Catholic Bishops: Passage of HB 12 affronts dignity of Texans, failure to Texas’ heritage and diversity, oversteps authority of state government

Austin, Texas—The Texas Catholic Bishops expressed their disappointment at the passage of House Bill 12 today, issuing a statement which called the passage of the bill an affront to the dignity of Texans that ignores our State’s rich heritage and cultural diversity and oversteps the appropriate authority of state government.

Throughout the legislative session, the Texas Catholic Bishops have advocated for gracious tone in the state immigration debate and legislation that upholds the dignity of the human person.

“We pray that when this bill continues on to the Senate, that our Texas Senators will affirm the dignity of all human life in our state and protect the safety of our communities,” say the Bishops in their statement. “We urge Texas’ Senators to champion respect for all people, a respect not earned but imbued by God our Creator, and oppose HB 12.”

Several bishops and hundreds of Catholics advocated against HB 12 during the Catholic Faith in Action advocacy day on April 6, 2011.

“We oppose legislation that allow or require local or state entities to evaluate an individual’s immigration status,” said Bishop Daniel Flores, Bishop of the Diocese of Brownsville, at a press conference on the advocacy day. “Requiring law enforcement to investigate immigration status every time they make an arrest is burdensome and a threat to public safety. It will divert scarce resources away from investigating and pursuing serious criminals. The use of police officers to enforce immigration laws will likely undermine the relationship between the local police and the communities they serve.”

The Texas Bishops support comprehensive immigration reform that includes a pathway to permanent residency, emphasizes family unity, and addresses the root causes of migration in sending countries. The Texas Bishops’ immigration-related legislative priorities also include opposing the enforcement of federal law by local and state law enforcement, as well as opposition to a Texas-Mexico border fence and any efforts to reduce access to education or health care for immigrants.

The Texas Catholic Conference is the association of the 15 Roman Catholic dioceses of the State of Texas and is the official public policy voice of the Bishops of Texas. For more information on the Texas Catholic Conference, visit www.TXCatholic.org. For information regarding the position of the U.S. Bishops on comprehensive immigration reform, visit the Justice for Immigrants web site, www.JusticeForImmigrants.org.

Full Statement Follows:

Texas Catholic Bishops Express Disappointment at House Passage of HB 12

The passage of House Bill 12 by the Texas House of Representatives is an affront to the dignity of Texans. It ignores our State’s rich heritage and cultural diversity, and an overstepping of the appropriate authority of state government. As Bishops, we are concerned for all of the people in our communities. This bill ultimately diminishes the dignity and safety of all people.

Respect for all human life, from conception to natural death is a sacred principle embraced by all faith communities.  We are all called to uphold the dignity of all in our communities, and that responsibility includes welcoming the immigrants in our communities. For decades we have urged the passage of federal comprehensive immigration reform and we have implored the state legislature to focus immigration legislation on healing Texas communities and affirming the rights and inherent worth of every person. 

Systems already exist to promote public safety. The Secure Communities Programs already checks the legal status of people arrested for crimes and holds them for the proper immigration authorities. This bill will erode the trust between law enforcement  and the immigrant community, and will likely lead to a violation of the civil rights for citizens and permanent legal residents. It is disheartening to see this House affirm the dignity of life in some instances, but fail to protect the lives of our state’s immigrants, permanent legal residents, and citizens.

Even though good amendments that exempt hospitals and hospital districts, prohibit profiling, and protect the privacy of children’s school records have been added to the bill, they fail to change the basic thrust of the bill.

We pray that when this bill continues on to the Senate, that our Texas Senators will affirm the dignity of all human life in our state and protect the safety of our communities. We urge Texas’ Senators to champion respect for all people, a respect not earned but imbued by God our Creator, and oppose HB 12.

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