THE fierce battle over the future of America’s immigration system is spilling from Capitol Hill onto the airwaves, as conservatives accuse Democrats, human rights groups and even some labor unions of trying to stymie Republican efforts to stem the tide of illegal immigration.
But in recent weeks, some commentators and prominent Republicans have turned their swords against another formidable foe in their battle to tighten the borders: the Roman Catholic Church.
Immigration has long caused friction between the church, with its advocacy for migrants, and conservatives, who want to slow illegal crossings over the Mexican border. But as Congress wrestles with the fate of the nation’s 11 million illegal immigrants, that tension has escalated into a sharp war of words, highlighting the divide among some Republicans and Catholics who have fought side by side on other issues like abortion and same-sex marriage.
In December, after the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a tough border security bill that, among other things, would make it a crime to assist illegal immigrants, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops assailed it as extremely punitive and called on its flock to oppose it. Church officials have sent lobbyists to Congress and this month parishes sent members to rallies in Chicago and Washington to push for legislation that would legalize undocumented immigrants and put them on the path to citizenship.
My dad, living in a ‘Sanctuary city’ in south Florida, has stopped giving financially to the Catholic parish he attends, due to their increased support of illegal aliens in that city. He has seen first hand how a neighborhood can go downhill due to the presence of illegals. He routinely protests outside a ‘day labor’ building that was until recently supported openly by Catholic Charities, and which still receives donations of money and food for those served by the center.
And by speaking up, he has had rocks thrown at his pick-up, once breaking the windshield, another denting the door (fortunately it was at night, and he wasn’t outside at the time).
My mom fears for his safety. My sister, who lives two blocks away from him, says she can’t go outside alone certain times of the day for all the cat-calls and names hurled at her, as well as general shouting in Spanish. Her mail box has been run down at least three times by drunk drivers. Once when my bro-in-law tried to get a license plate number from one such incident, he found a) no plate and b) himself surrounded by Hispanics with baseball bats “You got a problem with us, eh? You better mind your own business!” The police took the details later, but said these were probably illegals and they had no authority over illegal problems, since that was a ‘federal issue’ not local.
So, yes, the Catholic Church is complicating matters greatly.