Immigrants

The following was shared with me by a parishioner:

I have been attending mass service at Immaculate Conception for over 9 months, ever since I moved here from ... I am concerned about what I read in today's newsletter with regards to the use of the Love Fund. I am opposed to using the Love Funds to assist those who are here, in America, illegally. I do not have any issues in using the funds were the fund to be used to help those parishioners here illegally to become legal.


I understand there are children involved, however the persons who are being deported have been living here tax free, living off of our services that could be used for our own citizens. If an American were to go to any other country and try to live illegally, they would be deported and not have the luxury of that country's services.


There are plenty of citizens here in the parish, elderly, veterans,unemployed,sick and handicapped, for who the Love Funds would better serve.

My response:

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and concerns about the Love Fund. Let me offer you my own thinking on the situation.


1. Clearly the presence of 12 million undocumented people is a concern. It's a concern from a legal point of view: persons living in the US should be documented to assure that the US has control over it's borders. But the fact is, we don't. And I believe we never will until something is done about what is "pushing" our southern neighbors north. This is an issue that the US and particularly Mexico need to deal with, individually and bi-laterally. As long as American businesses find it profitable to outsource jobs for the sake of paying sub-standard wages and avoiding the benefits people need for family security, those suffering in poverty will make all kinds of attempts to remedy their situation.

2. Regardless of their status, every human being has a right to food, shelter, health care, and the pursuit of happiness. These are human and not civil rights. As Catholics we are bound to respect these rights.

3. The presence of children makes this challenge more acute. As human beings, they are among the "poor" who have a unique claim on our assistance. In addition, many are US citizens. Two-thirds of all children with undocumented parents (about 3 million) are U.S.-born citizens who live in mixed-status families. Roughly 1.5 percent of elementary schoolchildren (enrolled in kindergarten through 5th grade) and 3 percent of secondary children (grades 6-12) were undocumented. Slightly higher shares—5 percent in elementary and 4 percent in secondary schools—had undocumented parents.


4. With respect to the burden undocumented place on the tax base, the 1996 welfare reform bill disqualifies undocumented persons from nearly all means-tested government programs: food stamps, housing assistance, as well as Medicaid and Medicare. Studies of the situation indicate that the undocumented pay the same real estate taxes—whether they own homes or taxes are passed through to rents—and the same sales and other consumption taxes as everyone else. The majority of state and local costs of schooling and other services are funded by these taxes. Additionally, the U.S. Social Security Administration has estimated that three quarters of undocumented immigrants pay payroll taxes, and that they contribute $6-7 billion in Social Security funds that they will be unable to claim. I don't have relevant data, but would like to know how helpful this is in light of the losses to the tax base caused by the tax evasion practiced by businesses and individuals using off-shore accounts.

5. These facts don't erase the need to meet the challenge of porous borders, obscene poverty and violence in other countries (for which the US is not totally to blame, but is complicit), or the attraction of jobs in the US that US citizens will not do.

Until some serious work is done to address these issues, we will be asked to help people who are in need of what's basic for them to live with the dignity each human being deserves.


Our parish needs to continue doing its part to be a collaborator in meeting the challenges and in alleviating human need. While we will work for immigration reform, we will attempt to meet those challenges.

Again, my thanks for your email.