Western Mo. Catholics rally for immigration reform

The U.S. bishops' immigration reform campaign is hitting the Congressional districts of Western Missouri today and tomorrow.

Bishop Robert Finn, ordinary of the Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo., diocese, launched the U.S. bishops' "Justice to Immigrants" campaign in January with a postcard campaign (There was a sign-up table in the narthex of my parish church.), and the diocesan Human Rights Office has taken up the challenge.

Today, Missouri Catholics joined an interfaith group for a rally outside the Kansas City offices of Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Democrat. They should be gathering even as I post this blog. Tomorrow the group travels about 55 miles north to rally outside the offices of Republican Congressman Sam Graves office in St. Joseph, Mo. (1:30 p.m. at 201 South 8th Street).

The campaign is asking for five key legislative reforms:

  • a pathway to citizenship for the 11 to 12 million undocumented immigrants
  • better treatment of immigrant families
  • legal avenues for migrant workers
  • protection of immigrants’ due-process rights
  • examination of the root causes of migration, which is usually poverty

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