Backgrounder on Immigration Reform

Immigration is one of the most critical and divisive issues facing our nation. The failure of Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform has forced states to enact a slew of punitive local measures. Thousands of immigrants have been rounded up in raids. The National Council of La Raza and the Urban Institute report that two-thirds of children split up from their parents in these crackdowns are U.S. citizens.

While our nation has always been strengthened by immigrants, media pundits and even some presidential candidates routinely refer to these human beings as “illegals” or “aliens.” Proponents of tougher border security clash with those who argue that the root causes of global migration-- along with the presence of some 12 million undocumented immigrants already living in the U.S -- require a more robust immigration reform plan that includes an earned path to citizenship and strong worker protections.

The Catholic Church has long been on the front lines of serving immigrants, as well as advocating for more humane and practical policy solutions. The U.S. Catholic bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services office is the nation’s largest refugee resettlement agency. The bishops’ Justice for Immigrants Campaign has been a strong voice for the dignity of immigrants. The Catholic Campaign Against Global Poverty raises awareness of how trade, development, and debt in poor countries are central to understanding the forces driving immigration. The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns explores how poverty, human rights violations, armed conflicts and environmental destruction contribute to global migration.

Lay Catholics like you are also speaking up for those strangers among us who we are called to love and serve as neighbors. This backgrounder includes talking points, common myths about immigration and resources to learn more about how Catholic social teaching speaks to the moral dimensions of this important issue. We encourage you to use this information as you consider writing letters-to-the-editor, commentary pieces and letters to your member of Congress. Together we can help build a culture of the common good where all of God’s children are treated with dignity and respect.

Immigration Reform Q & A

What does Catholic teaching say about immigration and the rights of immigrants?

The Catholic Church believes that all immigrants, regardless of status, have inherent dignity and worth as human beings. As members of an immigrant church, Catholics stand in solidarity with those looking for hope and a better life. Immigrants have always brought cultural and economic vitality to our country and enriched our national character with their hard work and patriotism. Catholics denounce anti-immigrant bigotry, stereotypes and xenophobia as immoral and un-American.

How can the Catholic Church favor “amnesty” for immigrants who broke the law to come here?

The Catholic Church supports an earned path to citizenship that in a humane and pragmatic way brings the estimated 11-12 million undocumented workers in our country out of the shadows of an underground economy. An earned path to citizenship is not a hand out. It requires undocumented immigrants to pay a fine and application fee, go through criminal background checks and security screenings, demonstrate they have paid taxes, are learning English, and obtain a visit that could lead to permanent residency.

But don’t we need to strengthen our nation’s borders?

All countries have a right to protect their borders. However, border security is insufficient by itself to address the complex economic and political “push factors” that contribute to migration. Billions have been spent on beefing up security on the U.S.-Mexican border, but this has not stopped immigrants from finding more dangerous routes through the Arizona desert. This has led to more migrant deaths and increases in smuggling fees. It has not fixed our broken immigration system.

This is why comprehensive immigration reform is needed. A comprehensive plan would include an earned legalization program that allows undocumented persons to earn permanent residency; a worker program that protects foreign-born workers and safeguards against the displacement of U.S. workers; family-based immigration reform that reduces waiting times for family reunification; restoration of due process protections for immigrants and policies that address the root causes of migration.

What are Catholics doing to help push for comprehensive immigration reform?

Catholics around the country are organizing visits to congressional offices, writing to elected officials, hosting discussions about the need for just and humane immigration reform and proving a strong moral voice on this issue. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Justice for Immigrants Campaign has been a leader in spreading the message that immigrants make positive contributions to our country and deserve a better immigration system. (www.justiceforimmigrants.org)

Myths about Immigration and Immigrants

Myth: Immigrants take jobs and opportunities away from Americans and hurt the economy.

A number of researchers and economists have found that immigrants improve the overall economy. Undocumented immigrants take jobs in meatpacking plants, harvesting and other areas that most Americans would not fill. In an “Open Letter on Immigration” signed by over 500 economists and sent to President Bush last year, the economists stated that:

“Immigrants do not take American jobs. The American economy can create as many jobs as there are workers willing to work so long as labor markets remain free, flexible and open to all workers on an equal basis. In recent decades, immigration of low-skilled workers may have lowered the wages of domestic low-skilled workers, but the effect is likely to have been small, with estimates of wage reductions for high-school dropouts ranging from eight percent to as little as zero percent.

While a small percentage of native-born Americans may be harmed by immigration, vastly more Americans benefit from the contributions that immigrants make to our economy, including lower consumer prices. As with trade in goods and services, the gains from immigration outweigh the losses.” (www.independent.org/newsroom/article)

Myth: Immigrants don’t pay taxes

Immigrants pay taxes, in the form of income, property, sales, and taxes at the federal and state level. A range of studies find that immigrants pay between $90 and $140 billion a year in federal, state, and local taxes. Undocumented immigrants pay income taxes as well, as evidenced by the Social Security Administration’s “suspense file” (taxes that cannot be matched to workers’ names and social security numbers), which grew by $20 billion between 1990 and 1998.
(Source: USCCB Justice for Immigrants Campaign and http://www.immigrationforum.org/about/articles/tax_study.htm)

Myth: Immigrants come here to take welfare

Immigrants come to work and reunite with family members. Immigrant labor force participation is consistently higher than native-born, and immigrant workers make up a larger share of the U.S. labor force (12.4%) than they do the U.S. population (11.5%). Moreover, the ratio between immigrant use of public benefits and the amount of taxes they pay is consistently favorable to the U.S. In one estimate, immigrants earn about $240 billion a year, pay about $90 billion a year in taxes, and use about $5 billion in public benefits. Immigrant tax payments total $20 to $30 billion more than the amount of government services they use.
(Source: Justice for Immigrants Campaign “Questioning Immigration Policy – Can We Afford to Open Our Arms?”, Friends Committee on National Legislation Document #G-606-DOM, January 25, 1996. )

Myth: Immigrants send all their money back to their home countries

In addition to the consumer spending of immigrant households, immigrants and their businesses contribute $162 billion in tax revenue to U.S. federal, state, and local governments. While it is true that immigrants remit billions of dollars a year to their home countries, this is one of the most targeted and effective forms of direct foreign investment.
(Source: www.cato.org/research/articles/griswold-020218.html.)

Resources for Information on Immigration Reform

• U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Justice for Immigrants Campaign

• A Pastoral Letter Concerning Migration from the Catholic Bishops of Mexico and the United States: Strangers No Longer: Together on A Journey of Hope
• Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles Speaks About Immigration at the University of Notre Dame.
• Catholic Relief Services
• Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
• Center of Concern