Archbishop Timothy Dolan: Immigration Reform. Here We Go Again

4/28/2010
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

'And, here we go again! Arizona is so scared, apparently, and so convinced that the #1 threat to society today is the immigrant that it has passed a mean-spirited bill of doubtful constitutionality that has as its intention the expulsion of the immigrant.What history teaches us, of course, is that not only are such narrow-minded moves unfair and usually unconstitutional, but they are counterproductive and harmful'.

'Because the anti-immigrant strain in our American heritage, however strong, is not dominant. Thank God, there's another sentiment in our national soul, and that's one of welcome and embrace to the immigrant.'

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NEW YORK, NY (Catholic Online) - Readers of Catholic Online know that we are great admirers of the Archbishop of New York, Archbishop Timothy Dolan. We have written often about his gifts, his pastoral heart, his courageous defense of children in the womb and his huge heart for the all of the poor.

The Archbishop is also unafraid to address a controversial issue, especially when he knows that it concerns our obligation to show a love of preference for the poor in all of their manifestations. So, he has waded into the controversy concerning the newly passed legislation in the State of Arizona concerning illegal immigration. Rather them excerpt from his well written piece, we present it in full below. It is found on his ever insightful blog entitled "The Gospel in the Digital Age".

*****
Immigration Reform: Here we go again!

Anyone who does not believe that "history repeats itself" has only to take a look at the unfortunate new law in Arizona.

Throughout American history, whenever there is tension and turmoil in society - economic distress, political rifts, war, distrust and confusion in culture - the immigrant unfailingly becomes the scapegoat.

It's a supreme paradox in our American culture - where every person unless a Native American, is a descendent of immigrants - that we seem to harbor an ingrained fear of "the other," which, in our history, is usually the foreigner (immigrant), the Jew, the Catholic, or the black. (cf. Religious Outsiders, by R. L. Moore, or Immigrants and Exiles, by K. Miller).

So we can chart periodic spasms of "anti-immigrant" fever in our nation's history: the Nativists of the 1840's, who led mobs to torch Irish homes and Catholic churches; the Know-Nothings of the 1850's who wanted to deny the vote to everyone except white, Protestant, native-born, "pure" Americans; the American Protective Association of the 1880's and 1890's who were scared of the arrival of immigrants from Italy, Poland, and Germany; the Ku Klux Klan of the 1920's who spewed hate against blacks, Jews, Catholics, and "forn-ers"; the "eugenics movement" of the 1920's and 1930's who worried that racial purity was being compromised by the immigrant and non-Anglo Saxon blood lines; and the Protestants and Other Americans United of the 1950's who were apprehensive about Catholic immigrants and their grandkids upsetting the religious and cultural concord of America.

And, here we go again! Arizona is so scared, apparently, and so convinced that the #1 threat to society today is the immigrant that it has passed a mean-spirited bill of doubtful constitutionality that has as its intention the expulsion of the immigrant.

What history teaches us, of course, is that not only are such narrow-minded moves unfair and usually unconstitutional, but they are counterproductive and harmful.

Because the anti-immigrant strain in our American heritage, however strong, is not dominant. Thank God, there's another sentiment in our national soul, and that's one of welcome and embrace to the immigrant.

That's the ethos we New Yorkers are most at home with, as we look out at the Statue of Liberty, whose torch of welcome has caused tears of joy in the eyes of millions of our grandparents as they arrive exhausted and nearly desperate, and as we today live next door to Latino, Haitian, Asian and mid-eastern neighbors.

That's the ethos most especially a part of the Catholic - the word means everybody - culture, which has been a spiritual mother to immigrants to America, who were and are mostly Catholic, who have found a home in parishes and schools which helped get them moved-in and settled in America.

From even a purely business point of view, a warm welcome to immigrants is known to be good for the economy and beneficial for a society.

To welcome the immigrant, to work hard for their legalization and citizenship, to help them feel at home, to treat them as neighbors and allies in the greatest project of human rights and ethnic and religious harmony in history - the United States of America - flows from the bright, noble side of our American character.

To blame them, stalk them, outlaw them, harass them, and consider them outsiders is unbiblical, inhumane, and un-American.

Yes, every society has the duty to protect its borders and thoughtfully monitor its population. The call is to do this justly, sanely, and civilly.

My brother bishops in Arizona worry this is not the case there. They have been joined by Cardinal Roger Mahony, Jewish, other Christians, and various civic and human rights groups.

I'm on their side.

I want history to repeat itself - but the "Statue of Liberty side," not the Nativist side.

Archbishop Timothy Dolan

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

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1 - 10 of 117 Comments

jcrowl
2 years ago
As a recovering atheist who wanted to return to the church after 35 years it's crap like this that makes me want to become a conservative evangelical Protestant. But hey Cardinal Dolan if the Church wants to fill its pews with half literate superstitious Mexicans worshiping idols, maybe its time for people like me whose ancestors came from Ireland 175 years ago finally convert to the real Christianity that made America great,
Miriam
3 years ago
Not to belittle or undermine the Bishop, but is anyone else tired of hearing northerners try to explain away southern problems? I live in Texas, but I have visited up north and I have seen that they cannot understand the problems illegals cause down here. I have heard that the north has some problems with Canada's border so I know that many feel that they do understand but trully they do not. We cannot speak out against this problem without someone calling us racist rednecks or such. We are not racist. We are not unempathetic. We are not looking out only for ourselves. We are speaking out about a law being broken. This new state law cannot be unconstitutional because it is a reiteration of the federal law with a new emphasis that laws cannot be passed to hinder the work of finding and deporting illegals. That is all. My suggestion to our U.S. bishops is instead of trying to change America, which is already prosperous, why not raise money and become more involved in changing Mexico. It is not the U.S.' fault for lives of Mexicans, but the Mexican government's. It is their duty to look after their citizens and they have failed and continue to fail as they continue to allow crime to rule in their country; and we pay the consequences. Because of their inability to control their criminals, we have drug wars, we have kidnappers, murderers, and rapists. Of course, we also have the people looking to make a better life but still at the cost of our own citizens. We call them the less fortunate but they choose to put their needs before others. They drain our government (meaning us as taxpayers) of billions of dollars a year to give free education to illegals. This is in education alone! It does not even include costs in welfare, medical, loans, housing, the debt they accumulate, and prison expenses. I am not trying to say we cannot help them or refuse to accept them, but why can we not focus on the poverty in our own country first and then look to spread our prosperity with our neighbors?
Pam Haines
3 years ago
We look to our Bishops to lead. But ,oh, how I wish and pray we Catholics at least, all of us, could get the facts straight and then support and uphold just law. We need just laws that take the safety and security of all those in our country into account. Isn't this one of the primary purposes of government?
Tess Avila
3 years ago
Living in Tucson and staunchly Catholic, having many Latino God-parents, neighbors, co-workers and friends, I read and wonder where the principle of justice is considered in this article. We have Filipino friends whose family members have been waiting decades to enter America, and in the meantime one relative was kidnapped by jihadists in Manilla during the long wait. Government here and in Mexico is too busy to address border bandits; bandaids don't repair a bursting dike. Justice and mercy can coexist in this world with God's grace. The new law is worded precisely as an older California law with the exception that when one is stopped for suspicious and criminal acts, one's ID is required. Last time I checked, it's still illegal to drive without a license. A cop stops someone on the road usually not aware of color or language one speaks until he or she comes into close contact, so the claim that this law is "anti-immigrant" is not legitimate and false, with all due respect, Archbishop. This law spells out, once again, the law and order that already exists, for the protection of ALL citizens. The protections our country and state provide compared to my immigrant relatives' experience (if you had a disease, you were quarantined or sent back on the boat, untreated...) The free education available to ALL students today, with the average $7000 per year given for public highschool education thanks to citizens' taxes is a privilege. I'll spare the details to avoid racial profiling for stating the facts.
DeanP
3 years ago
For everyone who thinks that this law will somehow stop good, lawful people from cooperating with the police, you're wrong! If people fear retaliation from illegal-immigrants and other criminals because of this law, this just proves the law is the right action to rid AZ of them. And for Azul: if carrying a passport or green card is too difficult for you, you need to get over it. We all have to show law enforcement officials our ID when asked. Complaining that profiling might happen because of what this law enabled - legal enforcement of a federal law - is not a valid argument. Profiling happens because of bad/untrained police officers choose to break the law themselves. Finally, the AZ law is working already -- illegals are fleeing the state for other sanctuary states. Congratulations AZ!! I hope all other border/problem states follow suit...
DeanP
3 years ago
If AZ's law is unconstitutional then the Fed law that it enables it's police to enforce is also unconstitutional. Just one question: why does everyone refer to people who enter this country outside the bounds of the valid, fed-govt sanctioned process, "ILLEGAL"???
DN
3 years ago
We love archbishop Dolan, keep feeding us, your sheep.
The archbishop is doing what Jesus will do, love one another as I love you. Are real catholic those who promote hate or racism against another human being?
Jn 15: 9-17
I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
...You are my friends if you do what I command you.
...This I command you: love one another.�
Byzcat
3 years ago
A nation has an obligation to protect its citizens from external threats. It has a duty to ensure that the people who enter the nation understand and abide by the just laws of that nation. Charity must be tempered by prudence. It is unfortunate that good bishops like Archbishop Dolan, in an excess of charity for others, myopically persists in seeing only one side of the issue. What he doesn't see is the exploitation of these peoples who often work for cash at dangerous jobs, or who are criminals who prey on our own citizens. Illegal immigration is bankrupting our country and preventing us from caring for our own families. A rational and humane immigration policy must begin with protecting the citizens of our own country from mass immigration that is overwhelming the services for our own people.
Why does the good Archbishop support illegal immigration? Because the American Catholic Bishops need new members to replace the Catholics that have left the fold in the last 40 years? Because Americhurch hasn't evangelized the culture?
Let's take a deep breath and suggest some ways to solve the immigration problem.
1. Establish a guest worker program that does not lead to permanent residency until 15 years of continuous residency without criminal activity
2. Penalize each employer who employs anyone who is not a legal resident or registered in the guest worker program with mandatory 5 year prison terms.
3. When an illegal immigrant uses public services, bill the country from which the immigrant comes for the goods and services supplied to them.
4. Immediately deport anyone who is not registered in the guest worker program or is not a legal resident or valid visa holder immediately and bill their country for the cost of processing and deportation.
This approach is both humanitarian and fair to both our citizens and those who wish to work. By regulating the number of guest workers, we can ensure that our own people (including teenagers who often cannot find work because an illegal immigrant is doing the work that they would have done) will have employment available to the, and that the guest workers in our country would be trated equitably and with dignity.
Mary A
3 years ago
Here's a scenario: What if unemployed people of the U.S. decided to sneak into Vatican City to find work. They are good people who are only trying to support their families and who are willing to do work that Vatican City residents "just won't do." Would the Pope allow them to stay and grant them amnesty? If the Swiss Guard asked the illegal immigrants for identification, would the guard be accused of racial profiling because the illegal immigrants all spoke with American English accents? If the guard attempted to enforced the laws of Vatican City, would the illegal immigrants get away with protesting and demanding their "rights"? I am certain the Pope would allow the Swiss Guard to humanely carry out their duties in enforcing laws that protect the citizens and legal guests of Vatican City. The Pope would reach out to these people in their own country, but could not allow every needy person to immigrate to Vatican City. And he certainly wouldn't tolerate those who break the law by sneaking in to the country. The Arizona laws are there to allow law enforcement to do their jobs, humanely of course, to protect its citizens and legal immigrants. I am sure most immigrants to the U.S. love their home countries and would prefer to stay there if only living and working conditions improved. We (the Church and our charities) need to reach out to others in their own country so that other countries can be as great as the U.S.A.
Linda
3 years ago
Dolan is so wrong on this; the people who come here illegally are stealing from everyone including those waiting to come in legally. Where is the justice in that? Why should we tolerate people invading us? We have every right to enforce our own laws.

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