FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 22, 2007

CONTACT: STEPHANIE NIEDRINGHAUS, 202-347-9797 x224, sniedringhaus@networklobby.org

Catholic Social Justice Lobby Expresses Grave Reservations about Current Immigration Bill

Washington , DC : As a longtime advocate for comprehensive immigration reform, NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, is pleased that Congress is currently working to move this issue forward. The legislation introduced in the Senate is a step towards a viable bipartisan bill, but NETWORK has grave reservations about its current form.

Because, as a faith community, we believe in the importance of family, we strongly oppose provisions that will split families apart. Support of family unification has been a bedrock value of U.S. immigration policies because it has long been recognized that family unity fosters stable communities and provides needed support for workers while in the U.S.

NETWORK will work to change the current bill into one that is more just and workable. We are currently focused on the following key provisions:

• GUESTWORKER (Y-visa)

• While this Y-visa will create a means for future workers to come into the country to work in a formal setting, it is shortsighted.

• The deterrence to bringing families with a worker is antithetical to the values that built our country. Single working individuals are more prone to health problems, create instability in neighborhoods, and have a long term adverse impact on families and child rearing.
• The two years here and one year away scenario over eight years does not allow for a worker and the worker’s family to either settle into a job or life here or in the country of origin. This dislocation is hard on workers, hard on spouses and especially hard on children.
• The limitation on two-year work periods creates constant turnover and costs of training and recruiting for employers. These provisions make unskilled workers the equivalent of the paper cup—a plentiful supply that you can use once and discard. This is not acting on our faith-based principles that value the dignity of all people.

• BACKLOG OF FAMILIES AWAITING REUNIFICATION

• We applaud the move to reunify families on a faster time line. However, setting May 1, 2005 as an arbitrary cut-off date does not make sense. It sets up a whole group of families for whom the expectation of reunification is dashed without any rational basis. We urge that the date be extended to the date of enactment of comprehensive immigration reform.

• FUTURE CRITERIA FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCE

• This program is created on the untried theory of the need of employers in the U.S. We believe that it is too complex to be workable without significant testing in advance of passage. But we also oppose it because it encourages the “brain drain” from developing nations. This drain of resources from growing economies will undercut the economies further and serve as a prod to further immigration. Rather, we need to support trade and immigration policies that bolster local economies and ease the pressure for immigration.

• EARNED VISA FOR UNDOCUMENTED (Z-visa)

• This is a significant step toward bringing 12 million people out of the shadows in our country. The fee and penalty levels as well as the proofs required for continuous employment raise questions about its functionality, however.

• EARNED LEGALIZATION (Permanent Residence for Z-visa holders)

• This also is a significant step forward. However, it is unclear that this is a program that will work. The level of documentation needed to document employment and the need to pay back taxes as well as fees and penalties will create a heavy burden on the low-wage workers in our country.

• FEES, COSTS AND PENALTIES

• We understand the political compromise that required “earning” status in this country by paying penalties and fees. The levels of these fees are excessively high for people working at minimum wage jobs. We are concerned that we might gain the appearance of comprehensive reform, but not provide a realistic means for people to use it.

WHAT IS MISSING FROM THE CURRENT BILL

NETWORK will also work to ensure that there is a focus on the root causes of immigration, which are not addressed in S. 1348. Without a candid assessment and remedy for the causes, all of the punitive legislation in the world will not make a difference. NETWORK calls on Congress to address the issues of trade that have undercut the economies of Mexico and our other trading partners. Only by developing a vibrant economy in our neighbor countries will we ever change the flow of workers to this country.

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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.