Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli

On Aug. 7, almost immediately after U.S. immigration authorities conducted a surprise raid on undocumented workers in several Mississippi factories, the image of a tearful Magdalena Gomez Gregorio was flashed before our eyes. This 11-year-old girl stood before the media, the nation and the world, sobbing and crying. She had been separated from her parents. The scene was broadcasted by a local television station and then picked up nationally.

A child pleading and begging, “Government, please put your heart — let my parents be free with everybody else, please. I need my dad… mommy. My dad didn’t do nothing. He’s not a criminal.” What a heart-wrenching icon of the pain that our broken immigration system is causing.

The Aug. 7 Mississippi raid detained 680 undocumented immigrants who were working to eke out an existence for their families. It was the largest raid since the December 2006 sting that swept up more than 1,200 people working in meatpacking plants in the Midwest. It had been planned and carefully executed. It was all legal, of course. But one could only wish that there be more enthusiasm and energy spent by our leaders to fix the laws that bring so much pain to those who come to work and seek the American dream.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, immigrants make up 16.9 percent of the U.S. workforce. An estimated 5.1 percent of them are undocumented. They work hard at lower skills jobs of picking apples and grapes, landscaping, cutting, cleaning and packing chicken and other types of meat. They work long hours. They are not always paid well; and, they often have to work in substandard conditions. These laborers make up half of the nation’s farmworkers and 15 percent of construction workers. These are not criminals, but neighbors who want to support their families and become part of our great country.

When speaking of the undocumented, there must always be the distinction between those who engage in criminal activity and those who work hard and wish to raise their families in a peaceful environment. It is patently unjust to place everyone in the same category. Our immigration laws need to be fair and realistic and should respect the difference.

One can legitimately question whether or not worksite raids are a good solution to solve our immigration situation. According to Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, “The net result [of such raids] will be immigrant workers pushed further underground, families separated and local economies decimated. The American worker and their family lose their neighbors, fellow church members and friends.”

On Aug. 9, in a wide-ranging interview with Italian daily, La Stampa, Pope Francis clearly enunciated certain basic principles that should guide any country facing mass immigration. He emphasized that the first attitude of the Christian is to be open, to welcome, to receive those in need and to accompany them, helping them to adjust to their new home. He also said, “At the same time, governments must think and act prudently, which is a virtue of government. Those in charge are called to think about how many migrants can be taken in.” He also pointed out that “some countries need people, especially for working in agriculture or for reviving their economy and breathing new life into half-empty towns because of low birthrates.”

The United States of America is home today to 44.5 million immigrants. According to Pew Research, it has more immigrants than any other country in the world. We need a just and compassionate way to respond to those who wish to cross our borders. The Catholic Bishops of the United States have been a voice for both reform of our country’s immigration policy and the healing of national division on this issue.

“The U.S. Catholic Bishops accept the legitimate role of the U.S. government in intercepting unauthorized migrants who attempt to travel to the United States. The Bishops also believe that by increasing lawful means for migrants to enter, live, and work in the United States, law enforcement will be better able to focus upon those who truly threaten public safety: drug and human traffickers, smugglers, and would be terrorists. Any enforcement measures must be targeted, proportional, and humane” [“Catholic Church’s Position on Immigration Reform,” Office of Migration Policy and Public Affairs of The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, August, 2013].

With all our divisions and social problems, America still remains a vast country that holds many opportunities for those willing to work. And, Americans are generous and compassionate. That is why we are moved by the tears of a child crying when separated from her mother and father. It is time for the laws of our nation to catch up to our goodness as a nation.