Church official calls current immigration reform debate inflammatory

Published: 2007-09-28

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The current tone in the immigration reform debate has "inflamed fears and misunderstanding among some portions of the American public, leading to a polarized and vitriolic atmosphere," said a U.S. church official. Bishop Gerald R. Barnes of San Bernardino, Calif., chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Migration, noted that while "voices of division and fear are loud" the "truth about immigration and migrants in this country ultimately will prevail." The bishop, in a Sept. 27 statement issued in Washington, said migrant workers, including the undocumented, make important contributions to the nation's economy through their work in agriculture, construction and service industries. He faulted the United Stated for refusing "to acknowledge these contributions" and relegating migrants to "a permanent underclass of workers, without full rights." The failure of the U.S. Senate to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation this summer has set back, but not ended, attempts to repair the immigration system, according to the bishop.

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