Bishops urge migration reform

The U.S. government has dishonored “the basic humanity of migrants and refugees” because it has failed to pass immigration reform, according to a letter issued Wednesday by the Catholic bishops of Connecticut.

Blaming both political parties for a lack of action, the bishops urged “a complete overhaul of existing immigration policies,” the letter said. “Those responsible in government need to undertake an examination of conscience as to what they have done and have failed to do when it comes to respect for human persons and the enactment of fair and balanced legislation,” the bishops wrote.

The bishops wrote that “most recently we were confronted with the tragic images of the drowning deaths of Óscar Martinez and his 23monthold daughter, Angie Valeria, who were fleeing the dangers of El Salvador for the safety of the United States.”

They added that immigrants “have been captured and are now detained in overcrowded conditions” because of “political gridlock” and that an average of 357 immigrants die each year on the Southwest border. This bishops said other nations “need to be encouraged and aided” to “remedy the conditions that force people to flee their homeland.”

The letter was signed by Archbishop Leonard P. Blair and Auxiliary Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt of the Archdiocese of Hartford, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Bishop Michael R. Cote of the Diocese of Norwich, all Roman Catholics, and Bishop P. Paul Chomnycky of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford.