Congress will be voting on immigration tomorrow. But, the amendments they will be voting on do not offer long term solutions to the current problems with our immigration system and do not reflect policies that welcome the stranger in our midst. Immigration should be about people, not politics. Unfortunately, this week immigration is being used as political theatre. The House is voting on bills that would hurt immigrants even though these bills are unlikely to be passed into laws. Fighting executive action and taking a hard line on immigrants and immigration may be politically popular, but it is short-sighted. We need Congress to work towards real and broad immigration reform.

On Friday, the House introduced a nearly $40 billion bill (H.R. 240) that would fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through September. Tomorrow the House will be voting on GOP- sponsored amendments that would nullify the President’s executive order. These five amendments prohibit funding from DHS to be used for the President’s new program that protects parents of American citizens from being deported (DAPA), and they eliminate DACA, putting all DREAMers at risk for deportation. Overall, the amendments prevent the President from exercising prosecutorial discretion in deportation enforcement priorities, requiring Immigration Customs and Enforcement to pursue deportations at random and without consideration of an individual’s ties to the US, his or her criminal record, or the length of time residing in the United States.

As Catholics, we recognize immigrants as image-bearers of God. We have been asking for a real and broad reform bill that replaces our broken system and respects the dignity and value of each individual immigrant. This new Congress has a golden opportunity to present a clear and positive vision on immigrants in America. Congress has a choice: they can pass legislation that makes executive action unnecessary by replacing our broken immigration system or keep the status quo of a broken system that daily hurts millions of families in our congregations and communities.

We need Congress to act on long-term immigration reform for our immigrant neighbors. As people of faith, our task to Congress will remain the same: pass comprehensive immigration reform that respects the dignity and value of immigrants as people and image-bearers.

Will you take a minute to call your Congressperson today and ask them to use his or her leadership to work toward comprehensive immigration reform? Please call the number below and use the sample script.

To connect with your Representative, call the congressional switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Here is a sample script:

“Hello, my name is _______ and I am from (city, state). As a Catholic, I am calling to express my concern that the only efforts the House is making in regards to immigration  focus on fighting executive action instead of working toward comprehensive reform that would provide long term solutions to  the brokenness of our current immigration system.  I ask that the congressperson would please use his/her leadership to work towards comprehensive immigration reform that promotes family unity and protects vulnerable, undocumented people in this country through the creation of  a pathway to legal status. As a constituent and a Catholic, I plan to stay informed about how the Congressperson and his/her colleagues address our broken immigration system and the many people that suffer daily due to its brokenness. Thank you.”