Mediaboss Marketing

Washington

In a joint letter to members of Congress, Catholic bishops and evangelical leaders pleaded for "common sense fixes to our immigration policies" by passing legislation this year.

In the Feb. 26 letter, 11 bishops and half a dozen evangelical leaders said that as religious leaders, "we live every day with the reality that our immigration system does not reflect our commitment to the values of human dignity, family unity and respect for the rule of law that define us as Americans."

At a briefing earlier in the week, the prospects for passage of an immigration bill this term were described as not impossible, but complicated.

Among the Catholics signing the letter were Auxiliary Bishop Eusebio L. Elizondo of Seattle, chairman of the Committee on Migration of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the immediate past chairman, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez.

The key evangelical signers included Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals; the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; the Rev. Gabriel Salguero, president, National Latino Evangelical Coalition; and the Rev. Jim Wallis, founder and president of Sojourners.

The letter said the signers each day "witness the human tragedies created by our current system, including the separation of families and the violation of basic human dignity."

Echoing the language about the "rule of law" used by some opponents of immigration reform, the leaders said that "as a nation founded upon the principles of the rule of law and the centrality of family, we can no longer delay fixing this system."

It said they are hopeful for legislation that "respects the God-given dignity of every person, protects family unity, respects the rule of law, guarantees the integrity of our national borders, ensures fairness for taxpayers, and makes it possible for undocumented immigrants who meet the requirements to become citizens if they desire."

Other Catholic bishops signing the letter included: Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, Auxiliary Bishop John R. Manz of Chicago; Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washington; Bishop Anthony B. Taylor of Little Rock, Ark.; Bishop Kevin W. Vann of Orange, Calif., Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn, N.Y.; Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami; Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City; and Auxiliary Bishop Luis R. Zarama of Atlanta.

More here:

Catholics, evangelicals team up in pressing for immigration reform