Thread: Texas catholic bishop whines about the fence

Border bishop decries barrier

Web Posted: 09/29/2007 11:06 PM CDT
Anastasia Ustinova
Express-News Staff Writer

BROWNSVILLE — Brownsville Bishop Raymundo Peña said Saturday a proposed border fence would increase the death toll among undocumented immigrants by driving them to more extreme and dangerous ways of entering the United States.

"There is no wall long enough or high enough to fence out, or keep out, the real economic and human forces driving immigration," Peña said, addressing an afternoon rally against the proposal. "Homeland security must be an ongoing endeavor of our government, but it must be sought and achieved with justice, creativity and effectiveness."

Peña spoke to a crowd of about 200 who attended the Brownsville "No Border Wall Pachanga," one in a series of rallies organized by the No Border Wall Coalition to oppose the construction of the nearly 70 miles of border fencing designed to deter illegal immigration.

The bishop, whose Catholic Diocese of Brownsville includes 103 parishes and missions for more than 800,000 Catholics in the Rio Grande Valley, has been critical of the government's plan to build the fence, echoing Vatican officials who have called it "inhumane."

"He knows the stories of abuse of the immigrants," said Father Mike Seifert, a missionary at Cameron Park, one of the largest colonias on the border, after Peña's speech. "He feels that he has seen it firsthand."

While Peña insisted that immigration was not a political issue for the church, he urged the government to enact comprehensive reforms that would create "legal avenues for migration and give special consideration to those undocumented immigrants who are already in our midst and have contributed to our economy."

Days earlier, U.S. Customs and Border Protection published the most detailed preliminary maps to date of the fence locations, to begin studying their environmental impact.

Local politicians, environmentalists and activists gathered at the rally at Dean Porter Park to discuss the possible impact of the wall on the communities shown on the maps.

"We are elevating our voices and we have been heard," said Jay Johnson-Castro, a human rights activist who paddled for 17 days down the Rio Grande from Falcon Dam to the Gulf of Mexico in August, hoping to attract national attention to the issue.

The fence is part of the Security Defense Act, which calls for 700 miles of reinforced barriers in states along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Congress allocated $1.2 billion for the construction of 370 miles of fence, with about 153 miles of it in Texas, by the end of 2008.

Homeland Security officials said they would clear vegetation to build temporary access roads and construction staging areas, raising concerns among environmentalists, who fear the fence will destroy riverfront wildlife habitat that attracts thousands of eco-tourists.

Though the final design won't be approved until after a public comment period that ends Oct. 15, the CBP said the fence will be at least 16 feet high and 3 to 6 feet below ground, capable of withstanding vandalism or the crash of a 10,000-pound vehicle traveling 40 mph.

CBP spokesman Mike Friel said that the maps are a "reflection of the operational assessment conducted by the agency where the fencing can be effective." The agency plans to conduct environmental and engineering assessments and, if approved, construction would begin next spring.

"All throughout the process we are open to dialogue (with the border community) that would help us ... to make determination of the location of the fencing," Friel said.

As part of the environmental assessment, Sue Sill, the executive director of the North American Butterfly Association's park in Mission, said she and other area biologists have been contracted by the federal agency to survey and categorize rare and endangered vegetation between Roma and Brownsville.

"It was a real surprise to me," said Sill, who will start conducting the survey this week. "I am hoping it will be an opportunity to tell them about the habitat and see if there are any rare plants that will be impacted."

Jim Chapman, chairman of the Rio Grande Valley chapter of the Sierra Club, agreed.

"They are at least going through the motions," Chapman said. "It's mildly encouraging."
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austinova@express-news.net

Brownsville Bishop Raymundo Peña said Saturday a proposed border fence would increase the death toll among undocumented immigrants by driving them to more extreme and dangerous ways of entering the United States

Uh, they could stay home and not endanger their lives trying to break our laws.

While Peña insisted that immigration was not a political issue for the church, he urged the government to enact comprehensive reforms that would create "legal avenues for migration and give special consideration to those undocumented immigrants who are already in our midst and have contributed to our economy."

If it is not a "political issue for the church". why is "the church" trying to dictate to us what our immigration policy should be?
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MOD EDIT

Another LATINO speaks out for the ILLEGALS. Stuff it Bishop!