As a devout Jew, Jesus knew well the command of Leviticus 19:33-34:
“When an alien resides with you in your land, do not mistreat such a one. You shall treat the alien who resides with you no different than the natives born among you …”
Our belief in the dignity of the human person demands that we treat immigrants with respect and recognize their great contributions. But our nation imposes quotas and bureaucracies that make legal immigration overwhelmingly difficult, and brands those who flee their troubled homelands as “illegals.”
At this time, our nation seems to be both shunning and relying on immigrants. As a new surge of poisonous nativism creates fear among the immigrant communities, Pope Francis has spoken clearly in a letter to American Catholic bishops:
“I have followed closely the major crisis that is taking place in the United States with the initiation of a program of mass deportations. The rightly formed conscience cannot fail to make a critical judgment and express its disagreement with any measure that tacitly or explicitly identifies the illegal status of some migrants with criminality. At the same time, one must recognize the right of a nation to defend itself and keep communities safe from those who have committed violent or serious crimes while in the country or prior to arrival. That said, the act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness. . . . The true common good is promoted when society and government, with creativity and strict respect for the rights of all — as I have affirmed on numerous occasions — welcomes, protects, promotes and integrates the most fragile, unprotected and vulnerable.”
As Long Island residents, we have deep connections with the immigrant community. They are family members, friends, classmates, neighbors and co-workers. Our decades of experience show that most immigrants are hardworking and law-abiding. The Immigration Research Institute reports that immigrants account for 22 percent of Long Island’s economic output. Across New York state, undocumented immigrants contribute $1.1 billion in state and local taxes.
We value and respect local law enforcement officers. We remind them that enforcing federal policy on immigrants is the responsibility of the federal government. We urge local law enforcement to refrain from collaboration with federal immigration agencies, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, unless a person is detained because of a criminal act or has a criminal record. We also remind local law enforcement that:
No one can enter a private dwelling unless they have a warrant signed by a judge. An administrative order signed by ICE does not meet legal criteria for entering a private dwelling.
Hospitals, schools, and places of worship have always been respected as places of refuge. No law enforcement agency should be allowed to violate those spaces without probable cause.
People reporting crimes should not be forced to prove their identity before they are helped. This is especially true in cases of domestic violence.
Minors should not be intimidated or questioned unnecessarily; rather, they should be protected.
Pax Christi Long Island stands with our immigrant community because it’s the right thing to do. We acknowledge their sizable contribution to the health and welfare of Long Island. We ask all Long Islanders to embrace and protect them nonviolently from injustice and abuse. We hope to remain true to our religious tradition and the universal standard of decency, by treating all people the way we would like to be treated.
Pax Christi Long Island members Sister Mary Beth Moore and Sister Evelyn Lamoureux are Catholic nuns who have worked with immigrants for decades. Pax Christi Long Island can be contacted at catholic peaceli@gmail.com.
