Washington, July 28-3. USCCB 2008 National Migration Conference:
"Renewing Hope, Seeking Justice."

In today’s world of people on the move, the United States of America find themselves in a very special situation. In this first decade of the new millennium, the country embodies the richest ethnic and cultural diversity in its history with thirty-three million citizens who are foreign-born. As of 2000, over 30 million immigrants began new lives in the United States and hundreds of thousands of migrants work in the agricultural and service industries, providing invaluable service and acting as a source of great strength and vitality in all communities. At the same time, "the issue of immigration is one of the most controversial domestic concerns facing our country," said Kevin Appleby, director of Migration and Refugee Policy at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
To look at the multifaceted issue of migration in the United States, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops convened the 2008 National Migration Conference and the Scalabrini International Migration Network (SIMN) was present at this important meeting. While it was a celebration of the many contributions that immigrants, migrants, refugees, and other people on the move make to American society, it was also a moment to pause and to consider the unjust and inhumane treatment of victims of human trafficking, migrant children in detention, undocumented migrants, and other vulnerable persons seeking safe haven and a better life in this country. The conference examined all these issues in-depth and provided conference participants more insight how the Church can make a positive contribution to the national debate. In his keynote address on opening night, Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles spoke on the current national immigration debate and gave participants a blueprint for engaging in the debate and creating the political will for comprehensive reform. Professor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco, an expert on international migration from New York University, gave a detailed presentation on global migration patterns and their root causes, linking them to the current U.S. situation.
One of the most engaging moments was on Tuesday, July 29, when Julie Myers, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement spoke and answered questions from participants on the recent government enforcement raids around the country. A powerful intervention was the statement by Bishop Alvaro Ramazzini of San Marco, Guatemala, denouncing the raids as inhumane because of the mistreatment of migrants and the breakup of families.  
The workshops were varied and focused upon the many forms of immigration and the need for reform by dealing with the lessons learned from the failure of the reform in 2007 and steps necessary to achieve a workable solution of new reforms in 2009 and beyond. Other groups discussed the best way of proper messaging to influence Catholics and others and to counter the anti-immigrant rhetoric often used by opponents of reform. A number of workshops focused upon Catholic teaching as the underpinning for the Catholic position on immigration. “All of our work on migration is grounded in Catholic social teaching. Catholic teaching determines the advocacy positions we take, the people we serve, and the way we structure our programs,” said Donald Kerwin, executive director of Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), which co-sponsored the event. The workshop featured a talk, by Fr. Daniel Groody, of the University Notre Dame, on the core principles of Catholic social teaching; Jill Gerschutz, of the U.S. Jesuit Conference, applied these principles to the current policy debate and Donald Kerwin spoke on what Catholic teaching has to say about the competing visions of nationality that underlie the immigration debate. 
Immigration reform was also a topic for Advocacy Day, Wednesday, July 30, when many participants visited their legislators on Capitol Hill to discuss migration issues and to illustrate the position of the Catholic Church in the national debate.
Migrants enrich the communities where they live and they renew them culturally, economically, and spiritually. Many of the newest members of our communities have fled torture, exploitation, and oppression to find a place of safety and peace. Others come fulfilling a dream of reuniting with family and loved ones, or working and studying to create a better life for themselves and those they care for. Whatever the conditions and circumstances that compel them, all are Renewing Hope, Seeking Justice on their journey.