Immigration
A Position Paper of the Florida Catholic Conference

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   The Florida Bishops remind us, in their 1995 statement "Flight to Egypt," that:

   All of us, with the exception of our Native American sisters and brothers, are immigrants or the children of immigrants . . . . out of great diversity came a new people and a new society which brought hope and inspiration to the world.

   Neither immigrants nor any other unpopular or vulnerable group of people should be made scapegoats for society's ills.  It is wrong to pass legislation penalizing any such groups, or setting them up as a separate segment of society to be discriminated against or to be deprived of basic rights.

    Florida has benefitted from and thrived on the products of immigrants, not only immigrants from other states in the U. S., but immigrants from Canada, Cuba, Mexico, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.  Today, there is a tendency to stereotype certain immigrants, and place the blame for problems of society, whether financial or social, on this group of people.  The fact of the matter is that Florida's assets are enormous and our problems are challenging, but they cannot be ascribed to any one particular group of people.

   The State of Florida should be entitled to have the financial burden of services to undocumented aliens paid for by the federal government, and we strongly support that effort.

   Undocumented immigrants are presently only entitled to emergency medical or social services, not "welfare" or general services.  Children are and should be entitled to education and medical care, regardless of where they were born.  Children born in this country are citizens, and discrimination against their parents which penalizes them is wrong.

   Legal immigrants are also sometimes singled out.  By and large they are tax paying, productive members of the community, are here with the approval of the government, and should be entitled to the benefits that citizens receive. They are human beings, they are members of the human race, they are our brothers and sisters, they are our neighbors and co-workers and should not be discriminated against.

   Barring the issuance of identification cards to every citizen, it is almost impossible to identify who is a citizen and who is not.  Discrimination against immigrants will inevitably involve discrimination against citizens who are not well dressed or who are not obviously American citizens.  There are many Hispanics, Indians and Black people who are either citizens of the United States, or immigrants from the Caribbean and Central and South American countries.  If one group is to be discriminated against, then the others would inevitably be.  There have been stories in California of citizens having to wait for needed medical care until their citizenship can be established.  This is simply wrong.

   Drawing boundaries around certain groups of people is not only wrong, but it inevitably expands and degenerates into invidious discrimination against more and more people.

   Immigrants are going to stay here just as our forbears stayed here, regardless of discrimination, deprivation or otherwise. We must ensure that they are educated, that they are healthy and law abiding.  Singling them out for deprivation not only has a negative impact on them, but also on society generally.

   We hold the following positions on immigration:

• The State has the right and obligation to control its borders, but moral and ethical standards must be considered.
   

• We oppose any discrimination against immigrants, regardless of status. We urge respect for the humanity and dignity of documented and undocumented aliens.
   

• Immigration into this state and this country cannot be controlled by denying basic necessities, basic social services, and education to undocumented aliens and their children.
   

• Undocumented immigrant children should not be denied access to school, health care, nutrition, or other necessities of life.  Children should not be penalized for what their parents fail to do.
   

• The State of Florida should receive assistance from the Federal government for the cost of services provided to undocumented aliens and legal residents.