Bishop pushes for action on immigration

RALEIGH -- Foreigners who can't earn a living wage or ensure the security of their families have a right to immigrate to the United States, Eastern North Carolina's Catholic leader, Bishop Michael Burbidge, said today.

As the U.S. Senate opened debate on a proposal for immigration reform today, Burbidge held a press conference to push for decisive action. Last year, Congress failed to agree on a new immigration policy.

Backed by church members and immigrant leaders, Burbidge said the nation needs a system that provides a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, creates a new guest worker program, emphasizes family unity, provides legal rights for the undocumented and a recognizes the economic and social conditions that drive people to the United States.

"Work that provides a just living wage is a basic human need," Burbidge said. "The history of the United States is filled with examples of immigrants coming to our shores for this reason."

Burbidge said the proposal the Senate released last week was "a good beginning," but he urged Catholics to protest a provision that would remove family ties as a basis for immigration.

"The family is the basic social unit of our society, our church," he said.