Suggested Readings:

• Strangers No Longer: Together on A Journey of Hope, by the U.S. and Mexican Catholic Conferences of Bishops
• Mexican Immigration in the Midwest: Meanings and Implications, (part of "The Heartland Papers), Rob Paral
• The Devil's Highway: A True Story, by Luis Alberto Urrea (Back Bay Books / Little, Brown and Co., New York, NY: 2004)
• Enrique's Journey: The Story of a Boy's Dangerous Odyssey to Reunite with His Mother, by Sonia Nazario (Random House, New York, NY: 2006)
  
• Immigration and the U.S. Economy - some facts and figures
  

Websites:
Justice For Immigrants
PAX Christi
Catholic Relief Services
National Immigrant Justice Center
NETWORK - a National Catholic Social Justice Lobby

Immigrants' effect on Economy

Panel to consider immigrants' effect on economy

Panel to examine debate's effect on jobs, as Obama treads lightly on issue

By Antonio Olivo
Chicago Tribune Reporter
June 8, 2009

With the national unemployment rate at a 25-year high, an almost unavoidable set of questions has become a focus of both sides in the nation's Immigration debate as the Obama administration plans to convene a bipartisan summit on the issue Monday.

Are the estimated 11.6 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. taking jobs from Americans? And how would providing them with lawful status help or hurt the nation's struggling economy?

A stream of commissioned reports and opinion essays has emerged in recent weeks, part of a strategy by immigrant advocates to win over an American public painfully aware of the thousands of jobs lost every week. It is a concern that the Obama administration has noted as it treads lightly around the issue.

"When unemployment is up, anything that looks like you're taking jobs away from people who are lawfully here ... is going to meet a lot of resistance," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano recently told reporters.

Pro-immigrant advocates say that is a perception they would like to counter. Among their recent arguments is that the Midwest needs undocumented workers to gain legal status in order to stabilize the region's economy. They also argue that a widening national workforce gap left by retiring Baby Boomers needs replenishing through legalization and new immigrants.

The other side in the debate, in favor of tougher Immigration enforcement, has noted the burden on government programs by low-income immigrants and argues for gearing legal entry toward skilled workers.

Rob Paral, a Chicago-based Immigration analyst, argues that some reforms should be tailored to the explosion of Mexican Immigration in the Midwest.

A report by Paral for The Chicago Council on Global Affairs found that the region's Mexican immigrant population grew from 205,000 in 1980, mostly in Illinois, to nearly 1.2 million spread through eight states in 2006.

Nearly two-thirds of the estimated 373,000 Mexicans who've arrived since 2000 were illegal, drawn by the low-skilled meatpacking, restaurant and retail jobs that have been transforming the Midwest economy, the report found.

Paral argues that their illegal status -- often in rural communities ill-equipped to absorb them -- has prompted a widening income gap that keeps low-paid immigrants living in ethnic enclaves with no English and little chance for advancement.

"In that situation, the best you can do is unshackle the workers as much as possible [by giving them legal status] and let them freely move within the labor market and integrate them into your communities," Paral said.

Addressing arguments that U.S.-born workers are losing jobs to immigrants, Paral also has produced recent studies for pro-legalization groups showing unemployment in areas with large immigrant communities is no higher than in those with few immigrants.

Yet, those low-skilled workers are nonetheless a drain on public services, countered Jena Baker McNeill, a policy analyst with the conservative Heritage Foundation.

In recent opinion essays, she cited a 2007 foundation report that measured the household income of low-skilled immigrants against the costs of Medicare and other government services to conclude that population is, on average, more of a tax burden than a benefit.

Legalization would make more immigrants eligible for government services without guaranteeing they'd earn and contribute more, McNeill argued.

"It's not that we're saying that immigrants don't provide any economic benefit," she said in an interview. "But that's outweighed if we legalize folks."

The Heritage Foundation wants legal Immigration to be geared toward high-skilled workers.

In a congressional hearing last month, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan argued on behalf of granting legal status to both low- and high-skilled workers, saying such reforms are "badly needed."

The assessment stems largely from increasing concerns over a widening workforce gap left by retiring Baby Boomers.

A report by the Washington-based Reform Institute, a public policy think tank, warns the country is heading toward "an entitlement crisis," as fewer workers pay into Social Security, Medicare and other programs while more retiring Baby Boomers seek aid from them.

"Taking all occupations together, the nation faces replacement needs of approximately 3.3 million workers each year from 2006 to 2016," the report states, calling new immigrants the most likely source to draw from.

On paper, such points may seem compelling.

But, once a new blueprint for Immigration reforms emerges, both sides will be trying to deliver their economic message in easily digestible bites.

Last week, a summit in Washington of immigrant advocates from throughout the country sought partly to hone that message.

"We understand that people are hurting and that we're asking for Immigration reform in a difficult economic situation," said Joshua Hoyt, executive director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

"We have to clearly explain why having 12 million workers who can be exploited and who are often in a cash economy is not good for all of us."

Statement of Central American, Mexican, Canadian and U.S. Catholic Bishops on Regional Migration
Tecún Umán, Guatemala
June 4, 2009

We bishops of Central America, Mexico, Canada, and the United States, called to be pastors in the image of our Lord Jesus, gathered in Tecún Umán, Diocese of San Marcos on the border of Mexico and Guatemala, with our brother priests, religious, and lay faithful providing pastoral care to migrants, share our growing concerns about the migration phenomenon and wish to find ways to jointly advocate for laws that respect and protect the human rights of migrants.
This meeting is a continuation of previous conversations held in Mexico and the United States. In this dialogue, we have focused our attention on the thousands and thousands of migrants seeking a better future for their families due to poverty and lack of opportunities in their own countries. We have used the term “migrant” in a broader sense to include refugees, displaced and temporary workers.
In this meeting, we are inspired by Jesus’ teaching in the parable of the Good Samaritan, who asks us to demonstrate the love of God by loving the neighbor that suffers.
We are at a pivotal moment in the history of migration in this hemisphere. A new Administration in the United States has announced its intention to reform U.S. immigration law and to work with Mexican and Central American nations to address economic inequities that lead to migration.
The global economic crisis has impacted all nations and must be considered in seeking solutions to problems of illegal immigration. An examination of global economic agreements and their impact on migration flows also must be included.
There is no time to waste. Migrants each day are faced with a dangerous journey and suffer at the hands of smugglers, human traffickers, and drug cartels. They continue to suffer abuse and even death as they seek to find work to support their families.
Special attention should be paid to organized crime syndicates which operate along our borders and within our countries, particularly drug-running operations. These cartels not only threaten migrants, their violence has inhabited towns and communities. Human trafficking networks prey upon vulnerable women, men and children; and is a horrific crime that must be abolished.
The human rights violations of migrants have grown considerably, concentrating in specific areas without the action or intervention of civil authorities.
We are particularly concerned with the impact of migration on the family unit - too often families are separated in our hemisphere. Children all too often bear the brunt of this family separation by being left alone or by being forced to work to support a family who has lost a father or mother. We have verified the vulnerability of many unaccompanied children.
We acknowledge that in our own countries, public awareness about the migration phenomenon - specifically the evil of human trafficking - is lacking. Even more, migrants are considered to be the cause of all kinds of social ills.
The Church recognizes that all the goods of the earth belong to all people. When persons cannot find employment in their country of origin to support themselves and their families, they have a right to find work elsewhere in order to survive. While sovereign governments have the right to enforce borders, we are a Church without borders rooted in Jesus Christ with a universal good that implies a responsibility to advocate in our countries for the basic protection of human rights and dignity of migrants and the creation of humane policies based on moral and ethical principles.
We are saddened when in our own communities migrants are not welcomed as brothers and sisters in our own faith as a member of our Catholic family. We must insist that in the Church, “no one is a stranger”.
Migrant World Day has been celebrated for many years. Unfortunately, we have determined that in many dioceses, parishes and communities it doesn’t receive the recognition it deserves and it does not recognize the gifts migrants bring with them to receiving communities.
As we reflect, we are filled with hope, affliction, and frustration. At the same time, we believe God is the Almighty and we should not be desperate nor give in.
For all these reasons:
1.
We urge U.S., Mexican, Central American and Canadian leaders to find consensus on regional cooperation on migration and development issues, including an assessment of and solution for the root causes of migration.
2.
We call for a regional summit of these leaders to discuss these important issues and plan cooperative action.
3.
We urge our brother bishops, priests, religious and lay leaders to receive with respect and acceptance our brother and sister migrants on their journey across Central America, the United States and Canada. It is of utmost importance they feel welcome in their communities of origin as well as their receiving communities and to have pastoral accompaniment along their journey.
4.
We also call for a re-examination of refugee and asylum protection policies within our hemisphere. Women, children, and families at times flee political or other forms of persecution, but are not given adequate protection in other countries.
5.
We are eternally grateful in the name of our Lord, to those who with sacrifice, love and dedication receive and serve migrants in their communities, migrant shelters, and in their families even at the expense of risking their lives. In doing so, they demonstrate their faith and strengthen the pastoral care of migrants.
6.
In closing, we would like to recognize Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People. His presence brought the solidarity, communion and blessing from St. Peter’s successor, Pope Benedict XVI.
In April of 2009, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, in his apostolic visit to the United States, called for a regional solution to the challenge of migration and an effort to address economic inequalities in our hemisphere. We echo the words of His Holiness and commit ourselves to work with our governments to achieve these goals “to share their joys and hopes, to support them in their sorrows and trials, and to help them flourish in their new home.”
Mary, Mother of God, intercede always for us.

Panel Discussion from 5/27 formation gathering

The following are notes from our first immersion pilgrimage formation gathering on May 27, 2009. The four individuals listed spoke from their professional and personal experience working with immigrants and immigrant communities here in Chicago and on a national level.

Oscar Chacon – Executive Director of the National Alliance of Latin American and Carribean Communities (NALACC)

“Immigration issue” includes enormously complex situations and issues

Immigration policies (rules about entering/residing in this country) and immigrant treatment (the way we treat people once they are here) are two separate issues

Rule of Law & Application of Law

In 1996, there was a fundamental change in immigration policy and since this time, many have vigorously insisted on being more harsh and intense in the enforcement of the existing laws.

So while the economic, political, and social climates of different countries and regions of the world have changed over these past 13 years, the number of VISAs allowed for certain countries have remained the same. Additionally, since 2001, enforcement of immigration policies have been considered part of our national security rather than simply our international policies and relationships with other countries.

Joyana Jacoby – formerly with the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Archdiocese of Chicago

An outcome of the Catholic Bishops commitment to work for legislative reform of the U.S. policies on immigration and how undocumented immigrant/migrants are treated, CCIR’s mission is two-fold:

advocacy: working to create and gain support for comprehensive and compassionate immigration reform

education: creating transformative moments and learning opportunities for both immigrant and non-immigrant communities, drawing all together to discover the demands our Christian identity holds on us regarding these issues.

‘it is a slow and difficult journey working to overcome and break down the fear that divides and polarizes the U.S. and even the U.S. Catholic community. The CCIR (connected to the larger movement of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development) will continue to work for the transformation of laws, policies and the hearts of people until these changes come about and human dignity is upheld as the most important and primary concern.

Stephanie Garza – community organizer with the Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP)

Stephanie gave witness to the increase in raids on workplaces, homes, and neighborhoods, as well as increases in numbers of detentions and deportations among residents of the southwest side of Chicago.

Also an increase in the difficulty in changing/’fixing’ citizenship status, as family relationships (including marriage) to citizens are no longer necessarily sufficient to change an individual’s own status

SWOP and other community organizers work for advocacy to support those who have experienced the loss of a loved one due to a raid and deportation. They work with families who are forced to make decisions about what to do with citizen children who are left behind or families who are divided as one parent is deported and another lives in fear of the same fate while raising children who are citizens.

Stephanie spoke of the drastic increase sense of terror in immigrant communities and the way this fear permeates the everyday lives of immigrants and non-immigrants alike.

Chris West – works for Catholic Relief Services and serves as the Director of Field Operations for Justice for Immigrants – the national campaign coming out of the U.S. Bishops Conference

“Immigration is not a ‘problem’ but rather a part of the human condition.’ Since the beginning of humanity, people have been ‘on the move,’ and this point in history happens to be the most drastic period of migration and immigration the world has ever seen.

Chris spoke about the basic principles coming out of Catholic social teaching that speak to issues of migration and immigration:

1. people have the right NOT to migrate – to find and build a dignified life for themselves and their families in their country/region of origin
2. If the conditions necessary to build that dignified life are not present, people have the right to migrate to a place where they can provide this dignified existence.
3. countries have the right to have and protect their sovereign borders – they have the right to monitor the goings and comings of people
4. wealthier countries have the moral obligation to care for the world’s poor and needy when circumstances arise that warrant that action
5. human dignity and rights of immigrants must be respected because first, and foremost, these are Children of God.

U.S. and Mexican Catholic Bishops’

5 policy principles for reform of immigration laws

(from Strangers No Longer, the joint document on immigration)

1. address root causes of migration by looking at political and economic situations in sending countries
2. create a legalization program to give individuals the opportunity to become legal residents and citizens once they are here, and create guest-worker programs for seasonal workers that protect against abuse and threat of family separation
3. reform of family-based immigration system; reduce long waits that separate families
4. reform employment-based immigration system
5. restore due process in immigration system/courts