Catholic Charities USA President, Rev. Larry Snyder, issued the following statement regarding the introduction of bipartisan immigration reform legislation in the U.S. Senate:

“Catholic Charities USA has long awaited yesterday’s introduction of legislation in the Senate that would allow our country to take the next important step in a much-needed conversation of our core values as a nation of immigrants. The bipartisan sponsors of this proposal should be commended for setting aside political bias and partisan opportunity and choosing instead to address the realities we face as a nation regarding immigration with seriousness and compassion.

“Catholic social teaching calls us to seek justice for newcomers, and our history as a faith community in the United States has been as an immigrant Church to an immigrant nation. As such, we strongly believe that any proposal considered must – at its core – build up our communities and support our families by including a path to citizenship, allowing families to remain intact, providing worker protections and addressing the plight of undocumented children. We look forward to analyzing this proposal in detail and working closely with Members on both sides of the aisle to bring to fruition a bipartisan path forward for the millions in our country waiting for action.”

Click here for statements from the United States Conference of Catholic  Bishops.

To learn more you can also download a copy of CCUSA’s 2005 Policy Paper which represents the response of Catholic Charities USA and our members to the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops campaign for immigration reform.

To download the full statement, please click here.