California interfaith leaders urge suspension of immigration raids

Published: 2007-04-04

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (CNS) -- From the steps of one of California's first missions, northern California faith leaders called for the suspension of sweeps for undocumented immigrants by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency pending comprehensive reform of immigration laws. "I don't think the way they enforced the law is right, or just, or moral, or tolerable, especially for children," said San Francisco Auxiliary Bishop Ignatius Wang, who was born in Beijing. "We all are immigrants some way or another, and why should we treat other immigrants as aliens?" he added. "If the government wants to secure the borders, it is right. But if they treat human beings inhumanly, it's not right." George Wesolek, director of the San Francisco Archdiocese's Office of Public Policy and Social Concerns, said the raids have created a climate of fear in many neighborhoods. "The immigrant community which works next to us, lives next to us, goes to church with us, and sends their children to our schools are in terror, and they're living in pain," he said. "Our immigration system is broken and we need comprehensive immigration reform at the national level now."

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