Catholics and Immigration

[chriskarma]

The next time you are accosted with the idea that you should “celebrate diversity” please remember that some cultures accept despicable practices, including slavery even today. This well-to-do Saudi couple has been arrested for enslaving and abusing an illegal alien for four years in their Aurora, Colorado, home in their country’s traditional fashion: slavery was not officially abolished in Saudi Arabia until 1962.

  AURORA, Colo. -- A Saudi Arabian couple was in custody Friday, accused of turning a young Indonesian woman into a virtual slave, forcing her to clean, cook and care for their children while she was threatened and sexually assaulted.
      A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted Homaidan Al-Turki, 36, and his wife, Sarah Khonaizan, 35, on charges of forced labor, document servitude and harboring an illegal immigrant.
      Al-Turki also faces state charges including kidnapping, false imprisonment and extortion, as well as 12 charges of sexual assault. His wife faces some of the same charges. The two could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted. 

IHC generally posts stories about illegal aliens who have committed crimes, but also believes that certain cultures have values so anathema to our own that they simply shouldn't be allowed to immigrate here, and Saudi Arabia is near the top of the list. The kingdom practices an extreme form of gender apartheid that, if it were aimed at a race instead of against women, would be condemned as thoroughly as South Africa was in an earlier time. In 2002, Saudi Arabia beheaded three men simply for being gay.
Furthermore, slavery-like conditions continue in the kingdom even now, particularly for immigrant workers, many of whom come from Indonesia and Sri Lanka. The cultural norm is to treat vulnerable foreigners like property, an attitude the Saudi couple apparently brought with them to America.
Add in the Saudi's continuing financial support for Islamic terror worldwide, and we have to wonder why America's welcome mat is still out for Saudi Arabians.

 

[chriskarma]

http://images.news8austin.com/media/2004/1/28/images/01_____Virginia-Garciaf.jpg

Virginia “Jenny” Garcia was an 18-year-old college freshman when she was murdered with a butcher knife in her own house, in her own room, on her own bed allegedly by an illegal alien. The accused murderer, David Diaz Morales, whom the Austin police had earlier held in custody for child molestation, had been released rather than deported because of the city’s sanctuary policy.
Incidentally, Rep. Tom Tancredo tried to end the criminal-protection sanctuary policy in 2003, but Congress was deaf to the concerns of victims’ families and law enforcement generally: the bill received only 104 votes out of 424 cast. So much for the “nation of laws” myth we hear celebrated by politicians when they are campaigning for re-election. When push comes to shove, most choose political correctness — in this case “say no evil” against so-called immigrants — rather than law enforcement.
Humberto Garcia
Jenny’s father, Humberto Garcia, wants to know why the Austin city government protects foreign criminals so they can kill innocent young girls like his late daughter. He appeared on CNN’s must-watch Lou Dobbs Tonight March 16 to speak on behalf of all grieving families who have lost a loved one due to irresponsible government at multiple levels, from the Austin City Council to the White House. The sanctuary policy created by the Austin public officials directly contributed to his daughter’s death, as Mr. Garcia stated:

  This is an abuse of civil rights. Her civil rights were trampled by a fellow who should have been deported. He should have been turned into immigration once he was found with illegal documentation, and he was not. (Dobbs transcript here.) 


This case shows how ridiculously hamstrung law enforcement has become when an "immigrant" is involved. An accused child molester was released to commit an even more heinous crime, that of murder, and if the government had done its basic job of keeping the monsters of the world out of our country, Jenny Garcia would be alive today.
Update: On March 22, Bill O'Reilly interviewed Humberto Garcia, where he explained the devastation his family has experienced after the murder and his efforts to sue the city of Austin for the sanctuary policy which directly contributed to Jenny Garcia's death

 

[chriskarma]

Vinessa Hoera was brutally murdered in February 2004 by Faustino Chavez, an illegal alien from Guatemala, when she refused his obnoxious romantic advances. He raped her at knifepoint, strangled her, then slashed her throat five times. It took police two months of searching to find her body where it had been dumped in the woods in Suffolk County, New York. The victim met Chavez in a seafood store in Westhampton Beach where they both worked.
Chavez was court Feb 14, 2005, where he accepted a plea bargain in the February 2004 murder. Vinessa’s distraught family did not want the additional emotional stress of a full trial. Chavez will get his official sentence of 22 years to life in prison on March 15.
Vinessa was a single mom, and her son, now aged six and living with his father, recently asked why his mother had to die so young. When Xavier Thomas Moore is a lot older and understands the corruption of politics, he can ask why our elected leaders have sacrificed innocent citizens like his mom so business could have t

 

[chriskarma]

case of justice denied, the murderer of Phoenix high school student Tanee Natividad merely crossed the border into Mexico to escape law enforcement. A local television station was able to track down the murderer in a bar just a few miles across the border without much effort. Max LaMadrid has no reason to hide because the Mexican government actually helps violent criminals escape American justice. According to Arizona Attorney General Janet Napolitano, action by the Mexican supreme court making it more difficult to extradite criminals has “created an incentive for people to flee into Mexico as a safe harbor.” At one time, Mexico would not extradite criminals who might be subject to the death penalty; the Mexican court recently extended this “protection” to any Mexican who might receive a life sentence, thereby giving a free pass to rapists, kidnappers and child molesters. In fact, the investigating reporter found 100 cases of violent criminals from the Phoenix area escaping into Mexico in just the last few years. Meanwhile, the grieving family of 16-year-old Tanee gets no justice — like thousands of others in the southwest.

Darlene Squires • At the left is shown Darlene Squires, the distraught mother of a disabled teenager, one of two girls who were raped on October 24, 2002, by three members of a Salvadoran street gang located in Somerville, Massachusetts. Aged 17 and 14, both victims are deaf and one has cerebral palsy. Mrs. Squires believed that the attacks were a retaliation against her family because her husband confronted the young men after they had harassed the Squires son. Later reports indicated the men arrested for the crime were illegal aliens.Law enforcement officials were concerned about increased violence from the MS-13 gang which was “believed to have originated in part with soldiers and their families who left El Salvador.” Local residents estimate the gang has more than 100 members in their community. An update a few months after the Squires crime showed that the gang problem in the community has only gotten worse.

 

[meeshy]

Ugh. Such hatred.

Let’s stick to the facts. Murders, rapes, kidnappings, beatings, child molestation, domestic violence, drug trafficking, prostitution, child pornography, assault, robberies, and more, are committed daily in America by American citizens, born and raised here. But do we dramatize this fact and conclude that Americans on the whole are violent and that the nation is generally corrupt and evil?

Let’s stick to the facts. Our U.S. Bishops are advocating that the immigration laws be changed, for the benefit of mankind. Not for the mere benefit of illegal immigrants nor for the mere benefit of the United States.

Let’s stick to the facts. If a priest or bishop tells you that something is the official teaching of the Church, you’d better listen. It’s not opinion; those men are our shepherds.

For those who want dogma from a higher source than our U.S. Bishops, (who, by the way, are in communication with the Pope and cannot form groups which support issues that are not in line with Church teaching) please see Pope John Paul’s letter Ecclesia in America, which can be found here:

Letter

Of special interest in the letter is the section regarding our Bishops and their role in guiding the country toward communion with Christ. To wit: "(117) “It is up to the Bishop, with the help of the priests, deacons, religious and lay people to implement a coordinated pastoral plan, which is systematic and participatory, involving all the members of the Church and awakening in them a missionary consciousness”.

As for me and my house, we will follow our Bishops. Popular or not, they have expressed that their plan for immigration reform in America is in line with Church teaching, which stems directly from the Gospel.

I’m very sorry that many people still feel that they may disagree with the leaders of the Church.

Thank you, seremina, for your beautiful post. Truly Catholic and full of love, and which raised exactly the points we should be interested in: opening ourselves. Opening ourselves on all levels: our hearts, our homes, our communities, and our country.

Let’s not forget that St. Joseph took Mary and Jesus and fled to Egypt–a foreign land. A great Biblical example of emmigration and immigration. Not only did they leave their home because it was not safe and the government was corrupt, but they also returned to their home when the time was right.

Hmmm… that sounds exactly like what many illegals here are wishing to do.

To Seremina, and anyone else who would like to start a novena regarding immigration reform and the hope that the American government will accept the plan that our Bishops wish to implement, let’s start on Holy Thursday–a day when Christ revealed to us that we must wash the feet of our neighbors, as He did; the greatest must become the least.

Peace,
Meeshy

 

[BlestOne]

Ugh. Such hatred.

Let’s stick to the facts. Murders, rapes, kidnappings, beatings, child molestation, domestic violence, drug trafficking, prostitution, child pornography, assault, robberies, and more, are committed daily in America by American citizens, born and raised here. But do we dramatize this fact and conclude that Americans on the whole are violent and that the nation is generally corrupt and evil?

I think percentage wise you would be wrong here meeshy. Anyway the burden of proof is on you. Show us the numbers please. Please remember that 100% of illegal aliens have broken the law already by being here so we CAN call them all criminals.

Let’s stick to the facts. Our U.S. Bishops are advocating that the immigration laws be changed, for the benefit of mankind. Not for the mere benefit of illegal immigrants nor for the mere benefit of the United States.

Yes meeshy, notice that they are advocating the laws be changed. In your first post you made it sound like they were advocating breaking laws. There is a huge difference between bishops calling for social reform by way of law changes and what you were insinuating.

Let’s stick to the facts. If a priest or bishop tells you that something is the official teaching of the Church, you’d better listen. It’s not opinion; those men are our shepherds.

OK meeshy…let’s stick to facts… yes our bishops are shepherds. But do bishops write official teaching with out Vatican approval? No, they do not! They also may not advocate breaking of laws(that is why they are called illegal aliens, they didn’t come here lawfully), they are supposed to advocate for changes in laws if they feel that they are unfair or undignified. So if a priest or bishop has told you that this is an “official” teaching of the Catholic Church… ask them to show you where it says it. Because I guarantee there may be an official stance that the immigration system needs fixing, but there isn’t one that advocates breaking the law.

For those who want dogma from a higher source than our U.S. Bishops, (who, by the way, are in communication with the Pope and cannot form groups which support issues that are not in line with Church teaching) please see Pope John Paul’s letter Ecclesia in America, which can be found here:

Letter

Of special interest in the letter is the section regarding our Bishops and their role in guiding the country toward communion with Christ. To wit: "(117) “It is up to the Bishop, with the help of the priests, deacons, religious and lay people to implement a coordinated pastoral plan, which is systematic and participatory, involving all the members of the Church and awakening in them a missionary consciousness”.

Read what this says…It says implement a coordinated pastoral plan, not break laws or ignore laws. It means to help them by any legal means possible…i.e. provide food or clothing if they need it, help them figure out how to apply for citizenship, teach ESL classes…but it does not mean break the law! You are interpreting this as carte blanche to allow illegal aliens into this country. There are reasons we have laws like these.

As for me and my house, we will follow our Bishops. Popular or not, they have expressed that their plan for immigration reform in America is in line with Church teaching, which stems directly from the Gospel.

They have not proposed or expressed a plan…they have proposed that the old law is not working and needs to be changed. How dare you try to make law abiding citizens feel bad for acting lawfully! Shame on you for twisting things to they way you want them to be!

I’m very sorry that many people still feel that they may disagree with the leaders of the Church.

Of course they may disagree with what you are trying to say… you aren’t representing the bishops sentiments.

Peace,
Meeshy

 

[meeshy]

Nowhere in any post have I said or insinuated that the bishops advocate breaking laws.

Nowhere in any post have I said or insinuated that I advocate breaking any laws.

Nowhere in any post have I said or insinuated that the bishops advocate pardon or amnesty for illegals, nor have I insinuated that their website advocates amnesty or pardon.

And yes, indeed, the bishops have an immigration reform “plan.” Of course they are not lawmakers, so all they can do is educate the voters and policymakers. But there are specific things they are calling for in any set of laws that are slated to reform the immigration system. There may be many laws presented for review in the future, but if these laws do not mirror the bishops’ guidelines, they are not laws that Catholic voters or policymakers should consider as benefitting immigrants, or our country.

I suggest that everyone read, and read thoroughly, the USCCB website. Their position is plain, and of course is 100% approved by the Vatican. As I mentioned before, the USCCB cannot form any group which supports teachings contrary to Church doctrine.

Here, again, is the link:

justiceforimmigrants.org/

I will continue to defend and promote the USCCB website and the bishops’ position. They have asked for help and support and I will give all the help and support I can give. Every Catholic in America has to decide on their own if they will choose to heed or ignore our shepherds’ plea for justice and dignity for all immigrants.

Regarding the paragraph I wrote about Americans committing crimes: that was plainly not a comparison between our citizens and illegals. It was simply a statement of fact, and that’s fairly obvious to the reader.

American citizens do commit crimes, and they do commit heinous crimes. Nothing new about that. The question, which comes in the last sentence of the paragraph, is: “But do we dramatize this fact and conclude that Americans on the whole are violent and that the nation is generally corrupt and evil?”

The answer, of course, is no. And so, we should not conclude that other nations or their people are corrupt and evil, based on the actions of their criminals.

Food for thought: St. Paul was a murderer. Jesus chose him while he was still a sinner, not after his conversion. We do not have the authority to judge anyone, nor the power to know what a person’s future is or what good they might bring about for the Kingdom of God.

Praying for the bishops, the Church, and our country,
Meeshy

 

[Tantum_ergo]

If a priest or bishop tells you that something is the official teaching of the Church, you’d better listen. It’s not opinion; those men are our shepherds.

I am very sorry, but I do not see the official teaching of our Church has ‘changed’ in substituting for the 7th commandment of “thou shalt not steal”–and illegal immigration is ‘stealing’ --on all counts-- “Thou shalt permit people to flout a law and reward them for doing it as well.”

The letters of the bishops and even the words of John Paul II (God bless that man and make him a saint soon) do not equate to ‘official teaching of the Church’. The Church has not given us the ‘dogma’ of ‘illegal immigration must be supported’, and I do not believe it ever will.

I am not mean spirited and quite frankly I resent the labels of ‘hatred’ tossed in my direction simply because I choose to disagree, not with helping immigrants (legal or not), but with your personal interpretation of the letter of a bishop as ‘official church doctrine on the topic’.

Perhaps you’ll note that I said nothing about murders, etc. by illegal immigrants. Quite frankly, I am sure that many of them, otherwise, live very good lives.

But let’s face it, one can look at a thief, a murderer, or any other law breaker, and most often you’ll find that, with the ‘exception’ of the criminal behavior, that person is a loving son or father, a careful mother, perhaps a volunteer, often with a ‘prayer life’:

The point is, one does not waffle around making excuses for injustice and sin with “it’s an unfair law anyway”, “citizens are just as likely to commit other crimes as illegal aliens”, etc.

Either something is right or wrong, true or false. . .not ‘right’ so long as it’s done by a group of poor Haitian immigrants and ‘wrong’ if done by a single European male immigrant. Not ‘true’ for one act of stealing but ‘false’ for another act of stealing.

Now you are welcome to ‘help’ people in any legal way you choose. You are also ‘able’ to help in illegal ways. . .provide you take the consequences. Whether those will be moral actions will be up to you and God, not to people on message boards. And quite frankly, those of us who feel that the best way to help illegal immigrants–and everybody else–is to work legally on a case-by-case basis, and to fix the system properly rather than throw up our hands and surrender to wrong based on appeals to emotions, misplaced ‘charity’, and ‘guilt’, are IMO living the** true gospel**–in trying to make the law what it should be and obeying the proper authorities as St. Paul tells us to do.

 

[meeshy]

From the USCCB website, Justice for Immigrants:

“In June 2004, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Migration and The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, INC. (CLINIC) Board of Directors resolved to make comprehensive immigration reform, with special emphasis on legalization, a major public policy priority within the Church. Many other national Catholic institutions have also made legalization a policy priority.”

I think this is plain, is it not?

Peace,
Meeshy

 

[maria_rose]

An illegal alien raped and kidnapped a little girl whose parents
immigrated legally from Mexico, they are against illegal immigrants and so am I.
Criminals are not hard working Church goers, they are simply criminals.
The corrupt Mexican gov’t is now legalizing abortion and your example also illustrates how they feel about women.
Breaking the laws of the United States will do nothing to improve the lives of women and children in either Mexico or the United States.
Mexicans need to fix their own country which is very wealthy in natural resources, when immigrants are treated fairly when sneaking over the border into Mexico from other Latin countries perhaps they themselves will get a fair deal elsewhere.
Mexico is harsh to illegal immigrants in their own country, they need to fix Mexico not ruin America.

I agree. If you want to enter a country, you must do this respecting that country’s laws. What does it say about an immigrant that comes here breaking the law? Can we really trust them? what about people that do come legally, try to get their greencards and get taken advantage of by lawyers that were supposed to help them. That happened to me.
We need to fix our borders, our immigration system to allow for easier legal immigration and send a clear message:Illegals not wanted. Respect our laws and you’re welcome here.

 

[meeshy]

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

895 “…but the bishops should not be thought of as vicars of the Pope. His ordinary and immediate authority over the whole church does not annul, but on the contrary confirms and defends that of the bishops. Their authority must be exercised in communion with the whole church under the guidance of the Pope.”

896 "…the faithful…should be closely attached to the bishop as the Church is to Jesus Christ, and as Jesus Christ is to the Father.

*Let all follow the bishop, as Jesus Christ follow his Father,
 and the college of presbyters as the apostles; respect the
 deacons as you do God's law.  Let no one do anything con-
 cerning the Church in separation from the bishop."*

The Church’s teaching is clear:

#1 The bishops cannot support positions which are contrary to the teachings of the Church

#2 The faithful must follow their bishops

Peace,
Meeshy

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Actually, no it is not plain.

What is meant by ‘reform’? Legalization as the link called for involved payment of fines etc. Again, I would have no problem with that; acknowledgement of a wrong and ‘making it right’ is a good thing. I would not --nor would most people-- take an ‘illegal’ alien and basically say --You are out of here and may never return, not even going ‘legally’ through the process–that would be an example of cruel and unusual punishment.

From what I read in the links, I have no problem with calling for humane treatment --I don’t want to tar and feather people, for heaven’s sake! I have no trouble with helping people in real need. I have no trouble with making it easier to ‘come through’ legally so that more people have a chance to be legal citizens. That seems to be the position, and the bishops were very specific that they did not advocate for law breaking.

But in the earlier posts, not with the links, were such ‘appeals to emotion’ as the woman who walked through the desert–would ‘you’ send her back even though she came illegally? The point here is that it is a ‘false’ choice-- the real ‘error’ or wrong is the illegal action, whether it is done for a ‘good’ reason or not.

The Church has always taught that no one may do evil, even in order to ‘obtain good’. That remains the case with this and any other issue.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Meeshy, I am not sure I understand you. What the bishops have said regarding illegal immigration is what most of us already support–humane treatment, reform of laws in order to make immigration more available and, after proper restitution by those who have come illegally, the ‘chance’ to become legal citizens, etc.

But from earlier posts, I got the impression that you were saying the bishops went ‘further’ than this.

If my first paragraph contains what you understand by the “Catholic position on immigration”–well, you and I and the bishops are in total agreement.

If you are making further assumptions though that ‘reform’ involves illegal actions on the part of immigrants or others, or involves breaking laws, we don’t agree.

So if you are saying that, if a Catholic person says that an illegal immigrant is a law breaker and that breaking the law is wrong–that he or she is ‘going against the Catholic position on immigration and disobeying the bishops’–I disagree. Breaking the law is wrong. But the person doing so is still a person. I can acknowledge that “a person” does “a wrong thing” and still be humane, loving, and Christ-like. . .right?

 

[vern_humphrey]

This is in the Social Justice thread.

Social Ministry has two main aspects: social service (also known as Parish Outreach) and social action

Social Service is giving direct aid to someone in need. It usually involves performing one or more of the corporal works of mercy. That is, giving alms to the poor, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick or imprisoned, taking care of orphans and widows, visiting the shut-ins etc. Another name for it is charity.

Social Action is correcting the structures that perpetuate the need. Another name for this is Social Justice.

Now, admitting and sheltering illegals may be charity, but not Social Justice.

The illegals come because their home countries are poor, badly governed and miserable places to live. Once you welcome, feed, shelter and protect an illegal – guess what? His home country is still poor, badly governed and miserable. And pretty likely to stay that way, too – because all the people with any gumption have come to the US.

 

[BlestOne]

Thank you Tantum ergo for expressing exactly what I was trying to convey in your last 2 posts… I don’t think it is clear at all, and I don’t think there were any major changes to the bishops statements. I am all for helping folks but until we have immigration reform I will stick to helping with the ESL classes and food drives. I will not break laws and jeopardize my own family (not saying that is what was said…that is what was implied).

 

[avelino]

Hello:

I am an immigration attorney. Many of you are very misinformed on this issue.

However, some of you ant-illegal immigrants have some valid points that I will write about later in this thread so please read the whole thing.

First there are two types of illegal immigrants.

1. The ones that entered legally and then became illegal
2. The ones that crossed the border illegally.

Let’s take a look at the the first group. There are many people who enter legally who through no fault of their own become illegal. Others are forced by circumstances to choose to become illegal.

Here are some examples of what I see.

Case 1: A husband and wife enter on tourist visas with their children. The wife dumps the husband and marries a US Citizen and keeps the kids. The husband has to choose to become an illegal or go home and not see his kids until they are adults.

Case 2: A millionaire foreign businessman enters legally and lives here legally for several years on a work visa. He starts to suspect his attorney is not handling his case properly. He comes to my office and I have to inform this wealthy law abiding person that he is an illegal alien.

Case 3. A person relies on an Immigration Consultant. When he comes to see me I have to inform him that he has been illegal for two years.

I can go on and on and believe me this is not uncommon. These people are illegal and they could be easily made legal but they would be forced to leave the US for 10 years. We used to have a law that permitted these people to file the proper paperwork and pay a $1,000 fine.

The Ones that cross the border illegally:
Even I have a problem with these. But what do you when these people have been here so long that they now have a family with a few US citizen children. Do we force fellow citizens to go live in some strange country?

I would also like to point out that the story one of you posted about the person that married a US citizen and the residency case has taken 10 years is a blatant lie. This is an absolute impossibility. This type of case takes only one year. If anybody is in this situation they need a new attorney.

Now I want to point out that I am a Republican and I don’t like border crossers in general and they are not part of my clientelle.
I agree that we are hurting other countries by allowing the border crossers to continue entering our country. First we are letting them get away with not having to fix their problems and second these countries rely on these border crosser to send money back to their home country.

Some of you on this board are so full of hate you cannot even think straight. Frankly, I cannot believe some of you have brought up the subject of murders by illegal immigrants. Then again maybe here in Florida we should try to keep out-of-staters from entering Florida. I mean after Ted Bundy and Danny Rollings. I just don’t trust those out-of-state people. They come here and commit murders and then we have to electrocute them.

By the way don’t you just hate those Canadians. I mean look at Peter Jennings (RIP). Are you telling me that there wasn’t one American that could do the nightly news for that huge salary.

 

[vern_humphrey]

By the way don’t you just hate those Canadians. I mean look at Peter Jennings (RIP). Are you telling me that there wasn’t one American that could do the nightly news for that huge salary.

No, we don’t hate anyone – not even a supercilious Canadian who was wont to tell us our Constitution was all wrong and we should have a Parliamentary system.

I think we have a lot of problems in our immigration laws – and as a result, we have created a labor black market, which is a perfect atmosphere for smuggling, abusing poor illegals, and so on.

We do need – for many genuine reasons – to control our borders. And we ought to work toward a world where people don’t need or want to leave their homes and walk for days and days across the desert to get a menial job. That is the true injustice.

 

[Ani_Ibi]

We turn aways many boatloads of Haitians every year who have a far more urgent reason for needing to get out of their violent home country than Mexicans or Canadians or others who can sneak into the US by land.

Canadians are sneaking into the US by land? :bigyikes: Reminds me of a news story (sorry lost the link in my crash last year) about some upper staters who got themselves some camp chairs, binoculars, cameras, and so on and established militia-borderpatrol in what they thought was upper state US.

They thought they were hiding and therefore couldn’t understand why everyone who drove by waved at them (their binoculars were reflecting the sun) until a mountie drove up to say bonjour, heard their upper state accents, and then had to inform them that they had trecked out and camped in Quebec and had they gone through customs?

:doh2:
Just to put that part in context.

Your other insights are valid enough however.

 

[Ani_Ibi]

seremina:

In passages of the Bible, God tells us not to prevent someone from entering the country and to be kind to them and help them get to their feet so they can support themselves.

Not trying to be difficult. Can you give us a cite for – say – one Bible passage?

seremina:

Don’t forget that America was Native American before immigrants started moving in.

And so was Mexico and so was Canada.

Now I do agree that folks should not break the law to enter the US. Nor to remain there.

But are Mexican First Nations actually breaking the law by entering the US? What is the status of First Nations vis a vis crossing the borders? Anyone know?

Ah well, there is certainly the barrier of the border and the two governments (Canada is really a non-starter on this issue) to work out. But there is also the question of how the law applies to Mexican First Nations either in actuality or in spirit.

Anyone have any hard data on this aspect?

Also, I wonder what American First Nations have to say about this. Anyone know?

It does seem rather odd for folks to visit, then never leave, then kill off their hosts by spreading disease and burning villages, then ‘settle’ the hosts hunting grounds, then send the remaining hosts to reservations, then control the comings and goings of the hosts’ cousins.

 

[Ani_Ibi]

From the USCCB website, Justice for Immigrants:

“In June 2004, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Migration and The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, INC. (CLINIC) Board of Directors resolved to make comprehensive immigration reform, with special emphasis on legalization, a major public policy priority within the Church. Many other national Catholic institutions have also made legalization a policy priority.”

I think this is plain, is it not?

But is it dogma?