The chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Migration, has called on President George Bush and Congress "to work together to produce a fair and just comprehensive immigration reform bill." In a statement dated Tuesday, Bishop Gerald Barnes of San Bernardino said:
"Just legislation should include a viable path to citizenship for undocumented persons residing in our nation; a temporary worker program which protects the rights of both U.S. and foreign-born laborers; reforms in the family-based immigration system by reducing backlogs and shortening times for family reunification; and restoration of due process protection for immigrants."
"Immigration enforcement also should be an important component of comprehensive immigration reform," Bishop Barnes said.
"We caution, however, that enforcement measures should not undermine the fairness of our laws and should ensure that the human dignity of the person is protected. "We will oppose enforcement initiatives which do not meet this test."
The prelate added: "The time has come for the leaders of both chambers to come together and enact legislation which protects the human dignity of immigrants while also ensuring the integrity of our borders and the security of our nation. "The only way for our nation to achieve this goal is to adopt a comprehensive immigration reform measure."
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16 comments:
Anyone care to put forth a logical, not emotional, argument for immigration reform?
I for one have searched the web in vain for a single practical reason. 'terrorists' will not register themselves so that thought is daft.
Some American people might be generous and big-hearted enough to say 'WTF, let 'em stay' but that goodwill and 'looking sharp' wearing naft T-shirts is not sufficient to sway the US house of Representatives that 11-12 million scofflaws should be embraced.
Sean;
I might add that the House, by virtue of it's structure, is much more representative of the will of the American people, than the Senate, President, or Supreme Court.
There is no benefit to increasing immigration rates, but the benefits of reducing immigration rates are enormous. And to the old tired argument about the jobs Americans wouldn't do; You can easily solve that one by increasing wages, and improving working conditions. (hey, maybe that's why they're jobs Americans wouldn't do - duh?)
This country has a big % of the work force starting to retire over 70 million in the next 20 years.The country badley needs works the jobs are their, Their is not enough workers that is why immigration laws need to be fixed to meet the countrys needs.Terrorists hate America so they are coming any way visa or not but that is a different subject all together
you reap what you sow
Question?? for SEAN & PADDY CAKES,
Do either of you that are so well up on the immigration topic have children and if so how often are you granted the fortune to see them. As for me I have parents in Ireland who i happen to miss very much.But i also have another love and she lives here in the US so you tell me what I should do. ????
Paddy cakes
Increas wage great plan give every body a pay rise.Then increas the price of everthing to cover the extra costs to employers.How come a genius like you is not running the country.
catch 22
Your forgetting the fact that consumers will be able to afford the higher price, because they would now be getting higher wages.
But actually there are as many responses by the economy to higher wages, as there are responses by the economy to changes in immigration rates.
I support a sustainable, green, low immmigration, strong middle class model of economy. This is the vision I want my elected leaders to support. Getting there will involve some restructuring of the present economy - and it will different after the changes are implemented. How different, i can't say.
But the present economic model is for the birds - high consumption; wide wage disparities; an army of low-paid, exploitable, foriegn workers; high debt; etc.
Maybe I'm a communist.
Anonymous;
I guess the answer to your question depends on who you love more - your parents or your girlfriend? I believe the land of one's birth, and childhood holds an incredibly strong attraction.
Also, I do have children.
Economic activity is the reason W is pushing this rope? In an earlier post I recall the thread stalled over the impact of black economic labour on the chronically unemployed in America. No responses!?! Ireland's own Labour party called upon the Government this year to assess the impact of the lower wage expectations of the EU10 (the 10 nations that joined the European Union in 2004) on the unemployed in Ireland. There is a correlation there that immigration reform campaigners choose not to address.
What occurs when the illegals emerge from the shadows to pay taxes and earn minimum wage? Prices will have to rise to meet industry's increased wage costs input.
Simply put, the 'won't do' argument 'won't do'.
Next...
In the agriculture ,construction and service industrys 3% of the jobs went unforfilled .The more people paying taxes the bigger the tax breaks can be past on to the middle classes so it makes life better for all
in one hand out the other
Sure more people paying taxes fills the coffers. But people also are users of tax monies. The trick is to get undocumented workers to pay in more than they take out. Otherwise there is no tax break for the middle class. In fact there is no middle class.
Speaking of agriculture; we have this e coli on spinach outbreak, and very little publicity is given to the fact the undocumented pickers of our food have gone through no health screening. Why is nobody connecting the dots?
Yeah. Those dirty illegals are spreading "ecoli on spinach outbreak."
Let's connect the dots. The dirty illegals are responsible for the bovine ecoli in the manure used to fertilize the fields. Come to think of it, they are probably responsible for the Enron scandal, global warming and whatever North Korea has been doing wrong this week.
Connect the dots.
I think the involement of illegals in the Enron scandal is a bit of a stretch to say the least.
They probably even shot J.R too
i am just wondering what you guys do for a living ? your not in the govrerment anyway thats for sure
Hopefully anonymous does something for a living that does not require spelling the word "government."
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