Border To Border One World, One People, One Nation Under God

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Border To BorderOne World, One People, One
Nation Under God

• Presented by
• the Sisters of St. Dominic at Caldwell, NJ
• and STM Public Discipleship Ministry

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Inscribed on Lady Libertys pedestal are these
words by Emma Lazarusfrom her poem The New
Colossus

• Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled
  masses yearning to breathe free,
• The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
• Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me
• I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

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How Did It Come To This?

• Industrial Revolution, along with a rise in
  agricultural productivity, resulted in
  unprecedented modern economic growth.
• At the same time, both population per-capita
  income rose as never before imagined.
• Global population rose more than six-fold in just
  two centuries
• World average per-capita income rose even faster
  by nine-fold between 1820 and 2000
• In todays rich countries economic growth
  increased by 25-fold during that same period.

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The Third World vs. First World

• Imperial rule left conquered regions at a loss
  for education, health care, local political
  leadership or adequate physical infra-structure.
• Newly-independent countries in Post WWII made
  disastrous political choices (socialist economic
  models or a choice for self-sufficiency supported
  by inefficient trade barriers).
• Many regions now affected by special obstacles
  hardships (diseases like malaria, drought-prone
  climates in areas not suitable for irrigation,
  extreme isolation in hard-to-reach areas, an
  absence of energy resources like coal, gas oil,
  other liabilities not experienced here.)

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Catholic Social Teaching

• Life and Dignity of the Human Person
• Call to Family, Community and Participation
• Rights and Responsibilities
• Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
• The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
• Solidarity
• Care for Gods Creation

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Some Hard Facts

• Immigrants have put 7 billion each year into our
  Social Security fund which would be denied were
  they to be deported.
• Immigrants spend 450 billion each year in the
  US.

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Border Protection, Anti-Terrorism Illegal
Immigration Control Act(HR 4437) passed by House
of Reps just 10 days after introduction

• Proposes significant changes to US immigration
  policy
• Mandates return to home country to apply for a
  temp work visa (2,000/yr fined for not doing so)
• Such visa lasts only 2 yrs does not lead to
  permanent residency or citizenship
• Family members can only visit 30 days per year
• For such workers this is a crime felony
  possible jail time being barred from future
  legal status in US
• Workers (or asylum seekers) would no longer face
  an immigration judge or adjudicator before
  deportation
• For those helping (church personnel, healthcare
  workers, lawyers) Criminal penalties 5 year
  prison term

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The Secure America an Orderly Immigration Act (HR
2330)proposed by Senators John McCain (R-AZ)
Edward Kennedy (D-MA)

• Offers alternate, more comprehensive reform with
  path to legalization
• After working 6 yrs illegally, can apply for
  permanent residency 5 yrs later, apply for
  citizenship
• Those in foreign lands can be issued work visa,
  if they have a job offer in US
• Eliminates the 480,000 cap for immediate
  relatives of US citizens for family visas, thus
  allowing families to reunite

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NJ Members of Congress

• SENATE MEMBERS
• Frank R Lautenberg (D)
• One Gateway Center, 23 fl.
• Newark, NJ 07102
• Robert Menendez (D)
• One Gateway Center, Suite 1100
• Newark, NJ 0102

• HOUSE MEMBERS
• District 11
• Rodney P Frelinghuysen (D) 30 Schuyler
  Place, 2nd Floor Morristown, NJ 07960

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Sample Form Letter /Tips for Writing Congress

• Dear Rep. (or Sen.) __________
• As your constituent, I am writing to urge your
  support for legislation pertaining to immigration
  reform, specifically that which takes a just
  approach (vs. a very restrictive approach) toward
  those who enter our borders for economic and
  employment opportunity.
• I am aware there are currently several pieces of
  legislation under consideration. The two which
  catch my attention most fully are
• The (very restrictive) Border Protection,
  Anti-Terrorism Illegal Immigration Control Act
  (HR4437), passed by the House of Representatives
  just 10 days after introduction, and
• The (more just) Secure America An Orderly
  Immigration Act (HR2330), proposed by Senators
  John Mc Cain (R-AZ), and Edward Kennedy (D-MA)
  
• Support of HR2330 is important to me because
  ..
• Close your letter with a restatement of your
  purpose and indicate the response that you expect.

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What else can WE do?

• Share this information with others / Encourage
  friends, relatives fellow citizens to also
  write to their local congressional reps,
• Continue to follow the progress of immigration
  reform in your local newspaper and periodicals,
• Host/support a Fair Trade Exchange craft
  show/event/program
• Attend Human Rights Workshop on 3/28/06 at
  Caldwell College
• Participate in /sponsor-a-walker in local Fall
  2006 Crop Walk
• Donate Phone Cards

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What else can be done?(federal interventions)

• Broad legislative/policy initiatives of a
  long-term nature
• Increase poverty-focused development assistance
• Urge smart use of government-held food reserves
• Designate at least 10 of our exportable food for
  concessionary sales or grants to food-short
  nations.
  
• Congressional support of agricultural development
  in less developed countries
  
• Debt Cancellation measures for foreign countries
  least able to repay such obligations

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One Last Thought..

• And remember, it is said the greatest harm to
  humanity is when good people do nothing.

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Reading Resources / Reference Bibliography

• The End Of Poverty, author, Jeffrey D. Sachs
• How To End Poverty, Time magazine, 3/14/05
• The Catholic Advocate, 1/11/06 issue, Catholic
  Groups to Oppose Punitive Immigration Bill
• Inside Americas Secret Workforce, Time, 2/6/06
  
• How Much Is Enough?, author Arthur Simon
• Embracing Illegals, 7/18/05 issue of Time
  magazine
• Opinion, Star-Ledger, Middle Way on
  Immigration,
• Street-Corner Immigration Reform, NYTimes,
  2/25/06

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Resources on the Web

• US Conference of Catholic Bishops www.usccb.org
• USCCB Committee on Migration www.justiceforimmigra
  nts.org
• US Conf. of Catholic Bishops Archdiocese of
  Newark www.rcan.org
• House Judiciary http//judiciary.house.gov/
• International Institute of NJ www.IINJ.org
• US Congress www.congress.org
• Catholic World News www.cwnews.com

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Notes and Comments

• Knowledge is like a garden.
• If it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested.
  
  (African Proverb)