Statement by Archbishop José H. Gomez on the Announcement of Presidential Executive Orders on Immigration
November 20, 2014  |  By:   |  Press Releases  |  

I am happy that some temporary relief is being offered to help parents and children who right now are living in daily fear that their families will be broken up by arrests and deportations.

But the President’s actions today are no substitute for the comprehensive immigration reform our nation needs.

Our system is broken and needs modernized to meet the realities of a global economy. Everyone knows that. And because the system is broken, many of our neighbors are suffering, including millions of families and children.

Too many families are being torn apart by deportations, uncertainty about their status, and delays in our visa process that can take years even decades. Too many men and women who are immigrants are being exploited in the workplace and forced to live in society’s shadows.

As a nation, all of us — not only our leaders — have a responsibility. We cannot turn our heads and continue to look the other way while our brothers and sisters need our help. We all need to work together — citizens, faith communities, government agencies and elected officials.

So I welcome this action because it will provide some relief for millions of people who are in great need. But the relief is not permanent and the problems are still not fixed. Now is the time for us to make new efforts and new commitments to help our leaders in Washington set aside their differences and come together to find solutions that are just, compassionate, lasting and comprehensive.