Thread: Bishop labels meat-plant raids as ‘inhuman'

Bishop labels meat-plant raids as ‘inhuman'

http://www.chieftain.com/life/1166264878/2

By MARVIN READ
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
December 16, 2006

The Diocese of Pueblo's Bishop Arthur Tafoya Thursday lashed out against Tuesday raids by the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency of meat-packing facilities in Greeley and in five other states.

Tafoya called the raids "inhuman" and lamented dangers to "the safety and well-being of the children and families torn apart" by the raids.

Hundreds of people were arrested at the half-dozen plants and many face immediate deportation or other legal sanctions. According to ICE chief Julie L. Myers, that agency had uncovered a scheme in which illegal immigrants and others had stolen or bought the identities and Social Security numbers of U.S. citizens and lawful residents to gain employment with Greeley-based meat processor Swift & Co.

Myers told reporters that immigration officials were “looking very aggressively” at people who may have sold the identities to the workers and that ICE had uncovered several different rings that may have provided illegal documents.

Tafoya was unmoved by the government rationale for the raids, noting that "It is regrettable that instead of choosing to implement comprehensive immigration reform that can be just and equitable, we have chosen the enforcement path as our response to the immigration problem."

"As I have stated before," he said, "I believe that we need a strong, clear and fair immigration policy" . . . (that) "must serve our country's security and prosperity and at the same time be based on the moral values on which all our lives must ultimately rest."

Tafoya called current immigrations laws "unworkable" and said the raid technique "is just an example of how our policy has failed by only emphasizing enforcement and forgetting about the unfortunate consequences of an enforcement-only policy."

Focusing on the immigrants' choice to gain employment to "do what is required to provide for the needs of his or her children" he challenged "the way the laws are presently written" and the consequent need for undocumented immigrants to acquire "false documentation in order to support themselves and their families."

"It is wrong to report this as ‘identity theft,’ which is a conscious preying on people by thieves," he said.

A just law, the bishop said, "is meant to benefit, not to enslave humankind. Undocumented workers have human dignity and human rights that should be respected at all costs."

The Swift processing facilities raided Tuesday were in Greeley, Grand Island, Neb.; Cactus, Texas; Hyrum, Utah; Marshalltown, Iowa; and Worthington, Minn.

The meat-processing company defended itself: “Swift has never condoned the employment of unauthorized workers, nor have we ever knowingly hired such individuals,” Swift & Co. President and CEO Sam Rovit said.

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"It is wrong to report this as ‘identity theft,’ which is a conscious preying on people by thieves," he said.

A just law, the bishop said, "is meant to benefit, not to enslave humankind. Undocumented workers have human dignity and human rights that should be respected at all costs."

"just law"

Hey Bishop ... this is Republic where our just laws are determined by the United States Congress and executed in accordance therewith by the United States Government.

Another one of our just laws is that when you work for a not-for-profit ... you can't meedle in our public policy, influence legslation, elections or lobby our politicians.

That's because we are a nation with separation of Church and State.

Now .. the last time I checked on your organization you had a few issues with "just laws" ... like the laws that protect our children from Pedophile Priests. Maybe you should turn your attention to your "flock" and leave our politics and immigration laws to US.

Thank You.

In other words, shut up and butt out.

This Bishop ought to read his Bible once in a while, maybe he would learn a thing or two about obeying the Governor as the Bible says. And if the Catholic Churches and other Churches are so interested in these poor illegals maybe they should liquidate some of their many assets and give these illegals a good home in their countries of origin. And then teach them if they want to be Americans to do it the legal way as the Good Lord would expect them to do!

It's very interesting that all of the Catholic Church spokesmen seem to have received specific talking points on the illegal immigration issue from a central authority, and in fact appear to be reading from the very same script. I'm having trouble distinguishing their rhetoric from that of George Bush. They keep promoting "comprehensive immigration reform" and decry the need to "bring people out of the shadows". A priest or bishop by the name of Soto was on Lou Dobbs tonight and recited the same lines and refused to address Kitty Pilgrim's questions about identity theft and the effect of open borders on security. When asked about the border fence, he touted the need for high tech solutions. Sure sounds like GW Bush to me.

I dont understand.
These poor undocumented workers (ILLEGAL ALIENS) have to come here and hide in the shadows, and work under STOLEN documents that were stolen from someone who is LEGAL.
These poor CRIMINALS who come here and commit MORE CRIMES yet we are the ones who are racist and evil because we believe that CRIMINALS who commit more CRIMES should be punished to the extent the law allows and deems fit.

I just finished reading an old thread about the Gangs and the Minutemen. "Dont mess with us, gringo, or we will cut off body parts".

What is happening here?
They are illegal aliens. They cross the border and enter the US illegally so they are criminals. They use stolen identity cards or falisified ones, they are criminals.

How can anyone, especially a Church, make any type of statement even hinting that they are 'Just hard working honest family people' when EVERYTHING they have done to get here is a CRIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Vatican Bank is the richest in the world.
Let them take a few billion of the the interest bearing account and help the poor illegal alien after they are deported BACK to their country and help them out.

But they wont do anything to help the poor.
That money was gathered from their members who gave every sunday to the poor box, to help the poor.
The members (priests, nuns, bishops, pope etc) make a vow of poverty. What those members dont know is that the money they give for the poor is not for the POOR PEOPLE it is for the POOR CHURCH OFFICIALS!!!!

vix

A letter to this bishop.................

First of all I am not going to address you as bishop or anything like that. The reason I am writing this evening is because I have just read an article online in regard to the ICE raids at Swift in six states on week ago.

Now, while I do not agree with the children who are now suffering, I have to say that I feel no remorse for the parents who put these kids in this situation. The parents knew they were breaking the law by coming into the UNITED STATES illegally. They also knew they were breaking the law by stealing the identity of a Legal United States citizen as well. These that were interviews, arrested, and deported brought this upon themselves and their family. To say they came here for a better life could be right to a certain extent. However, the US has laws to abide by and crossing the border to avoid detection and by not coming here legally and coming through a designated checkpoint is breaking the law no matter what anyone says. SO instead of breaking up a family, those deported can take their children back to their home country and leave mine. See,I had family members serve in WW2, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War. They did not fight for the right of illegals to come to this country. They fought for the right to keep this country free.

Your quote says they are "inhuman" and I say that you are wrong because these people are lawbreakers. What part of being illegal and being lawbreakers do you NOT understand.

As an American, I CAN TELL YOU that in recent polls almost 85 percent of Americans have no problem with LEGAL IMMIGRATION. That same amount of people are fed up with illegals coming into the US, demanding the same rights that an american citizen has, tell us we have to adapt to their way of life, Kill 12 Americans on the average a day in murders and 13 more are killed each day by drunk drivers.

In reference to this, I ask you to look at this web page and see for yourself the names and faces of people killed by illegals. http://www.immigrationshumancost.org/te ... ctims.html
I also invite you to check this forum on the Minuteman websight where a forum topic is posted especially for those who are illegal who commit any kind of violent crime against Americans.
http://forum.minutemanhq.com/phpBB2/vie ... php?t=5606



The americans are tired of these illegals getting free health care, free education for their kids, and using government services (food stamps, welfare and others) and who has to pay for this.. The US Taxpayer.

Your quoted as saying, "As I have stated before, I believe that we need a strong, clear and fair immigration policy" ... (that) "must serve our country's security and prosperity and at the same time be based on the moral values on which all our lives must ultimately rest."

Moral values? do you think these illegals have any moral values when they commit crimes and then run like the chicken bastards they are back to Mexico? Why dont you talk with the widow and kids of the Houston police officer killed in August by an illegal. How about the widow and kids of the DENVER police officer last May, where the illegal was not allowed in a private party. he ran to mommy in LA then to mexico. Why dont you talk to the widow of the officers in LA and LA county who have had their husbands killed by illegals and all of the killers ran back to mexico like the snakes they are. Dont even come up with that Morals crap. these people dont have morals.

As for the immigration policy in the US, it needs to be border security, arresting and deporting anyone caught working illegally in this country. it does not include amnesty, guest worker, OR any program for paying back taxes or put on a path to citizenship.

You also said "It is wrong to report this as ‘identity theft,’ which is a conscious preying on people by thieves," he said.

Those who prey on the illegals are wrong and the illegals are wrong for being in possession of someone elses name, social security and drivers license number. As far as I see it, they have already broken FOUR laws of the US that I can think of, and here they are...

1. Entering the US at a point not designated as a port of entry into the US and entering to avoid said port of entry to avoid detection.
2. Frauduently being in possession of forged federal documents ( SS card, Drivers license )
3. Purchasing these forged documents.
4. Illegally working in the US of A

Before you say that this is all about RACE, I got news for you. ITS NOT. if it was about race then everyone who is hispanic or looks hispanic would be targeted. Therefore since its lawbreakers that were targeted during these raids, well, it is what it is.
Illegals breaking the above laws.

As I have stated earlier, I have no problem with someone coming here LEGALLY. I DO have a problem with someone coming here ILLEGALLY, and so should YOU

Now you tell me where as an American I have to put up with anyone telling me what to do, especially in my own country. Especially ones who were not born here and are not here legally. And tell me why at the same meat packing plant ten years ago the pay rate was 19 an hour. Today its 9.

james ... OUTSTANDING LETTER!!

Really great!

Excellent letter!

But how do you really fell?


vix

The good bishop said on Lou's show tonight, the Catholic church was also an immigrant church in America, personally, not to offend any catholics here, I wish we could deport them along with the illegals! Seems to me they are hell bent on destroying America as the country we know it for what ever reason they might have, I have a few ideas but to be nice I will not speak of them here at Alipac!