Catholics United Education Fund

Many Catholics and people of faith are actively working to protect the rights of immigrants. In 1988, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops created CLINIC, the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, in order to help protect the rights immigrants. CLINIC is now one of the largest providers of legal assistance to the immigrant community. They currently operate 290 field offices in in 47 states and 201 Catholic dioceses.

Throughout the Bible there are numerous references on the need to care for the stranger in our midst. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops point out, both the Old and New Testaments tell compelling stories of refugees forced to flee because of oppression. Exodus tells the story of the Chosen People, Israel, who were victims of bitter slavery in Egypt. They were utterly helpless by themselves, but with God's powerful intervention they were able to escape and take refuge in the desert. For forty years they lived as wanderers with no homeland of their own.

According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ office of Migration and Refugees, there are three basic principals in Catholic Social Teaching on the subject of immigration. These three principals are: One: People have the right to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families. Two: A country has the right to regulate its borders and to control immigration. Three: A country must regulate its borders with justice and mercy.

Every year, during his papacy, Blessed Pope John Paul issued a statement on the World Migration Day. Invariably, Pope John Paul called attention to the need to protect the rights of migrants. In 1995, he stated, “In the Church no one is a stranger, and the Church is not foreign to anyone, anywhere. As a sacrament of unity and thus a sign and a binding force for the whole human race, the Church is the place where illegal immigrants are also recognized and accepted as brothers and sisters.

Pope Benedict, following his predecessor John Paul II, has issued an annual statement on the condition of migrants on World Migrants Day. In his latest statement, issued on September 27th 2010, Benedict states:

In 2002, the Catholic Bishops in the United States and in Mexico published a joint pastoral statement on immigration, entitled: Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope. In this letter, the bishops unequivocally state their support for the rights of migrants and call on both countries to create conditions that are more protective of their dignity. The statement was affirmed by the Catholic bishops of both nations and was published in 2003.

Introduction

According to the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, the Catholic Church teaches that forced migration is the product of inequality between nations. In essence, individuals migrate in order to create better lives for their families. Therefore, as a church, we should protect the dignity of migrants and prevent situations that lead to their abuse.

For more information about this teaching, review sections 297 and 298 of the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church which address the subject of immigration:

Here are a few links to Catholic and secular organizations who promote the rights of immigrants:

Justice for Immigrants
http://www.justiceforimmigrants.org/index.shtml

PICO
http://www.piconetwork.org/issues/immigration

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Office of Migration and Refugee Services
http://www.usccb.org/mrs/index.shtml