Immigration

White House to Begin Push on Immigration Overhaul in 2010

The Obama administration will insist on measures to give legal status to an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants as it pushes early next year for legislation to overhaul the immigration system, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced in early November.

The Catholic Church’s teaching on migration is based on the commitment to promote and defend human dignity with particular attention to the most vulnerable. These principles include:

• People have the right to find opportunities within their own homeland: they have the “right not to migrate.”
• People have the right to migrate to support themselves and their families where conditions do not exist to meet their basic needs. 
• Sovereign nations have the right to control their borders.
• The human dignity and human rights of all migrants should be respected as part of enforcement and border control practices.

The JPIC Office will monitor legislation and information about this important issue and will alert you to any legislation and advocacy action you can take.