Catholic bishops across the country are calling on lawmakers to pass better immigration policies to safeguard migrants. The faith leaders spoke against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' recent drop-off of migrants to Massachusetts.
In Need of Long-Term Solution
According to a report with Catholic News, Boston Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley pointed out that the situation needed a long-term response.
He stated that the entire immigration situation affected not only Venezuelans. The cardinal noted that Haitians and other Latin Americans were also caught up in the "crushing emergency of the U.S. southern border."
Cardinal O'Malley pointed out that there should be a partnership between government agencies and nonprofits. He believed that they would be more effective in serving others.
"In a globalized world, immigration challenges will continue. In our country, a broken immigration system requires immediate reform," Cardinal O'Malley said.
Seeking Better Life
The cardinal explained that there were people who were only seeking a better life for themselves and their families.
He cited those fleeing the war in Ukraine, poverty in Latin America, and the crisis in the Middle East as a few examples of those wanting a brighter future.
Cardinal O'Malley called on the faithful to remember that these people are in need and should be helped.
He prayed that these immigrants would find the bright future they were looking for.
The cardinal was one of several U.S. Catholic bishops who spoke out against the recent actions of DeSantis and other Republican politicians. They said their actions harmed the migrants who were only seeking a better life.
According to the report, the politicians gave false promises, saying that the migrants would be given jobs, food, and housing.
Instead, the migrants were sent on flights where they would find themselves in a strange place with none of the promises given to them.
Offending God
San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller said that using migrants as pawns offended God. He expressed his frustration on how low certain people could get for their gain.
He pointed out the recent fiasco at Martha's Vineyard when DeSantis sent off two groups of migrants, who were mostly Venezuelans.
According to NBC, these migrants were later interviewed and were promised work and housing. They were given hope that if they took the flight, they would be given these opportunities.
More than 6 million people have escaped Venezuela because of political turmoil. The chaos in the country sent it into economic ruin.
DeSantis is considered to be a potential 2024 presidential candidate. To date, he has not revealed the destinations of any trips for the migrants.
According to the report, there were around 50 migrants who flew from Texas to Martha's Vineyard. These groups were under a new program by DeSantis to highlight illegal immigration.
They were given a brochure that promised housing, financial aid, and works for refugees.
The Lawyers for Civil Rights, a nonprofit legal aid group, said that the brochure was misleading as they were not classified as refugees. The group represented 30 migrants.
The legal group called the promises of help misleading and, most likely, criminal.
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