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undocumented workers: our neighbors in southern illinois

By the Most Rev. Edward K. Braxton

In the Diocese of Belleville, as in almost every diocese in the country, we have a growing number of migrant worker families. Many of these men, women, and children are undocumented. In southern Illinois the majority of the undocumented workers are Hispanics from Mexico. The American bishops have joined their voices with others in urging the development of a comprehensive immigration plan that will address all aspects of this complex situation in a manner that is fair, compassionate, and just. Our Office for Hispanic Ministry and the priests, religious, and lay leaders serving parishes and communities with significant numbers of Latinos have been working hard to provide appropriate assistance to our brothers and sisters who face daily challenges.

As you may know, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement of Homeland Security periodically screens places where Mexican immigrants are working (such as the Breese Journal office in Breese) to find out if the workers have the appropriate documents. These visits to places of work are, in effect, raids, causing great fear and anxiety in undocumented families. The Church has been providing opportunities for migrant workers to gather for support, professional assistance and legal advice.

On the evening news we all hear daily about “illegal aliens” who are crossing our borders and the need to put in place firm laws to protect our borders from those who do not follow the laws governing legal entrance into the United States. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are all called to remember that these are not abstract “undocumented workers.” These are husbands, wives, fathers, mothers and young children. They are individual human beings who are desperately seeking ways to provide for their families.

The bishops of the United States have frequently asked for the just and humane treatment of those working in this country without proper documentation. We have urged President George Bush and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to reexamine the use of worksite enforcement raids because their immeasurable humanitarian costs are unacceptable in a civilized society. On the subject of worksite enforcement raids, the bishops’ Committee on Migration spoke forcefully in its Sept. 10, 2008 statement. An excerpt from this statement follows.

“We have witnessed first-hand the suffering of immigrant families and are gravely concerned about the collateral human consequences of immigration enforcement raids on the family unit. Many of our local parishes have helped respond to human needs generated by these enforcement actions, providing counseling and legal services to parents and children and basic needs assistance to immigrant communities. Raids strike immigrant communities unexpectedly, leaving the affected immigrant families to cope in their aftermath. Husbands are separated from their wives, and children are separated from their parents. Many families never recover; others never reunite.
As our government confronts the challenges of immigration, let it not forget one of its core duties: protecting the family unit as the fundamental institution upon which society and government itself depend.

While we do not question the right and duty of our government to enforce the law, we do question whether worksite enforcement raids are the most effective and humane method for performing this duty, particularly as they are presently being implemented. In this regard, we ask DHS to immediately pledge to take the following actions to mitigate the human costs of these raids:

• DHS should refrain from enforcement activity in certain areas that provide humanitarian relief — churches, hospitals, community health centers, schools, food banks and other community-based organizations that provide charitable services;

Primary, not simply sole, caregivers should be released following an enforcement action to care for their children. A variety of release mechanisms, including parole in the public interest, release on recognizance, bail and alternatives to detention should be utilized for this purpose;

• DHS should facilitate access to meaningful legal representation for arrested individuals so that they are
aware of their legal rights and options;

Enforcement actions should be conducted in a manner which preserves basic human dignity: immigrants who are working to survive and support their families should not be treated like criminals.

• Mechanisms should be instituted to allow family members to remain together and to locate each other during and following an enforcement action. Non-profit and community groups should be engaged in this effort.
Absent the effective and immediate implementation of these safeguards, we believe that these enforcement raids should be abandoned. Immigration enforcement raids demonstrate politically the ability of the government to enforce the law. They do little, however, to solve the broader challenge of illegal immigration. They also reveal, sadly, the failure of a seriously flawed immigration system, which, as we have consistently stated, requires comprehensive reform.”

Jan. 4-10, 2009 is National Migration Week. I strongly encourage the Catholic people in the Diocese of Belleville and everyone of good will to use this week to inform themselves about the very painful plight of migrant workers and the raids which are having a devastating impact not only on vulnerable families in far away Texas, but also on our neighbors right here in southern Illinois.