Immigration Legislation News
Women at the Helm: The Unfinished Business of Northern Ireland's Good Friday Agreement
One of the rewards of covering the work of Catholic sisters is having the chance to step back occasionally and reflect on both the progress women have made worldwide and the ongoing challenges they face.
Read more of Georgetown event lauds women's role in peace, but the world can do better for them from the Global Sisters Report.
No More Delay: Positive Immigration Reform Needed
As Catholics, we are committed to upholding the God-given dignity of every person. It is contrary to Catholic teaching to have a “double society,” one “visible” with rights and one “invisible” without rights, unable to fully integrate. This is especially true when so many have committed themselves to the wellbeing of others and are simultaneously excluded from programs and denied rights afforded to citizens, as we’ve seen throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This is to say nothing of the billions of dollars in federal, state, and local taxes paid by undocumented immigrants or the large economic impact they have on our communities.
American Catholics have been working toward immigration reform for decades, and it's long overdue.
White House Releases Blueprint for Immigration
On July 27, 2021, the Biden Administration released its 21-point "Blueprint for a Fair, Orderly and Humane Immigration System". The blueprint, while providing limited details, discusses four main areas: border management; processing of asylum seekers; international cooperation; and root causes. The plan also emphasizes the need for Congress to act on immigration reform. This blueprint is complimented by the Administration's Strategy to Address the Root Causes of Migration in Central America and its Collaborative Migration Management Strategy, released on July 29, which were created as a result of Executive Order 14010 (February 2, 2021).
JUSTICE FOR IMMIGRANTS Transition Resource documents for 2021
CITIZENSHIP
Learn More About the U.S. Citizenship Act. Read a two-page backgrounder on the bill.
The Creation of ‘Huddled Masses’- the Undocumented in America.
Fr. Alan Hilliard, Director of the Irish Bishop’s Commission for Emigrants reflects on the current situation of the Undocumented in the United States. Polices and legislation that are short sighted create long term problems that demand remedial action; sometimes when it is too late. In this context we discover that the undocumented are not entirely to blame for their plight. Fr. Hilliard addressed the Rally for the parents, families and friends of the undocumented that was held last Saturday in Jury’s Hotel, Ballsbridge that was organised by the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform USA.
The day that John F. Kennedy was buried is recalled by his niece Kathleen Kennedy Townsend in her recent book Failing America’s Faithful. She remembers her own father, Bobby taking time with her after the burial. Following their conversation he wrote her a note.
‘Dear Kathleen, You seemed to understand that Jack died and was buried today. As the oldest of the Kennedy grandchildren – you have a particular responsibility now- a special responsibility to John (her cousin) and Joe (her brother). Be kind to others and work for your country. Love Daddy’
The last line gives an insight into what we might term the American ethic. Kindness to others and working for the nation are the backbone of active citizenship in the United States. It is my belief that for the large part, the millions of Irish who made the United States their home made this ethic their own. This includes the undocumented Irish They are kind to others and have worked hard for America. We believe that those who left Ireland when there was little work in the eighties and early nineties are now facing their last chance to get what they deserve – a pathway to citizenship. Failure to secure a bill in the Senate over the next number of weeks will amount to a major set back. People’s lives will be devastated and cut short. The fact that our Irish people have contributed to the well being of the great nation of America, which they love, seems to count for very little at present. If the land of dreams fails to live up to its legislative responsibility the dreams of many good living, God-fearing people will be stolen. Many who do not really understand the issues say things like, ‘why can’t they come home to Ireland, we are a wealthy nation now’. As one parent at the ILIR rally in Jury’s Hotel last Saturday said, ‘America is their home’.
There are many lessons to be learned for Ireland as we face an influx of immigrants by examining how this situation came about in the US. In today’s world a nation can no longer afford to ignore the reality of migration. It is identified by the UN as one of the greatest challenges of this century. Immigration is not the sole result of the dreams of people in far off lands but comes about as a result of well-organised designs of people in the receiving countries. These designs are the policies that have facilitated and promoted an influx of willing, cheap and hard working labour into the United States. Unfortunately, the more important agenda of Homeland Security in the United States has scrutinised many of their policies and practises that have developed over the years and have found them wanting.
The undocumented should not be the ones to take the fallout from the failings in policy. Commentators note that when the last round of immigration reform was formulated in 1986 known as the Immigration and Reform Act (IRCA) US employer’s organisations succeeded in preventing the employer sanctions provision of the law from including a check for fraudulent documentation. To ‘knowingly hire’ an illegal worker was the crime. However, the employer was not bound to check the authenticity of the documents. This loophole was one of the factors that facilitated the growth of the undocumented population, and not entirely the fault of the immigrant.
Looking to the next few weeks it is important to note that alongside these failings in policy there are a myriad of complex relations that encourage immigration which need to be understood and attended to if a successful outcome is to be achieved. Closing borders without consideration of historical ties and the network of relationships called family will be shortsighted and destined for difficulty.
The term factor of production is an economic one. This term glosses over the full reality of the fact that this ‘factor of production’ is a human being that contributes to the production of goods and services in society. If we focus only on the economic entity and overlook the full human context of this valuable resource we will fail to meet the demands that migration puts before our world. This makes the road ahead more complex however a simplistic approach will not give us a secure future. The recent Church document Erga Migrantes Caritas Christi highlights the humanity and the vulnerability of the migrant. The opening sentence of the document articulates the challenge in the following way ‘The Love of Christ toward migrants urges us to look afresh at their problems, which are to be met with today all over the world’(Para 1)
I believe that the present impasse in the United States is due to the narrow approach of the legislature that does not fully take account of the human being who is a migrant. You cannot pick and choose. You cannot legislate solely for the portion of the human being that provides labour. The bill proposed by Kennedy McCain has made an honest attempt to identify the complexity of the issue at hand. This does not surprise me, as Senator Ted Kennedy never moves far from his own family’s experience of migration when he prepares his proposals for genuine and lasting reform. We pray God’s blessing on his current negotiations. If migration policy is constructed solely for a unit of labour it is bound for frustration and failure. The Holy Father explains that if migration policy is to succeed it has to be at the service of human mobility. The scapegoating and punishing the undocumented population will create a short-lived sense of security. Wholesome and humane reform that addresses the broader issues is the only way forward for a country that wants to focus on responsible citizenship and economic progress.
Disclaimer: The information and data published on the website is strictly for informational purposes. Please note that the information contained on this website is provided to inform generally, and is not intended to serve as legal advice or a legal opinion upon which you are entitled to rely. Immigration law is subject to frequent change and individual circumstances can affect the application of certain legal provisions. For individual legal advice, please consult with an immigration attorney or seek advice from one of our Irish Immigration Pastoral Centers found on this website.