Good morning Mr. Chairman and members, my name is Andrew Rivas and I am the executive director of the Texas Catholic Conference. The TCC is the statewide association of the 15 Roman Catholic dioceses in our state and it is our responsibility to advocate for the public policy positions of the active Bishops of Texas. Thank you for the opportunity to share our opposition for HB 178, HB 202, and HB 3129.

Immigrants provide a valuable contribution to our state and our communities. Comprehensive immigration reform is needed, but it must be implemented at the federal level.

The Catholic Bishops of Texas believe that the overarching goals of E-Verify are meritorious but they also believe that mandatory expansion of the evolving electronic system should only take place if: (1) it is undertaken in the context of comprehensive immigration reform; (2) error rates in Government databases are reduced significantly; (3) opportunities for employer misuse of the program are curbed; and (4) workers are provided with a fair and meaningful opportunity to correct false positives.

We need practical and sensible solutions to the issues concerning immigration and employment. We cannot expect to use raids, employer audits or E-Verify to deport millions of people, and we cannot deny employers the workers they need until there are legal channels to bring them to the U.S. These issues must be dealt with at the federal level through comprehensive immigration reform.

Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, along with more than 40 senior religious leaders from throughout the state, endorsed the Texas Interfaith Leaders’ Statement on Immigration Legislation. “Our nation’s immigration system is flawed and results in suffering not only within our borders, but also throughout the rest of the world. Our faith traditions have called strenuously and tirelessly for Congress to reform our federal immigration system, and we will continue to do so,” stated these faith leaders. “As policymakers and leaders, Texas legislators have the opportunity and responsibility to guide our whole community into a future of compassion, gratitude, and mutual respect. By affirming the dignity of every person, including those who migrate, lawmakers can help the people of Texas move from fear to respect. And only with respect can we work with all of our neighbors to build a truly just national immigration system.”