JACKSONVILLE FL- On June 27, 2013, the United States Senate approved S.744, known as the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 in a historic 68-to-32 vote. The immigration reform bill will now be sent to the United States House of Representatives, where the bill is expected to face opposition from the Republican Party majority. The legislation is a product of bipartisan cooperation among lawmakers, business groups, labor unions, agricultural interests, and immigration advocates, who negotiated many compromises resulting in an architecture for reform – including a path to citizenship for eleven million illegal immigrants, an innovative temporary worker program, increased visa numbers for skilled foreign workers, and a nationwide employment eligibility verification system
"(Vatican Radio) In the U.S. the Catholic Church is pulling out all the stops to urge Congress to pass a comprehensive reform of immigration policy. The campaign involves encouraging clergy and lay Catholics to exert pressure on Catholic lawmakers to support President Obama’s plan for immigration reform and holding prayer marches through districts where the issue has become a divisive topic. It will continue until mid-October when the Republican-dominated House of Representatives is due to vote on the proposed legislation.
Kevin Appleby is the Director of Migration Policy at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (the USCCB) and he told Vatican Radio’s Susy Hodges that this push for immigration reform is a now-or-never moment."
Appleby says the U:S. Church and the bishops are pressing hard on this "social justice" issue because as he puts it "it's our best chance in a generation" ... a now-or-never moment" to help millions of people.
He believes that they can make a difference in pushing the immigration reform issue forward especially because they can help persuade those lawmakers who have not yet make up their mind how they will vote.
"There's a large number of Catholic lawmakers on the fence," he says, and by helping to pressure them "it could make the difference between winning and loosing."
"Whether you fine illegal aliens or stick them in English classes or make them say a hundred Hail Marys, at the end of the day, illegals would be allowed to stay and become citizens... That's amnesty. And that's a good thing for America. Amnesty won't depress wages - globalization has already done that. Amnesty will not undermine the rule of law... It sounds counterintuitive, but with immigration, forgiving a crime may be the best way to restore law and order. Amnesty won't necessarily add to the social-services burden... Amnesty would offer millions... a fighting chance at self-sufficiency and social mobility." Nathan Thornburgh
"Every empirical study of illegals' economic impact demonstrates... undocumenteds actually contribute more to public coffers in taxes than they cost in social services. Moreover, undocumented immigrants contribute to the U.S. economy through their investments and consumption of goods and services; filling of millions of essential worker positions resulting in subsidiary job creation, increased productivity and lower costs of goods and services; and unrequited contributions to Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance programs. " Francine J. Lipman
"I have listened to and understand the concerns of those who simply advocate sealing our borders and rounding up and deporting undocumented workers currently in residence here. But that's easier said than done... I have yet to hear a single proponent of this point of view offer one realistic proposal for locating, apprehending, and returning to their countries of origin over 11 million people. How do we do that? ...it would take 200,000 buses extending along a 1700 mile long line to deport 11 million people. That's assuming we had the resources to locate and apprehend all 11 million, or even half that number, which we don't have and, we all know, won't ever have." -John McCain
"It is deplorable to go ahead with this decision of the wall at the border...The wall will not solve any problem. Humanity made a huge mistake by building the Berlin Wall and I believe that today the United States is committing a grave error in building the wall on our border. It is much more useful to solve *common problems* and foster prosperity in both countries." -Felipe Calderón, President of Mexico
"Immigration reform has been on President Obama's agenda for the United States since his early occupation of office... Walls are not the answer, but action is... Ordinary Americans and walls are not equipped to handle these circumstances... So there's a danger that not just these immigrants might get hurt, but that American citizens might get hurt in this process... In the meantime, If you research your families roots we are all a nation of immigrants with a greater need to address the issue of 'The Dream Act...' - Jon
Supporters argue that the Act would not create an "amnesty program" and would produce a variety of social and economic benefits, while critics contend that it would reward illegal immigration and encourage further illegal immigration, inviting fraud and shielding gang members from deportation...
The 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause is one of the Constitution’s most important and underappreciated provisions. The clause grants full United States citizenship to anyone born on American soil (with a narrow exception for children of foreign diplomats) or naturalized by the federal government. With text and history on our side, CAC defends the rights of new Americans and immigrants to this country in Congress, courts, and the media...
If you look at the crime rate United States is ranked 1st, seven times more than Mexico... Murders with firearms ranked 1st, three times more then Mexico... Since the dream act deals with the "Youth" ... homicides among youth are 37 percent higher among Americans then Mexicans...
(Jews) “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God... Leviticus 19:33-34
(Christians) But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God..." - Ruth 1:16 ESV
Jonathan J Tibbs
"(Vatican Radio) In the U.S. the Catholic Church is pulling out all the stops to urge Congress to pass a comprehensive reform of immigration policy. The campaign involves encouraging clergy and lay Catholics to exert pressure on Catholic lawmakers to support President Obama’s plan for immigration reform and holding prayer marches through districts where the issue has become a divisive topic. It will continue until mid-October when the Republican-dominated House of Representatives is due to vote on the proposed legislation.
Kevin Appleby is the Director of Migration Policy at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (the USCCB) and he told Vatican Radio’s Susy Hodges that this push for immigration reform is a now-or-never moment."
Appleby says the U:S. Church and the bishops are pressing hard on this "social justice" issue because as he puts it "it's our best chance in a generation" ... a now-or-never moment" to help millions of people.
He believes that they can make a difference in pushing the immigration reform issue forward especially because they can help persuade those lawmakers who have not yet make up their mind how they will vote.
"There's a large number of Catholic lawmakers on the fence," he says, and by helping to pressure them "it could make the difference between winning and loosing."
"Whether you fine illegal aliens or stick them in English classes or make them say a hundred Hail Marys, at the end of the day, illegals would be allowed to stay and become citizens... That's amnesty. And that's a good thing for America. Amnesty won't depress wages - globalization has already done that. Amnesty will not undermine the rule of law... It sounds counterintuitive, but with immigration, forgiving a crime may be the best way to restore law and order. Amnesty won't necessarily add to the social-services burden... Amnesty would offer millions... a fighting chance at self-sufficiency and social mobility." Nathan Thornburgh
"Every empirical study of illegals' economic impact demonstrates... undocumenteds actually contribute more to public coffers in taxes than they cost in social services. Moreover, undocumented immigrants contribute to the U.S. economy through their investments and consumption of goods and services; filling of millions of essential worker positions resulting in subsidiary job creation, increased productivity and lower costs of goods and services; and unrequited contributions to Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance programs. " Francine J. Lipman
"I have listened to and understand the concerns of those who simply advocate sealing our borders and rounding up and deporting undocumented workers currently in residence here. But that's easier said than done... I have yet to hear a single proponent of this point of view offer one realistic proposal for locating, apprehending, and returning to their countries of origin over 11 million people. How do we do that? ...it would take 200,000 buses extending along a 1700 mile long line to deport 11 million people. That's assuming we had the resources to locate and apprehend all 11 million, or even half that number, which we don't have and, we all know, won't ever have." -John McCain
"It is deplorable to go ahead with this decision of the wall at the border...The wall will not solve any problem. Humanity made a huge mistake by building the Berlin Wall and I believe that today the United States is committing a grave error in building the wall on our border. It is much more useful to solve *common problems* and foster prosperity in both countries." -Felipe Calderón, President of Mexico
"Immigration reform has been on President Obama's agenda for the United States since his early occupation of office... Walls are not the answer, but action is... Ordinary Americans and walls are not equipped to handle these circumstances... So there's a danger that not just these immigrants might get hurt, but that American citizens might get hurt in this process... In the meantime, If you research your families roots we are all a nation of immigrants with a greater need to address the issue of 'The Dream Act...' - Jon
Supporters argue that the Act would not create an "amnesty program" and would produce a variety of social and economic benefits, while critics contend that it would reward illegal immigration and encourage further illegal immigration, inviting fraud and shielding gang members from deportation...
The 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause is one of the Constitution’s most important and underappreciated provisions. The clause grants full United States citizenship to anyone born on American soil (with a narrow exception for children of foreign diplomats) or naturalized by the federal government. With text and history on our side, CAC defends the rights of new Americans and immigrants to this country in Congress, courts, and the media...
If you look at the crime rate United States is ranked 1st, seven times more than Mexico... Murders with firearms ranked 1st, three times more then Mexico... Since the dream act deals with the "Youth" ... homicides among youth are 37 percent higher among Americans then Mexicans...
(Jews) “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God... Leviticus 19:33-34
(Christians) But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God..." - Ruth 1:16 ESV
Jonathan J Tibbs