include keeping families together, providing a path to legal status for immigrants, and promoting economic and social development in sending nations so people don’t feel compelled to migrate.

A subsidiary motive for the conference, according to Donald Kerwin of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, is to offer moral support during what Kerwin described as a “very difficult time” for pro-immigrant voices in America.