May 23, 2007
THE SENATE IS DEBATING IMMIGRATION REFORM NOW:
URGE THEM TO IMPROVE S. 1348
TAKE ACTION NOW! Click here to urge your Senators to improve S. 1348 by:
- Providing a path to citizenship within the temporary worker program.
- Allowing immediate family members to permanently join legalized workers in the first year, not the eighth.
- Opposing the elimination of the family preference system in lieu of a “point” system that favors high-skilled workers.
WHY THIS ISSUE IS IMPORTANT: A bipartisan group of Senators recently introduced S. 1348, the Secure Borders, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Reform Act of 2007. The bill addresses border security and immigration enforcement, creates a legalization program for undocumented immigrants in the U.S., establishes a temporary worker program, and makes changes to the family preference and worker visa systems.
It is important for the Senate to move forward on comprehensive immigration reform legislation. However, the U.S. Catholic Bishops, Catholic Relief Services and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Justice for Immigrants Campaign have significant reservations regarding certain aspects of S. 1348. We are calling on Senators to improve the bill to make it fair, workable and humane as they consider it the next several weeks.
WHY WE SHOULD GET INVOLVED: Our faith teaches us to uphold the dignity of every person and to act in solidarity with our brothers and sisters worldwide, especially the poor. As an expression of these Catholic social teachings, CRS serves displaced people, refugees, migrants and victims of human trafficking, daily confronting the suffering and exploitation of migrants and families separated across borders often for years. CRS also works with the worldwide Catholic Church to create economic opportunities so that people are not forced to migrate.
The Catholic Bishops of the United States, Mexico and Central America have consistently called for comprehensive immigration reform. The Bishops noted that: “we judge ourselves as a community of faith by the way we treat the most vulnerable among us.” In response to the Bishops’ call, CRS has joined the Justice for Immigrants Campaign in support of fair, comprehensive immigration reform. For more information, please visit: http://www.justiceforimmigrants.org/.
TALKING POINTS: Click here to communicate your concerns over certain provisions of S. 1348 today. Let your Senators know that:
- Changes must be made to the proposed temporary worker program. S. 1348 must be amended to a) allow for a path to citizenship for temporary workers in the program; b) allow for immediate family members to come with the temporary worker and c) provide for a three-year renewable visa, not a two-year visa and a requirement to return home for a year.
- Amendments must be made to the legalization program. While we support the legalization of undocumented immigrants in S. 1348, it should be changed to allow for immediate family members (spouses, children) to permanently join the legalized worker in the first year. We oppose requiring the visa holder to return to their country of origin to apply for permanent residency.
- You oppose elimination of family preference system. S. 1348 eliminates several categories of the family preference system and replaces it with a “point” system. Families are the backbone of immigrant communities—they start businesses, promote good citizenship, and contribute to integration. We oppose a system which replaces family reunification preferences in favor of a system skewed to highly skilled and educated workers.
For further information contact:
Tina Rodousakis, Legislative Network Specialist, 1-800-235-2772 x 7462; trodousa@crs.org
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