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April 2008. This three-page resource highlights recent statements and responses by U.S. Catholic Bishops to developments on the national and local levels regarding immigration policy. This resource provides clear and concise information and is a useful resource for the classroom, faith sharing group or social justice committee. This resource is the second in a series.
Immigration is one of the most critical social issues facing us today. The book, Enrique’s Journey” is the engrossing true story of a 16-year old boy from Honduras who travels thousands of miles to try and find his mother working in the U.S. This is an excellent book to read to explore the issue of immigration from the other side of the border. This two-page book discussion guide provides engaging questions, Catholic social teaching connections, and links with further resources to consult.
This three-page resource presents how the Catholic Church arrived at its position on immigration. This article by Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta, the first in a series, is a wonderful tool for background information, reflection, and discussion. The article is clear, easy to read and very informative highlighting where the teaching comes from.
National Migration Week is a week-long look at the dynamics and impacts of migration around the world. The theme for 2008 is "From Many, One Family of God". Use this week to learn more and join in solidarity with those who are forced to leave their homes because of conflict or war, famine, natural disaster, and poverty.
Immigration is an issue currently in the national spotlight. These quotes provide statements for reflection and discussion from a variety of church resources that can be included in parish bulletins or newsletters. Copy and paste the quotes for use in a variety of ways. See the Word version (QuotesImmigration.doc) in order to more easily cut and paste the quotes.
The most recent immigration reform bill, which included many negative enforcement-focused amendments in its final version, was defeated in the Senate in late June and the national immigration reform effort is now stalled until after the ’08 elections. But the struggle for just immigration legislation is far from over! Many states and local communities have begun to pass their own immigration laws with provisions designed to make their communities as unpleasant as possible for undocumented immigrants. This one-pager highlights a few cases of what is happening around the country and compares these state and local bills to the U.S. Catholic bishops’ vision of immigration legislation, which should, above all, be respectful of the human dignity of immigrants. Use this one-pager as a bulletin insert or educational handout.
This lesson plan is a group activity which engages participants in an active way, offering them an opportunity to explore immigration and the lives of immigrants from different perspectives. It is designed to foster reflection and dialogue on the complexities of the current U.S. immigration issues. Print-ready role cards and background material links are provided for you to use. This resource includes:
This resource provides a look at the recent legislation that authorized the building of a 700-mile wall along the border between the U.S. and Mexico. Can building walls really provide the solution we are looking for? This resource includes:
A great resource for: classes, justice groups, youth groups and justice committees.
As Catholics around the U.S. work with the U.S. Catholic Bishops to advocate for comprehensive immigration reform, both English and Spanish-speaking Catholics must be equipped with the resources to explain to others the true facts about immigration in the U.S., and what CST says about immigration.
The first two pages of this resource in Spanish, which debunk common myths about immigrants, are adapted from materials by the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Justice for Immigrants campaign. The factsheet on myths about immigrants is also available in English. The third page of this Spanish-language resource includes quotes from CST about immigration.
One recent debate in immigration reform has centered on border security. Various ideas have been proposed in Congress to built bigger fences, arm more guardsmen, and to make crossing the border more fearsome and dangerous for immigrants. The U.S. bishops have strongly warned against a border-security-focused strategy, for more reasons than just the past ineffectiveness of such a strategy.
This four-page resource includes a timeline of U.S. Immigration policy.
The United States is a country that was founded by immigrants and it has a rich history of "welcoming the stranger". This resource consists of short case studies of immigrants from different areas of the world and can be used as a reminder that immigrants bring many gifts and skills to the U.S. and come from a variety of situations in their home countries. A prayer to celebrate diversity and discussion questions based on a U.S. Catholic Bishops’ document is included. The last page of this resource is an Action Alert from the Bishops’ Justice for Immigrants Campaign.
Some opponents of immigration would allege that job loss in the U.S. can be blamed on the arrival of immigrants in the U.S. However, immigrants are actually more like to help the economy grow and create more jobs. The problem of job loss is complex, with deep root causes that require change in U.S. and global policies.
