Archbishop José H. Gomez / Facebook
CV NEWS FEED // Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles called for a long-overdue reform of the United States’ immigration system Feb. 11.
“The recent controversies with the new administration in Washington, D.C. reflect a lack of awareness of the history and confusion about the duties of the Church and government,” Archbishop Gomez wrote in a piece published in the Archdiocese’s Angelus News.
“The Church has been a good partner,” Archbishop Gomez asserted, pointing to the efforts of Catholic Charities and other agencies in helping millions of legal immigrants and refugees settle in the United States with compassion and efficiency.
Despite the Church’s efforts, the Archbishop expressed concern about the human toll inflicted by the broken system, citing the trafficking of vulnerable individuals, the plight of long-term residents without legal status, and the impact of drug smuggling.
Archbishop Gomez acknowledged that while it is essential to remove undocumented immigrants who pose a threat from entering the country, there is a pressing need to reform the immigration system that allows such situations to occur.
“Not enough people in Washington seem to be serious about that,” he said, noting that the last “comprehensive reform” of the immigration system was in 1986.
“Forty years is a long time for our leaders to avoid solving an important problem,” he added.
Lamenting the bipartisan exploitation of the issue for political gain rather than finding solutions, the Archbishop emphasized the need to refocus the conversation.
“The criticism of the Church is misplaced and distracts from the real issues, which are deep and decades old,” Archbishop Gomez asserted. “In 2013, a very different administration from the other political party was in power in Washington. That administration deported more than 5 million immigrants. I said then and it’s still true today: Deportation is not an immigration policy.”
Amid global economic and political instability that has led to increased migration, the Archbishop stressed the need of the nation for a coherent immigration policy in line with Catholic teaching and international law.
Archbishop Gomez reiterated the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ stance that while every nation has the right and obligation to control and secure its borders, people also have the right to emigrate in search of a better life and noted that “prosperous nations are called to be generous in welcoming them.”
“But we cannot let everyone in who wants to live here, so there need to be rules and an orderly process for deciding who we welcome, how many we welcome, and under what conditions,” he said. “These are basic principles of Catholic teaching and international law. Other industrialized nations in the West have a coherent immigration policy. America should too.”
Archbishop Gomez is one of multiple US bishops who have written pastoral letters and statements to their respective dioceses addressing the issue, including bishops of North Carolina, Virginia, Michigan, Georgia, and Missouri.
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