Thread: Immigration Issue Takes Center Stage

05/09/2007
Immigration Issue Takes Center Stage
By: Joe Murray , The Bulletin


Philadelphia - Every month, along the border between Mexico and the United States, authorities report that 150,000 illegal immigrants are apprehended trying to break into the United States. That monthly tally constitutes a number larger than the total number of U.S. troops in Iraq and is a greater number than the populations of Chester, Wynnewood, Doylestown, and Bristol combined.
With America's border bleeding, demands for social services increasing and national security threats materializing, Main Street America is growing restless over the inaction they are seeing in Washington when it comes to protecting the border. Hence, with a Time poll showing that 89 percent of Americans believe that immigration is a problem in America, it should come as no surprise that the issue has a dominate presence in the marketplace of ideas.
Last night, thanks to the Fifth Annual John M. Templeton, Jr., Lecture on Economic Liberties and the Constitution, the issues of border protection and immigration reform landed on Liberty's doorstep, otherwise known as the Constitution Center.
As part of the annual lecture, Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles and an outspoken advocate for de facto amnesty proposals, went head to head with Edwin Meese, the former Attorney General under President Ronald Reagan. Douglas Kmiec, Professor of Constitutional Law at Pepperdine University, was the moderator.
"As we begin this lecture tonight, we must remember that the United States accepts more immigrants than all the countries in the world combined," Kmiec told the audience of about 100. "We must also recognize that this debate will be formed by the 12-20 million illegal aliens already here."
With 10-20 percent of all Mexican, Central American and Caribbean people already in the United States, Kmiec's dual questions of how to stem the tide of immigration and assimilate those immigrants already in the country, weighed heavy on the minds of the cardinal and the attorney general. The two men, not surprisingly, had different answers.
"My perspective on this issue is shaped by the Gospel of Jesus Christ," the Archbishop of Los Angeles readily admitted. The cardinal quickly couched the debate in Biblical terms, using a number of Biblical references to support his notion that a nation has a moral duty to take care of those aliens who are in their midst. Mahony noted that immigrants seeking a better life in America are not unlike the migrants of the Bible who constantly sought out hope.
"Movement to places of hope is woven into the fabric of the biblical story ... Scriptures teach us to have compassion for those who seek hope and this applies even after 9/11," explained the Cardinal.
In his lecture, Mahony sought to divide the immigration issue into two sections-one that dealt with the relationship between illegals and the economy and one thought sought to address the issue of whether illegals should remain in America or be deported.
"What makes for a good economy is the flourishing of everyone that is a part of God's economy," stated Mahony. Mahony noted that many in the United States are quick to reap the benefits of illegal immigration, i.e. cheap labor and goods, but are quick to condemn the illegal immigrant when he is apprehended.
"We accept the benefits of illegal immigrant labor, but we don't offer them the protections of our laws," commented Mahony. "We scapegoat immigrants without acknowledging our complicity in the problem."
The cardinal believes that if order is to be restored to "God's household," all must be welcomed to the table and there must be "legal protection for those living in the margins of the economy." Mahony then argued that illegal immigrants "should have the same seat at the table than those here legally."
The cardinal pushed for a comprehensive reform package that would permit the 12 million plus illegal immigrants to stay in the United States if they obtain a job, paid a fine and took English and civic classes. Many critics consider such policy to be amnesty for illegals.
Cardinal Mahony ended by stating that the immigration laws currently on the books "violate the order of God's household" and also stated "we must care for strangers and aliens because they are seeking hope to escape despair... we cannot turn our backs on the Biblical legacy of hope."
Meese, however, disagreed and cautioned that while some immigrants may be seeking hope, the government has an obligation to make sure that the immigrants do not move their climate of despair to America.
"Ronald Reagan use to tell me many stories about his Irish ancestry," stated Meese. He went on to tell the audience that Reagan once told him that it was the Irish who came to America and built the jails, only to fill them a few years later.
And while Meese's anecdote is meant to be comical, the 75th Attorney General might just have a point.
One in 12 people entering the United States have a criminal record and in Los Angeles, Cardinal Mahony's home, 95 percent of the outstanding warrants for homicide, 1,200-1,500, target illegal aliens. It should come as no surprise that illegals constitute 29 percent of the inmates residing in federal prisons.
With the immigration crisis getting worse, and security threats increasing, immigration is weighing heavy on the minds of the American people.
According to an April 2007 McLaughlin & Associates poll of a 1,000 likely voters, the American electorate is tired of amnesty and capitulation to foreign influences that do not have America's best interest in mind when pushing for the legalization of over 12 million illegal aliens.
About 77 percent of Americans (and 67 percent of Latinos) favor repealing the sanctuary laws that permit illegal immigrants to avoid punishment. 71 percent (57 percent of Latinos) support efforts to pass state laws that would deny public benefits to illegal aliens and 68 percent (56 percent of Latinos) would like to see a zero tolerance policy that deports all illegals.
With such numbers, Cardinal Mahony has an uphill battle in trying to convince Americans why it is both morally and politically wise to turn a blind eye to the law and grant amnesty for those who failed to respect the laws of this nation.
And further, Meese aptly pointed out that the United States tried amnesty in 1986, and the policy replaced the 3 million illegal immigrants with 12 million.
The cardinal, however, is no stranger to advocating for the potential violation of U.S. law. During the immigration debate of 2006, Mahoney was a staunch critic of the House bill, which focused on border security rather than amnesty. When that bill passed, Mahoney threw down a gauntlet.
In a Mass at the cathedral of Our Lady of Angles in Los Angeles, Mahoney called on priests in the Archdiocese to ignore the proposed law.
"The church is not in a position of negotiating the spiritual and the corporal works of mercy ... We must be able to minister to people, regardless of how they got here," Mahoney explained last year in defending his controversial position. And a little over a year later, and Mahoney has not lost his spunk when it comes to immigration.
Joe Murray can be reached at jmurray@thebulletin.us

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©The Evening Bulletin 2007

I can tell, here in California, Cardinal Mahony's stature among not only Catholics, but all denominations is slipping. The average guy on the street is fed up with our state being overrun with illegals.

"We accept the benefits of illegal immigrant labor, but we don't offer them the protections of our laws," commented Mahony. "We scapegoat immigrants without acknowledging our complicity in the problem."
The cardinal believes that if order is to be restored to "God's household," all must be welcomed to the table and there must be "legal protection for those living in the margins of the economy." Mahony then argued that illegal immigrants "should have the same seat at the table than those here legally."

Illegals should have the same seat at the table as legal aliens do? Funny, from my stand point, they have it BETTER than those legally at the table.
And don't forget Cardinal amnesty lover, God also said that WE MUST OBEY THE LAWS OF THE LAND!
Howcome religious leaders always seem to forget Romans 13:1-7?
Is it because this scripture would shake their solid "God" foundation?

About 77 percent of Americans (and 67 percent of Latinos) favor repealing the sanctuary laws that permit illegal immigrants to avoid punishment.

Are there actually sanctuary laws on the books? I had heard there weren't although areas make their sanctuary declarations, or whatever you call them, that are just symbolic.