Sisters of the Good Shepherd and Immigration

Yesterday President Bush signed the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (S. 2739) into law, and the Sisters of the Good Shepherd are delighted.

WASHINGTON, DC (National Advocay Center) - Response of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd to the President Signing S. 2739 into Law

Yesterday President Bush signed the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (S. 2739) into law, and the Sisters of the Good Shepherd are delighted.

Since 1999, several Sisters of the Good Shepherd have been working in a shelter for women on the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, a commonwealth of the United States. The shelter is run by Karidat, the local Catholic social services agency.

The Sisters noticed the growing need for assistance to women who are fleeing human trafficking- the tragedy of modern day slavery. These women struggle desperately to survive their ordeal of being held captive and exploited, and the Sisters gather resources to serve them once they are able to reach safety.

A large part of the struggle these women face is immigration. The women have no safe place to begin a new life due to the difficulties in the immigration system in the CNMI.

In February of 2007, Sr. Mary Stella Mangona travelled to Washington, D.C. from Saipan with a survivor of trafficking to testify before Congress. They testified about the dismal situation of workers in the CNMI.

The National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd has been advocating for the passage of the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 which includes a piece of legislation to reform immigration in the CNMI.

The Sisters of the Good Shepherd feel that that this law, signed yesterday by the President, will have a positive effect on the lives of the women living in the CNMI and will help prevent future instances of human trafficking.

The Sisters of the Good Shepherd are a Roman Catholic order of women religious founded by St. Mary Euphrasia with the mission to promote the dignity of women and girls as well as the individual worth of every person. The Sisters are in 70 countries throughout the world, including the US.

The National Advocacy Center (NAC) is the branch of Good Shepherd People operating in Washington, D.C. to educate about social justice issues and to advocate for the transformation of society to the benefit of all people.

Sr. Carol McClenon is the Interim National Coordinator of NAC and worked for 4 years in the CNMI. For more information see the NAC website at www.gsadvocacy.org

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