Catholic Bishops Oppose Bringing Arizona Immigration Law to Florida

While it is not getting much attention due to the hoopla surrounding the inauguration of Rick Scott, the Florida Catholic Conference released a statement on immigration on Saturday signed by eight of the states bishops stressing their opposition to bringing an Arizona-style law on immigration to the Sunshine State.

We, the Catholic bishops of Florida, are deeply concerned with our nation's flawed immigration system and its impact on the human dignity and lives of our migrant brothers and sisters, noted the bishops. This system divides families and causes human suffering to those who search for work in support of their families.

In Florida, our economy is dependent upon manual labor for agriculture, construction and the service industry, continued the bishops. Limited numbers of worker visas are available to bring unskilled labor into the U.S. for jobs, but too often demand exceeds need. This has created a market for undocumented workers who may face abuses such as inadequate wages, substandard housing and no benefits, with a real threat of exploitation by unscrupulous employers, human smugglers and human traffickers. While the Catholic Church does not advocate for undocumented immigration into the United States, it respects the dignity of the human person and the right to work to meet the basic needs of their families.

Any passing of laws that give legal sanction to profiling people will decrease public safety and discourage reporting of crime. The so-called illegals' are so, not because they wish to defy the law, but because the law does not provide them with any channels to regularize their status in our country which needs their labor. They are not so much breaking the law, as being broken by the law, wrote the bishops. Instead of passing local and state laws which cause fear in immigrant communities, Congress must bring these persons out of the shadows so they can fully contribute their talents to our nation. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has consistently advocated for a path to citizenship, meaning those who are already present and contributing to society could come forward and pay a fine, undergo a comprehensive criminal background check, show they have paid taxes, are learning English and obtain a visa that would lead to permanent residency. Immigration is a federal issue and there must be a federal solution rather than the attempts to craft varying proposals in several states including Florida.

We call upon our federal delegation to lead the fight for comprehensive immigration reform in Congress, closed the bishops. We call upon the Florida Legislature to resist efforts to demonize those who provide the labor for our economy and a living for their families. Our Catholic Social Teaching and the tradition of the Church affirm the dignity of every human being, made in the image of God.