Recap so far..
Day 1
Monday's Opening Liturgy:
Cardinal Theodore McCarrick,presider and preacher set a warm tone with his characteristic graciousness and wisdom from his vast international experience.
Monday Opening Plenary:
Keynoter Cardinal Roger Mahony, in a 101 primer on church teaching and migration, spoke of a dark period of enforcement only in the US today. He spoke to the conference theme of "Renewing Hope, Seeking Justice." Migration is an act of hope.
Dr.Marcelo Suarez-Orosco gave an insightful talk on global migratory flows, disappointing those who think that by building walls migration will go away.
Day 2
Tuesday impressions:
Julie Myers, assistant secretary for ICE: is it any wonder the recent spate of inhumane raids have taken place with the likes of Ms. Myers in leadership? Beware anyone who uses certainly, absolutely or obviously in every sentence. She all but came out and said the Catholic Church can best serve ICE by turning in illegals. No surprise she was greeted with groans just shy of boos, at 7:30am no less.
Two bishops posed thoughtful critiques in the question session.
Refugee Panel Discussion:
As tense as the ICE presentation was, the warmth between USCCB and the federal refugee departments is real and longstanding. If only Iraqi refugees could be resettled more quickly..
Israel, Fr.Kerrigan and Don Stager split up for the individual workshops.
Fr.Kerrigan attended a standing-room only workshop led by USCCB's Kevin Appleby.
The takeaway:
Appleby spoke to the most basics features of comprehensive immigration reform:
1 bringing the undocumented out of the shadow and into the back of the line
2 dealing with future flows for employment and family reunification
3 reversing 1996 due process provisions
4 looking at root causes of migration.
The ideal is letting people stay where they are in dignity.
Appleby said we lost the immigration debate in 3 ways: outorganized, outmessaged (rule of law, amnesty, etc) and lost Roman Catholic support.
Ali Noorani, National Immigration Forum: this is an administration that hasn't accomplished anything for refugees, the documented or undocumented.
Wendy Young from Sen. Kennedy's office:
We need to look at local and state being involved in what should be federal leadership in immigration. ..Labor and business need to come together.
"Very dubious" about reform being taken up in 2009...
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