Fr. Stephen Jasso, TOR, the pastor of All Saints Church on Fort Worth's North Side in the Diocese of Fort Worth, also testified in opposition to HB 9 and SB 9. You can read his submitted testimony below or view his testimony using the video player to the right. You can also view an article that he has written on immigration on the North Texas Catholic web site here.

The Catholic Church has a long history of involvement in the immigration issue, both in the advocacy arena and in welcoming and assimilating waves of immigrants and refugees who have helped build our nation throughout her history.

Our experience in working with immigrants throughout the years compels us to speak out on the issue of immigration reform, which we believe is a moral issue which impacts the human rights and human life of the person. The Church’s work in assisting migrants stems from the belief that every person is created in God’s image. In his own life and work, Jesus identified himself with newcomers and with other marginalized persons in a special way (“I was a stranger and you welcomed me” - Mt. 25:35).

We oppose SB 9 and HB 9, which would allow or require local or state entities to evaluate an individual’s immigration status. Requiring law enforcement to investigate immigration status every time they make an arrest is burdensome and a threat to public safety. It will divert officers away from investigating and pursuing serious criminals and will also increase the costs to local communities, who will be required to hold increased jail populations.

This legislation will also undermine the relations between local police and immigrant witnesses or victims of crime, who will be less likely to seek assistance from police if they think their immigration status will be questioned. Measures in HB 9 to reduce discrimination are insufficient and cannot reasonably protect the civil and constitutional rights of Texas residents, as local law enforcement officers do not have training in complex immigration law, making it difficult, if not impossible, to justify the verification of status of some Texans and not others.

SB 9 goes further to require local governments to participate in the Secure Communities program. Created to deport high-level offenders, the reality is that since its inception in Texas in 2008, more than half of deportations are from individuals with offenses that are punishable by less than a year in detention or individuals who have noncriminal violations ("Feds: Secure Communities Under Review", Texas Tribune).

The Church does not condone or encourage illegal immigration because it is not good for society or for the migrant, who lives outside the law and in the shadows. We look to the federal government to change our laws to reflect the reality of migration in the world today and to ensure that basic human rights and dignity are respected. Yes, those in the United States without legal status have broken the law, but they do so in order to survive and to support their families. At the same time, they contribute to our economy through their hard work and work in important industries. Ultimately, we must voice our support for comprehensive immigration reform that protects the interests of our nation’s immigrants and our nation as a whole.