Voice of the Poor Committee

Immigration Policy and Reform

The Voice of the Poor Committee bases its work on teachings of the Catholic Church and writings of the US Catholic Bishops. Links to representative writings are below.

Immigration:

What the Church Teaches About Immigration Policy
The Church and Immigration
US Catholic Bishops Immigration Reform Principles
Immigration in Massachusetts

Refugee Children:
US/Mexico Border Crossing

Click for two Catholic perspectives on this refugee crisis:

Reflections from a Voice of the Poor Coordinator
(Giulio Grecchi, Tucson, Arizona, July 2014)

El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz testimony
(U.S. House Judiciary Committee, June 2014)

The Voice of the Poor Committee encourages support for passage of comprehensive Federal immigration reform legislation by the U.S. House of Representatives. The U.S. Senate has already passed such legislation.

In support of comprehensive immigration reform, Cardinal Sean O'Malley of the Archdiocese of Boston has distributed an Immigration Policy Letter.
The U.S. Conference of Bishops also supports comprehensive immigration reform in its Position on Immigration Reform Statement.
The NEWTORK National Catholic Social Justice Lobby has provided an Immigration Reform Fact Sheet to assist discernment regarding our nation's immigration policies.

The Bishops' Website on Immigration Reform suggests the following text for a message to the U.S. House Representatives, but feel free to put the message in your own words. This website also offers other valuable resources about immigration reform in the context of Catholic Social Teaching.

________________________________________

I agree with the U.S. Catholic bishops that now is the time to pass just and compassionate immigration reform.

I ask that you support immigration reform that:

Provides a path to citizenship for undocumented persons in the country;

Preserves family unity as a corner-stone of our national immigration system;

Provides legal paths for low-skilled immigrant workers to come and work in the United States;

Restores due process protections to our immigration enforcement policies;

Addresses the root causes (push factors) of migration, such as persecution and economic disparity.

I look forward to monitoring your public position on this vital issue to our nation. Our nation can no longer wait.
________________________________________

Contact the Attleboro District Voice of the Poor Committee

You are invited to email the Committee regarding your Social Justice concerns, and let us know if you'd like to be included on our informational email distribution list. Write us at the Social Justice Committee email address: VOP@SVdPAttleboro.org