Border To Border One World One People One

Border To Border One World, One People, One Nation Under God Presented by: the Sisters of St. Dominic at Caldwell, NJ and STM Public Discipleship Ministry Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

Inscribed on Lady Liberty’s pedestal are these words by Emma Lazarus from 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. Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

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 today’s rich countries’ economic growth increased by 25 -fold during that same period. Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

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. ) Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

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 God’s Creation Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

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. Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

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 Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

The Secure America an Orderly Immigration Act (HR 2330) proposed by Senators John Mc. Cain (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 Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

NJ Members of Congress SENATE MEMBERS: • HOUSE MEMBERS: Frank R Lautenberg (D) • District 11: One Gateway Center, 23 fl. Newark, NJ 07102 Robert Menendez (D) • Rodney P Frelinghuysen (D) 30 Schuyler Place, 2 nd Floor Morristown, NJ 07960 One Gateway Center, Suite 1100 Newark, NJ 0102 Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

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 (HR 44 ( very passed by the House of Representatives just 10 days after introduction, and • The more just) Secure America An Orderly Immigration Act (HR 2330), proposed by Senators Joh ( more Cain (R-AZ), and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) • Support of HR 2330 is important to me because …………. . • Close your letter with a restatement of your purpose and indicate the response that you expect. Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

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 Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

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 foreign countries least able to repay such obligations Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

One Last Thought…. . • And remember, it is said the greatest harm to humanity is when good people do nothing. Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

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 America’s 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 Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

Resources on the Web • • US Conference of Catholic Bishops www. usccb. org USCCB Committee on Migration www. justiceforimmigrants. 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 Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28

Notes and Comments • Knowledge is like a garden. • If it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested. (African Proverb) Be generous & you will be prosperous. Help others & you will be helped. / Proverbs 11. 28