Mahony Urges U.S. to OK Bill on Immigrants

Cardinal Roger M. Mahony and several U.S. Catholic bishops called Wednesday for Congress to pass immigration legislation by the end of the year that would include a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and create a temporary worker program that protects laborers’ rights.

Mahony said legislators should do something now or the country will face the same issues in five years -- with even more illegal immigrants.

“Our nation has an opportunity to make history at this moment by reforming the system comprehensively,” Mahony said at a news conference at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, where the U.S. bishops are holding their semiannual meeting. “We should not let this moment pass.”

The Senate passed a bill last month that would set up a guest worker program and establish a tiered legalization program for illegal immigrants based on the time they have been in the country. The House passed a bill in December that focuses solely on enforcement. Both bills include provisions that would increase border security and crack down on employers who hire undocumented laborers.

Mahony, who has taken an active role in the immigration debate, said Wednesday that “political winds shift every single day” but that he hoped Congress would pass a bill that the Catholic Church could support.

The bishops said the tiered approach in the Senate bill is not realistic. A legalization program should give priority to illegal immigrants who have been here longer but should give everyone the same chance at green cards, they said.