FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 9, 2007

CONTACT: Stephanie Niedringhaus, 202-347-9797 x224, sniedringhaus@networklobby.org

CATHOLIC LOBBY RENEWS CALL FOR COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM

Washington , DC : NETWORK, a national Catholic social justice lobby, today called on the 110 th Congress to come up with a responsible, humane solution to our nation’s broken immigration system. The need for comprehensive immigration reform is urgent, and Congress must act in a bipartisan manner to address that need.

Comprehensive immigration reform must include:

• Family reunification through a diminishment of the backlog of family visas
• Effective and humane border policies — The border crackdowns of the past decade have not worked. Effective, humane policies will relieve pressure on border patrol agents and alleviate the humanitarian crisis of deaths in the desert
• The means for earned legalization and a pathway to citizenship.

In the 109 th Congress, the issue of immigration was too often framed in a deeply partisan context. This resulted in votes to “build a wall” between Mexico and the U.S. and a deliberate mischaracterization of immigration reform as “amnesty for illegal aliens” by reform opponents. Congress and our nation can no longer afford to engage in these divisive tactics.

The dignity of the human person is the foundation of the Catholic social justice tradition, and NETWORK considers public policies that contradict this value to be clearly unjust. NETWORK is honored to stand in solidarity with hardworking immigrant families and other faith leaders in the call for comprehensive immigration reform. We pledge to continue our work for reform that focuses on the dignity of the individual and the needs of families.

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NETWORK—a Catholic leader in the global movement for justice and peace—educates, organizes and lobbies for economic and social transformation. Founded in 1971 by 47 Catholic sisters, NETWORK is supported by thousands of groups and individuals committed to working for social and economic justice. For more information, see www.networklobby.org.