Where it all began!

Again… I do not want to offend anyone. I feel this information is important in the decision making processes. I will say I hold the Mexican Catholic Church in complete contempt. Where those folks should have been fighting corruption in Mexico, they were simply rolling with the punches.. dealing with it. And while it cannot be proven, I would bet a bunch the Catholic Church is involved with push to move the poor of Mexico into the United States.

This search and these articles came from http://www.findarticles.com
The search was for “illegal aliens Catholic�.

Latino laborers targeted - tolerance for illegal aliens dropping
National Catholic Reporter, Sept 7, 2001 by Candace Rondeaux, Asjylyn Loder

LINK to Story

Anti-immigrant group provokes conflict in small Long Island town
This bucolic little village a short distance from Long Island's fashionable Hamptons has fast become the latest front in a national debate over immigration. While the Bush administration wrestled over the legal status of some 6 million undocumented Latino immigrants, Farmingville's conflict over undocumented immigrants heated up during a recent conference sponsored by Sachem Quality of Life, an aggressive local anti-immigrant group that takes its name from a Long Island school district.
Immigration experts have suggested that Sachem's appearance in this working-class town of ranch homes, strip malls and white steeples is part of a larger nationwide trend: a grassroots push to restrict immigration.
A sachem, according to the dictionary, is a Native American chief.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service estimates that 5 million undocumented immigrants were living in the United States in 1996. Census 2000 estimates that figure may have doubled to include nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the country


This Article is from the National Catholic Reporter and it is one of the early accounts of a protest as the illegal aliens continued to move into the U.S. NOTICE the number provided by Mr. Bush and the Census. The Census was suggesting at this point, the number may already have been 13 million undocumented.

Pope advocates amnesty for illegal immigrants - international appeal - Brief Article
National Catholic Reporter, Oct 23, 1998 &&&
LINK to Story
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Pope John Paul II called on nations to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants within their borders as a concrete gesture of justice and forgiveness during the year 2000.
"It would certainly be a significant gesture if the jubilee's dimension of reconciliation found expression in a form of regularization for a large group of immigrants who, more than others, suffer the drama of precariousness and uncertainty -- the illegals," the pope said.
The pope's suggestion was part of a speech he delivered Oct. 9 to the Vatican-sponsored World Congress on the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees. The congress drew more than 470 persons from 103 countries.
COPYRIGHT 1998 National Catholic Reporter

More stories linking the illegal aliens to the Catholic Church.

When churches smuggle aliens
US News & World Report, Jan 28, 1985 &&&

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Federal authorities cracked down hard on religious activists harboring illegal immigrants from Central America, but the church people pledged continued open defiance of the law.
A grand jury in Phoenix on January 14 indicted 16 persons-including two Roman Catholic priests, three nuns and a Presbyterian pastor-and charged them with 71 counts of conspiring to bring illegal aliens into the United States. At the same time, 55 immigrants were arrested throughout the country to serve as witnesses in the case.
The arrests sent shock waves through the 180 churches that have sheltered some 500 Central American aliens, who claim to be fleeing oppression and violence in El Salvador.
Immigration Service raids inhumane, rights group says - INS investigations into work sites with illegal immigrants - Brief Article
National Catholic Reporter, Oct 30, 1998 by Gary MacEoin &&&
LINK to Story

Raids by the Immigration and Naturalization Service on work sites across the country cause enormous emotional and material "collateral damage" to innocent parties. They often involve violations of the civil rights of persons detained. They fail in their stated purpose of deterring undocumented migration. Not only are they punitive and often inhumane, they are ineffective.
Such are the conclusions of a report issued Oct. 14 by the National Network for Immigration and Refugee Rights, a nonprofit group based in Oakland, Calif. The report is based on documentation of 235 raids, most of which occurred at businesses, schools and homes between June 1997 and June 1998. Coauthors were the Immigration Law Enforcement Project of the American Friends Service Committee and the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers' Guild.


Immigration ruling called `unjust' - illegal immigrants protected status to expire - Brief Article
National Catholic Reporter, Jan 15, 1999 &&&
LINK to Story

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Church and government officials in El Salvador protested what they called the U.S. government's discriminatory treatment of Salvadoran and Guatemalan immigrants residing illegally in the United States.
Salvadoran President Armando Calderon Sol said Jan. 4 that the U.S. decision not to grant Salvadorans and Guatemalans the same Temporary Protected Status as Nicaraguans and Hondurans had caused "disillusionment and disappointment" in El Salvador.
As part of U.S. response to the emergency created by Hurricane Mitch, which hit Central America in late October and early November, Attorney General Janet Reno immediately suspended all deportations of Hondurans, Nicaraguans, Salvadorans and Guatemalans. That suspension was due to expire Jan. 7, but on Dec. 30, 1998, the U.S. government granted Temporary Protection Status to some 150,000 Hondurans and Nicaraguans living in the United States illegally. Under such status, Hondurans and Nicaraguans who entered the United States illegally before Dec. 30 can register to live and work legally in the United States for 18 months and send part of their earnings back to relatives in their homelands. If conditions warrant, the 18-month period could later be extended.



Edit: Links by Mr_Magoo

Illegal aliens on the cutting edge

US News & World Report, Oct 27, 1997 by Stephen J. Hedges
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...3/ai_n12437898

Nearly 18 months ago, federal immigration agents swooped down on small, prosperous Storm Lake, Iowa, and arrested 78 illegal aliens working in a hog-processing plant there. As reported in a U.S. News cover story ("Illegal in Iowa," Sept. 23, 1996), many residents had hoped that such a raid at the plant, run by meatpacking giant IBP Inc., would be a first step toward solving the increased crime and rising school and medical costs that residents blame on IBP's immigrant work force.

But there is no sign that the troubles afflicting Storm Lake (pop. 8,700), as well as other Midwestern meatpacking towns and their workers, will abate soon. Town officials and residents say that the plant, which has about 1,200 employees, continues to attract illegal aliens, mainly from Mexico. Among Storm Lake's 1,900 public-school students, the percentage of those whose first language is not English has risen from 26 to 32 percent in three years, forcing the system to offer expensive language courses. IBP donated $58,000 to the effort last year, but school superintendent Bill Kruse says that was a one-time gift. Student turnover, he says, "still remains a concern." Although the rising crime rate has leveled off, County Supervisor Jim Gustafson notes that the jails in the county are full. "It's a matter of the [plant's] turnover," he says. "We just can't seem to stabilize our work force."

Work in meatpacking plants can be equally hard on employees. Nationally, more than a third of them are injured on the job each year. If they are illegal aliens, many don't stick around for medical care. Often, they move to another plant in another town, starting over at the bottom of the wage scale.

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IBC went to court.. lost, was fined, and refused to pay the fine. But the average wage in that area where the meat packers were went from about $11.00 an hour down to $6 plus. But a whole lot of people were put out of work, and the Union Busting goes on today and the plants are just as unsafe now as they were then. Illegal aliens though.. don't make waves. They just go home and die. It is rotten!

Our beef is with illegal immigration, illegal aliens, illegal alien gangs, and the politicians and businesses that assist them NOT Catholics.

Catholics, Jews, Prodestants, etc... are all welcome here and are welcome as members of ALIPAC. We all need to stay focused on that and leave other personal dislikes or preferences out of the debate. To do otherwise is to risk the ability to build the big tent coalition we need to address this problem.

William

ALIPAC said: Catholics, Jews, Prodestants, etc... are all welcome here and are welcome as members of ALIPAC.

I agree. I think the poster, however, was referring to the political component of the Catholic church. Every Catholic does not agree with his church's hierarchy, just as many Americans don't agree with the current administration of this government.

What is the situation there with religion btw? I know catholics are probably a big majority, but how much tolerance for others does the government of mexico show? Just kinda curious about that.

I understand that there are folks people are not happy with the Catholic church, but that is a separate issue from ours. It also runs the risk of alienating people from our cause because many catholics support the catholic church.

I have not read anything at this point about the catholic church weighing in on this issue one way or the other. A lot of Central American's are catholic so I'm not shocked at the fact some of their clergy have been caught up in smuggling.

Everyone understands why I feel it is important we stay focused on our issue and do not alienate anyone from our movement?

W

It seems to me that they are not very tolerant if you do not agree with them.

My personal opinion is that I could care less about Mexico.
What are they doing for us?

What we need here are some people that will tell them that we don't
give a rats behind what they think. I assure you that they will fold like
a wet accordion. From what I have seen they are full of talk with little
to back it up.

As the old saying, a alligator mouth and a hummingbird behind.

I do not to intend to be disrespectful to the Catholic Church.

However, if your are aiding and abetting an illegal in the United
States you are commiting a felony. Clergy or no.

FYI,
The vast majority of Mexican citizens are Catholic.

There is an article there dealing with the Pope and his request that immigrants be accepted. The National Catholic Reporter was the source. What I did not bring is extensive however. You can do your own research at http://www.findarticles.com.... ask for illegal aliens catholic ... in just that form. You can also ask for.. illegal immigrants catholic .... Find Articles looks for the three words in the same article and brings it forward. Some of the articles used illegal aliens, some used illegal immigrants.

And if you do look, you will discover there are significant efforts on the part of the Catholic Church to provide Half Way Houses to illegal aliens in Huston, Texas, on the border, and in other circumstances. None of the articles you find from the National Catholic Reporter that report their efforts are dated recently, but the National Catholic Report continues to suggest the illegal aliens are, for example, 'the new face of Jesus'.

I don't want to offend anyone as I have said, but I do not want the Catholic Church in a position of providing exta-legal services to illegal aliens either. There is a problem with the Church. We need to be aware of it. And in my passages I have discovered the efforts in Huston have led to very significant propulations of illegal aliens. Ibelieve I read something to the effect that the second largest population of illegal aliens from Mexico was in Huston.

I will bring more links on this area. The Catholic Church IS involved with supporting the illegal aliens, but more actively, helping the illegal aliens per reports in the National Catholic Reporter.
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The President of the United States has sort of ignored the laws concerning illegal aliens, and ignored his oath of office to uphold the constitution. If there was anyone in the the United States who could actively go after the law and change it, it would be the President. That is.. if the public accepted the idea. If the Public did not accept the change, he could do almost exactly what he is doing, and force this issue of illegal aliens on us, and force us to accept what was created. Basically, unless the illegal aliens are returned to their homes of origin, the President of the United States has simply ignored the law and forced this issue to be as he wished. I am hoping to beat him in his act of betrayal of the civil law processes.

The Catholic Church is a very active, very wealthy, very powerful lobby group. And while the Church is very influential, with some 33% of the population, (I think it is that high, but don't have that number exact), it would seem to me we obtain the support of the Catholic Americans or anything we do will wind up being a garish and foolish movement that disappeared. And I believe the Catholic Membership DOES support the rule of law, and particularly when the President of the United States has committed a act without the approval or permission of the people of the United States, and in direct contridiction of the people of the United States. But as it now stand, the Catholic Church has also simply ignored the civil processes and the laws, and provided support to the illegal aliens.

Two top dogs in our society have broken or ignored the law for their own purposes. I am intensely concerned about that.

I believe this link is only good at the time of creation, so I did not bring it. The search: illegal immigrants catholic ...
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Catholic Worker house is multinational: Houston effort grows to assist immigrants on Mexico's borders - Houston Catholic Worker houses have grown to 16
Louis and Mark Zwick are amazed at how their small Catholic Worker house in Houston, TX has grown to 16 on the Mexican-US border and the Guatemalan-Mexican ...

National Catholic Reporter, 1/12/96 by Arthur Jones · 1 page · More from publication
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Immigrants, legal and illegal, biggest losers in reform - Welfare Reform - Cover Story
The welfare reform bill will cut off benefits to legal aliens and US citizens who are children born to aliens. Although many immigrants pay taxes, they ...

National Catholic Reporter, 10/11/96 by Leslie Wirpsa · 1 page · More from publication
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(1998 and this marks the point where the influx of illegal aliens began in very serious numbers.)

Pope advocates amnesty for illegal immigrants - international appeal - Brief Article
Pope John Paul II called on nations to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants within their borders as a concrete gesture of justice and forgiveness during ...

National Catholic Reporter, 10/23/98 · 1 page · More from publication
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Immigration ruling called `unjust' - illegal immigrants protected status to expire - Brief Article
Church and government officials in El Salvador protested what they called the U.S. government's discriminatory treatment of Salvadoran and Guatemalan ...

National Catholic Reporter, 1/15/99 · 1 page · More from publication
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Immigrants risk, lose lives in border crossings
Between 190 and 330 illegal immigrants are killed at the US-Mexico border around Texas each year. Most of the accidents involve drowning in the Rio Grande ...

National Catholic Reporter, 4/5/96 by David Finnigan · 1 page · More from publication
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U.S. welfare reform establishes caste policies: under the new law, immigrants are no longer to be viewed as the latest guests to our table - Editorial
Corporate welfare was not an issue when the welfare reform bill was fashioned in Congress. Not the wealthy but the weaker members of society are effected.

National Catholic Reporter, 1/10/97 · 1 page · More from publication
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(I want to make a very clear point here. The development of unions had begun in the Agricultural Sector in 1970 and the United Farm Workers were organizing the fields of California. [The abuse of the growers was very ugly] We had a grape boycott back there called for by the UFW. Growers came out and ran the UFW off with shotguns. http://www.google.com and ask for the United Farm Workers and you will discover the point made in the following article is a contrivence and not correct.)

Immigrants needed in California fields: INS knows it - Column
California needs the undocumented workers for its economy to remain viable therefore employers hire field workers without fear of the 1986 immigration control act. New expensive plans to control the M

National Catholic Reporter, 6/28/96 by Moises Sandoval · 1 page · More from publication
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Church pushes for border justice - conference on immigrants and border disputes
Pope's words inspire a conference on immigrant rights A three-day border conference here, sponsored by the Catholic church and drawing on Pope John ...

National Catholic Reporter, 10/1/99 by Nancy Hand · 1 page · More from publication
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I want the Catholic Church to gain their objectives legally. Not as a reflection of bullying the law.