Catholic Bishops reject Bush immigration plan; support STRIVE Act
According to a report in Hispanic Business, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is urging Congress to approve “comprehensive immigration reform”, such as that in the STRIVE Act proposed by Democrats, instead of the latest proposal from the Bush administration.
[Bishop Gerald Barnes] said that STRIVE deserved support because it promotes family reunification and contains “a realistic plan for bringing undocumented immigrants out of the shadows.”The bishop said, in contrast, that the Bush proposal is not good for immigrant families and imposes heavy fines and lengthy waits for legalization of immigration status, something that interested foreigners will not be able to fulfill.
“As we understand it, the (Bush) administration’s proposal would effectively leave many immigrants seeking to legalize their status in a permanent underclass and would encourage family breakdown in immigrant communities,” Barnes said.
