Notre Dame president to lawmakers: Act now on immigration reform

University of Notre Dame President the Rev. John Jenkins joined more than 90 other Catholic college and university presidents today in urging members of the U.S. House of Representatives to act on common-sense immigration reform.

"It would be a tragic failure if we were to miss this opportunity to make this nation more generous, more welcoming and more prosperous," Jenkins said during a conference call with reporters.

With the support of Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Granger, the Democrat-controlled Senate passed comprehensive immigration reform in June, but the Republican-controlled House has yet to take up the matter.

The Senate measure, which passed 68-32 thanks to the support of 14 Republican members, provides for increased border security and a pathway to citizenship for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants already in the country.

In a letter to Catholic members of the House, including Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, the group of college and university presidents expresses support for the DREAM Act and urges lawmakers to "pass comprehensive immigration reform that includes a road to earned citizenship."

"Our broken immigration system, which tears children from parents, traps aspiring Americans in the shadows and undermines the best values of this nation is morally indefensible," the letter states.

"We hope that as you face intense political pressure from powerful interest groups, you will draw wisdom and moral courage from our shared faith tradition," the letter continues, adding, "Catholic teaching values the human dignity and work of all immigrants, regardless of legal status."

In addition to Jenkins? signature, the letter contains the signatures of Brother John Paige, president of Holy Cross College, and Todd Whitmore, an associate professor of theology at Notre Dame.

In a statement today, U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Jimtown, who is Christian but not Catholic, acknowledged that the country?s immigration system ?is broken and needs repairs? but stopped well short of endorsing the reform bill passed by the Senate.

?As the House works to craft our own bill, we must recognize the complexity of this issue and treat reform with fairness and careful consideration,? Walorski said. ?I encourage the House to focus on designing a workable system to address critical issues like border security and a visa entry-exit system, tracking individuals entering and leaving the U.S. on temporary visas for improved national security.

?Second District Hoosiers have already shared valuable feedback with my office,? she added, ?and I hope they will stay in touch to relay opinions and ideas during this process.?

Source: http://www.wsbt.com/news/wsbt-notre-dame-president-to-lawmakers-act-now-on-immigration-reform-20130718,0,1522580.story?track=rss

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