By Greg Forester, Packet Group
PLAINSBORO Immigration reform advocates from the Catholic Church and other organizations joined more than 100 attendees at the Queenship of Mary Church this week for a panel discussion on reforming the nation’s immigration system.
The meeting is an outgrowth of a nationwide, diocesan effort in the United States called Justice for Immigrants. The program consists of a multi-tier platform pushing for immigration reform, justice for immigrants, a welcoming attitude toward them, and development of a nation that is pro-immigrant.
Supporters came to Tuesday’s event from as far away as Latin America, with Bishop Barnabe Sagastume of the Diocese of Santa Rosa in Guatemala on hand. Also taking part in the discussions was Jarteau Israel, the director of immigration for the Diocese of Metuchen and Father Joseph Kerrigan, the director of the Catholic Charities Solidarity Team.
”It was a wonderful event,” said Don Stager, a spokesman for the Diocese of Metuchen, which organized the event. “It was great to see people hearing the correct information about immigrants.”
What is needed, according to supporters, is effective and lasting immigration reform and the complete overhaul of the existing U.S. immigration system, which no longer provides a realistic method of attaining legal citizenship.
”The system is totally broken,” said Mr. Stager.
The program developed out of the church’s focus on the mistreatment of immigrants by landlords and employers, and a lack of justice and proper health care. To address those issues, Mr. Stager said, a system is needed that offers a realistic chance to gain legal status for immigrants, many of whom come to America to work in undesirable positions.
”The reality is they take jobs that no one else wants, and they’re being exploited as they come to work just as other people have throughout the centuries,” he said.
To get the platform called for by the Justice for Immigrants program in place, supporters plan to lobby local and federal politicians, including U.S. Sens. Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg.
David Abalos, an East Windsor resident and a visiting Princeton University politics professor, took part in a similar panel discussion earlier this year at St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church in Hightstown. He agrees with the goals of the Catholic effort, saying that something has to be done about the problem, preferably through a comprehensive overhaul of the system.
In an interview, Mr. Abalos pointed to failed legislation put forth by Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain and Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), which Mr. Abalos supported, that would have provided a “road to citizenship” through holding a job, paying taxes and avoiding “legal problems.”
Without such reform and as a result of the problems of the current system, federal judges are beginning to give leeway to state authorities to deal with what is a fundamentally federal problem, Mr. Abalos said. For authorities in immigrant-friendly places like Hightstown, having such leeway is advantageous, as immigrants become more apt to report problems like serious crimes and disease.
”We need to establish a environment of trust,” Mr. Abalos said.
The Princeton professor said he was pleased that part of the Catholic effort includes a call to halt Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, like the ones in Hightstown in 2003 and 2005.
”Those are very horrible experiences,” said Mr. Abalos, who noted that the negative perception of immigrants and the immigration problem held by some in America, especially relating to Mexico, neglect the history of U.S. immigration. The disdain targeted at Mexican immigrants is similar to the treatment of Irish, Italian, and Eastern European immigrants 100 years ago, he said.
”We’ve forgotten our history,” said Mr. Abalos. “We’re looking at an old story and its being revisited again on a new group of people.”
Additionally, despite talk of building new border fences, there has traditionally been a free-flow of cheap Mexican labor across the U.S. border, Mr. Abalos said.
”Capitalism is always looks for cheap labor,” he said while noting that the local economy depends on immigrants in the area.
”Without them, every small business would collapse and the local economy would collapse,” he said.
Hightstown Mayor Bob Patten, who has championed the rights of local Hispanics, did not attend Tuesdays’ event.

