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Provincial Newsletter

Boletín Provincial Province of Saint John the Baptist

546 North East Avenue

Oak Park, IL 60302-2207

Phone 708/386-4430 Fax 708/386-4457

Email: psjb1906@comcast.net

Contents – Indice Page

Around the Province 2 Noticias de la Provincia 4 Birthdays, Anniversaries and In Memoriam 6 Young Religious Meeting 7 Movimiento Laico Scalabriniano 8 Vocation Statistics 10 Casa del Migrante – Nuevo Laredo 11 Cardinals see Immigration 16 Renewing Hope, Seeking Justice on Immigration 19 Guatemala: Mensaje para el Día del Migrante 25 Welcome the Stranger 28 Employers Fight Tough Measures on Immigration 30

July and August 2008July and August 2008July and August 2008July and August 2008

Issue 4

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Around the Province First Profession The four novices of Noviciado Scalabrini, Purépero, were admitted to the First Profession: Juan Martín Cervantes Álvarez, Marcos Manuel López Bustamante, Marco Antonio Ortíz Ramírez and José Grimaldo Monjaraz. The celebration will take place on November 28, 2008, in Purépero. Perpetual Profession Juan Luis Carbajal Tejeda, a religious student of the Scalabrini House of Theology, Chicago, was admitted to the Perpetual Profession. The celebration will take place on November 4, 2008, in Chicago. Renewal of Vows The following religious students of the Scalabrini House of Theology were approved to the renewal of vows on November 4, 2008: Jaime Aguila, Alejandro Conde, Óscar Cuapio, Francesco D’Agostino, Antonius Faot, José Rodrigo Gris, Frandry Tamar and Fransiskus Yangminta. Priesthood Ordinations Brutus Brunel will be ordained on September 20, 2008 in Sainte Thérése de l’Enfant Jésus in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, by Most Rev. Simon-Pierre Saint-Hillien, CSC, Coadjutor Bishop of Port-au-Prince. Brutus studied theology in Chicago and is assigned to St. Peter’s Province, Brazil. Mauro José Organista Lupercio will be ordained on October 4, 2008 in the Parroquia Nuestra Señora del Pueblito, Zapopan, Jalisco, México by His Eminence Juan Card. Sandoval Iñiguez, Archbishop of Guadalajara. Mauro studied theology in Chicago and is assigned to St. Peter’s Province, Brazil. Héctor Orozco Sedano will be ordained on October 11, 2008 in San Miguel Arcángel Parish, Cocula, Jalisco, México, by Most Rev. Miguel Romano Gómez, Auxiliary Bishop of Guadalajara. Héctor studied theology in Merlo (Buenos Aires) and is assigned to St. Joseph’s Province, Argentina. Young Religious Meeting The annual inter-provincial meeting of young religious will take place in Waltham, MA September 22nd – 27th. Place of meeting: The Espousal Retreat House and Conference Center 554 Lexington Street, Waltham, MA 02452 Phone: (781) 209-3101 Please send to the organizing committee the flight information of your arrival at Boston Airport: Fr. Lino García linogar2@yahoo.com St. Anthony’s Church, 12 Properzi Way, Somerville, MA 02143 Phone (617) 625-4530 Fr. Heitor Castoldi heitorcastoldi@yahoo.com.br Fr. Carlos Reyes carlosreyes_cs@yahoo.com.mx

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Fr. Claudio Holzer The Office for Hispanic Ministry of the Archdiocese of Chicago has granted to Fr. Claudio Holzer, CS, the Award Blessed John XXIII, for excellence in the Sacerdotal Ministry, in particular with the Latino community. The recognition will be presented during the 10th “Noche de Gala” of the Office for Hispanic Ministry on September 26, 2008 at Hilton Hotel, Chicago. Congratulations! Provincial Assembly 2009 Mark your calendar! Provincial Assembly: April 20 – 24, 2009 in Dallas, TX. Place: Sterling Hotel Dallas, 1055 Regal Row, Dallas, TX The hotel is less than 10 minutes from St. Luke Parish, Irving. TX. SLM Meeting of Delegates All the groups of the Scalabrinian Lay Movement are invited to send a delegate to a meeting which will take place in our Seminary in Mexico City on November 7, 8 and 9, 2008. Please send the registration form to Fr. Francisco Pellizzari, CS mlscala@yahoo.com or to the address in the US: P.O. Box 1511, Laredo, TX 78042 in Mexico: Calle Guatemala #2318, Col. Ferrocarril, 88050 Nuevo Laredo, Tamps. First Forum on Migration and Peace The Scalabrinian International Migration Network is organizing the First International Forum on Migration and Peace in the American Continent, which will take place in Antigua, Guatemala. It is scheduled for January 29th and 30th, 2009. Our Superior General Fr. Sérgio O. Geremia, CS, will give the opening presentation. Other Scalabrinians who will participate in the forum are: Fr. Mauro Verzeletti, Fr. Florenzo Rigoni, Fr. Manuel da Silva Pedro, Fr. Leonir Chiarello and Fr. Ezio Marchetto. Card. Óscar A. Rodríguez Maradiaga, of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, will make the closing remarks. Some dignitaries who have received the Noble Peace Prize have been invited to participate in the forum. For more information www.simn-cs.net Death in the family We present our condolences and the assurance of our prayers to Fr. Leonardo Rocha for the death of his dad Décio Cotrim da Rocha, who passed away in Brazil on August 8, 2008. New phone numbers St. Luke, Irving, TX Religious residence (972) 254-1673 Fr. John DiVito St. Joseph’s Home (847) 991-0788

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Noticias de la Provincia Primera Profesión Los cuatro novicios del Noviciado Scalabrini de Purépero fueron admitidos a la Primera Profesión: Juan Martín Cervantes Álvarez, Marcos Manuel López Bustamante, Marco Ortíz Ramírez y José Grimaldo Monjaraz. La celebración tendrá lugar en Purépero el 28 de noviembre de 2008. Profesión Perpetua Juan Luis Carbajal Tejeda, religioso de la Scalabrini House of Theology de Chicago fue admitido a la Profesión Perpetua. La celebracipon tendrá lugar en Chicago el 4 de noviembre de 2008. Renovación de votos Los siguientes religiosos de la Scalabrini House of Theology fueron aprobados a la renovación de votos el 4 de noviembre de 2008: Jaime Aguila, Alejandro Conde, Óscar Cuapio, Francesco D’Agostino, Antonius Faot, José Rodrigo Gris, Frandry Tamar y Fransiskus Yangminta. Ordenaciones Sacerdotales Brutus Brunel será ordenado el 20 de septiembre de 2008 en la parroquia de Sainte Thérése de l’Enfant Jésus en Port-au-Prince, Haiti, por Mons. Simon-Pierre Saint-Hillien, CSC, Obispo Coadjutor de Port-au-Prince. Brutus estudió la teología en Chicago y está destinado a la Provincia de San Pedro, Brasil. Mauro José Organista Lupercio será ordenado el 4 de octubre de 2008 en la Parroquia de Nuestra Señora del Pueblito, Zapopan, Jalisco, México, por el Cardenal Juan Sandoval Iñiguez, Arzobispo de Guadalajara. Mauro realizó sus estudios teológicos en Chicago y está destinado a la Provincia de San Pedro, Brasil. Héctor Orozco Sedano Será orenado el 11 de octubre de 2008 en la Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, Cocula, Jalisco, México, por Mons. Miguel Romano Gómez, Obispo Auxiliar de Guadalajara. Héctor estudió la teología en Merlo (Buenos Aires) y está destinado a la Provincia de San José, Argentina. Encuentro de los Religiosos Jovenes El encuentro interprovincial de religiosos jóvenes tendrá lugar en Waltham, MA, de 22 a 27 de septiembre de 2008. Lugar del encuentro: The Espousal Retreat House and Conference Center 554 Lexington Street, Waltham, MA 02452 Tel (781) 209-3101 Favor de enviar al comité organizador el horario de su llegada en el aeropuerto de Boston: P. Lino García linogar2@yahoo.com St. Anthony’s Church, 12 Properzi Way, Somerville, MA 02143 Tel (617) 625-4530 P. Heitor Castoldi heitorcastoldi@yahoo.com.br P. Carlos Reyes carlosreyes_cs@yahoo.com.mx

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P. Claudio Holzer La Oficina del Ministerio Hispano de la Arquidiócesis de Chicago ha concedido al P. Claudio Holzer, CS, el Premio Beato Juan XXIII, en reconocimiento de su dedicación sacerdotal, en particular con la comunidad latina. La entrega del premio tendrá lugar en el Hilton Hotel Chicago el 26 de septiembre de 2008 durante la 10ª Cena de Gala de la Oficina del Ministerio Hispano. Asamblea Provincial 2009 Favor de marcar la fecha de la Asamblea Provincial en su calendario: 20 – 24 de abril de 2009 en Dallas, TX Lugar: Sterling Hotel Dallas, 1055 Regal Row, Dallas, TX El hotel esta como unos 10 minutos de la parrroquia de San Lucas, Irving, TX. MLS Encuentro de Delegados Todos los grupos del Movimiento Laico Scalabriniano son invitados a enviar un delegado al encuentro que tendrá lugar en el Seminario de la Ciudad de México los días 7, 8 y 9 de noviembre de 2008. Favor de enviar la ficha de registración al P. Francisco Pellizzari, CS mlscala@yahoo.com o a la dirección de correo en EU: P.O. Box 1511, Laredo, TX 78042 en México: Calle Guatemala #2318, Col. Ferrocarril, 88050 Nuevo Laredo, Tamps. Primer Foro sobre Migración y Paz El Scalabrinian International Migration Network está organizando el Primer Foro Internacional en el Continente Americano sobre Migración y Paz, que tendrá lugar en Antigua, Guatemala, los días 29 y 30 de nero de 2009. El Superior General, P. Sérgio O. Geremia, CS, hará la ponencia de abertura. Otros Scalabrinianos que participarán del foro son: P. Mauro Verzeletti, P. Florenzo Rigoni, P. Manuel da Silva Pedro, P. Leonir Chiarello y P. Ezio Marchetto. La clausura de los trabajos estará al cargo del Card. Óscar A. Rodríguez Maradiaga, de Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Algunos dignatarios que han recibido el Premio Nobel de Paz han sido invitados a participar del foro. Para mayores informaciones www.simn-cs.net Muerte en la familia Presentamos al P. Leonardo Rocha nuestras condolencias y el consuelo de nuestras oraciones por la muerte de su papá Décio Cotrim da Rocha, acaecida el 8 de agosto de 2008 en Brasil. Nuevos números de teléfonos St. Luke, Irving, TX Residencia de los religiosos (972) 254-1673 P. John Di Vito St. Joseph’s Home (847) 991-0788

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BIRTHDAYSSEPTEMBER 09/05/61 - Hily Gonzales 09/06/74 - Marvin Ajic 09/06/71 - Fausto Calero 09/11/67 - Ramiro Sanchez 09/16/78 - Jaime Aguila * 09/20/56 - Giovanni Bizzotto 09/22/21 - John DiVito 09/25/47 - Aldo Vendramin 09/26/42 - Daniel Lapolla OCTOBER 10/07/78 - Leandro Fossá 10/14/70 - Abraham R. Euan 10/14/37 - Louis Gandolfi 10/19/44 - Florenzo Rigoni 10/20/70 - Jorge Bravo 10/24/34 - Ermete Nazzani ANNIVERSARIES SEPTEMBER 09/01/46 John DiVito 09/07/41 Martin Bortolazzo 09/08/47 John Bonelli 09/08/69 John Montagna 09/09/89 Adriano Barbiero 09/13/86 Giovanni Bizzotto 09/20/69 Agostino Lovatin 09/28/91 Francisco Pellizzari IN MEMORIAM September 1 - Bro. Silvio Geron 1916 1997 4 - Rev. Peter Corbellini 1914 2005 8 - Rev. Valerio Baggio 1919 2003 10 - Rev. Lorenzo Dal Bon 1912 1967 10 - Rev. Joseph Lazzari 1900 1993 19 - Rev. Angelo Carbone 1931 2002 28 - Rev. Gregorio Zanoni 1908 1995 October 2 - Rev. Louis Bolzan 1901 1980 5 - Rev. Louis Pisano 1925 1981 9 - Rev. Vincent Paolucci 1922 1963 13 - Rev. Richard Secchia 1885 1961 13 - Rev. Armando Pierini 1908 1998 14 - Rev. Louis Gaborin 1921 1960 15 - Rev. Remo Rizzato 1914 2000

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MISSIONARIES OF SAINT CHARLES - SCALABRINIANS Saint Anthony Church, 12 Properzi Way Somerville, MA 02143 Tel. 617-625-4530

Province of Saint Charles Borromeo.

Estimados padres, reciban un cordial saludo deseando que la presencia de Cristo Migrante siempre guíe nuestros pasos en favor de los migrantes. En el pasado Encuentro de Sacerdotes Jóvenes realizado en la Ciudad de Chicago, IL, fue aceptada la propuesta para que el próximo encuentro del 2008 fuera realizado en Boston MA. También fueron dadas algunas propuestas para éste encuentro con la finalidad de cada vez ir mejorando algunos aspectos. Después del encuentro, Padre Heitor, Padre Carlos y Padre Lino, hemos estado trabajando en la preparación de este encuentro atendiendo todas las propuestas. Por eso queremos presentarles algunos adelantos para nuestro encuentro. El título del encuentro es: Scalabrinian Junior Clergy Meeting: “Priestly Spirituality”.

Las fechas quedaron fijas: 22-27 de Septiembre del 2008. Es importante que compren sus boletos con anticipación, y que consideren llegar al encuentro en la parte de la mañana pues el encuentro comenzará con un Churrasco de bienvenida en la Parroquia Saint Anthony Church de Somerville. A la 1:00 del día. Por eso pedimos que se organicen de la mejor manera posible para llegar en la parte de la mañana. El lugar donde será el encuentro es el siguiente: The Espousal Retreat House and Conference Center. 554 Lexington Street. Waltham, MA 02452. Phone: 781-209-3101. También el Superior General ha confirmado su presencia en nuestro encuentro. Él predicará el retiro del martes 23 de septiembre y después tendrá otro espacio para compartir los proyectos y los desafíos de nuestra congregación en el mundo contemporáneo. El encuentro terminaría el Sábado 27 con la comida. Por eso les pedimos que compren sus boletos de regreso después de las 2:00 PM. Esto para una mejor organización. Como dijimos en el último encuentro, es necesaria la participación de todos. Pues cada uno de nosotros enriquecerá el encuentro con la presencia. Agradecemos por su disponibilidad y participación, sabiendo que el encuentro para ser bueno o malo dependerá de nosotros y del empeño que le pongamos.

Nos despedimos agradecidos deseándoles una buena misión a todos y cada uno de ustedes. Sin duda el Espíritu que animo a nuestro fundador el Beato Juan Bautista Scalabrini, continuará inspirando nuestra familia misionera para realizar proyectos en favor de los migrantes y refugiados. Que Dios nos bendiga a todos. Coordinación: P. Heitor, P.Carlos, P. Lino.

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BOLETIN DEL MOVIMIENTO LAICO SCALABRINIANO Provincia San Juan Bautista

REUNIÓN DE DELEGADOS MLS

Nuevamente recordamos el importante compromiso de noviembre!!!! POR favor llenar la ficha con los datos del o de la que fue escogida para participara en la reunion de delegados!!!! A MAS TARDAR para el 15 de OCTUBRE!!!! Los días Viernes 7, Sábado 8 y domingo 9 de noviembre, tendremos la Primera Reunión de todos los Delegados de nuestros grupos de Laicos Scalabrinianos en el Seminario Beato Scalabrini de Ciudad de México. Comenzaremos el viernes a las 5:00pm y terminaremos el Domingo a las 12:00pm con la celebración de la eucaristía. Es un encuentro muy importante para el Movimiento Laicos Scalabriniano y para los grupos particulares. Podremos evaluar el camino hecho hasta ahora, y programar los pasos futuros, así como los compromisos a los cuales tenemos que responder en nuestras realidades y como movimiento. En ese encuentro se elegirán a los miembros del Comité Central del MLS. Esperamos contar con la presencia de UN delegado-a de cada grupo. También pedimos que se escoja un substituto o sub-delegado-a en caso de que el primero no pueda viajar y participar. Algunas condiciones para elegir el Delegado del Grupo:

1. Que sea Laico-a Scalabriniano-a! (Tener formación, compromiso publico y empeño en actividades especificas y fidelidad a la formación continua)

2. Que demuestre interés y perseverancia en el grupo y en las actividades. 3. Que sea elegido-a por la mayoría del grupo 4. Que tenga contacto constante y directo con los miembros del grupo, con

las actividades, con la realidad local y con el proceso formativo del grupo. 5. Que tenga ganas de trabajar duro, porque vamos a estar reunidos por

varias horas! PELIGROS A EVITAR:

1. No elegirlo-a únicamente porque tiene posibilidades económicas para viajar

2. No elegirlo-a únicamente porque no tiene compromiso de trabajo dependiente

3. No elegirlo-a únicamente al que o a la que “sabe más”, o sabe más idiomas!

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Estamos avisando con tiempo para que el grupo se prepare a este evento.

Los gastos de hospedaje y comidas corren a cargo de la Comunidad

Scalabriniana de México, a la cual agradecemos por su hospitalidad y

apoyo.

Es bueno que todo el grupo se movilice para colaborar en los gastos del

viaje de su delegado o delegada, con rifas, ventas y otras actividades que

ustedes conocen bien, si se hace con tiempo se puede ir ahorrando y

cubriendo el costo con tranquilidad.

ANIMO, el Beato Scalabrini nos acompañe en nuestros pasos.

FICHA de INSCRIPICION de delegado-a de tu grupo Nombre_____________________________________________________________________

GRUPO de (lugar)____________________________________________________________

Fecha de tu COMPROMISO de LS________________

Padre Asesor_________________________________________________

Idiomas que hablas____________________________________________________________

(por favor envía esta ficha a mas tardar para el 15 de Octubre)

*** Será por el clima de las vacaciones pero esta vez nos ha llegado muy poca información. tuvimos que esperar dos meses para recopilar estas que ahora enviamos. PEDIMOS a todos y todas, en particular a los responsables del grupos enviarnos para el 25 del mes todas las noticias, anexos, fotos para publicar en el próximo NOTInews MLS!!! *** Las Unidades en Inglés ya están listas! Si algún grupo requiere de las unidades en ingles, por favor comuníquese a esta dirección: mlscala@yahoo.com Las puedo enviar por internet, ya que están digitalizadas. Los dcumentales y videos son los mismos que los de español, porque casi todos están el los dos idiomas. PEDIMOS encarecidamente a todos seguir trabajando en la copilación de material de video, cantos, dinamicas para enriquecer lo que ya tenemos…y, por favor enviarlo a: mlscala@yahoo.com o a P. Francisco,CS, P.O. Box 1511, Laredo, TX 78042; o desde Mexico a: Calle Guatemala #2318, Col. Ferrocarril, 88050 Nuevo Laredo, Tamps.

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Casa del Migrante Nazareth, C.A.

Centro de Derechos Humanos

Nuevo Laredo, Tamps.

Reseña del Centro de Derechos Humanos del Migrante “Beato Juan Bautista Scalabrini”

Rueda de Prensa, 4 de septiembre de 2008 P. Francisco Pellizzari, CS ¿Cómo y por qué nace el centro? Después de cinco años de acompañamiento y casi tres de servicio en la Casa del Migrante Nazareth -a cargo de los Misioneros de San Carlos, Scalabrinianos- ofreciendo los servicios de alimentación, vestido, atención médica, acompañamiento espiritual y pastoral; en una visión de servicio integral se vio la necesidad de acompañar a este servicio básico el de promoción, defensa asesoría legal en la defensa de los derechos humanos del migrante. Surge así el Centro de Derechos Humanos del Migrante, como respuesta ante un contexto de continuas violaciones a los derechos humanos, en el que fungen como actores principales tanto particulares como servidores públicos, quienes hacen más vulnerable la dignidad de la población migrante en su cruce por México e incluso en esta ciudad de Nuevo Laredo. Sueño que el anterior obispo Mons. Ricardo Watty fue expresando en varias ocasiones y anhelando por varios años. El patrocinador de nuestro Centro es la organización CRS (Catholic Relief Services) que apoya económicamente los gastos del mismo. Este servicio integral recomienda y urge a todas las casas del migrante a hacer realidad la instalación y apertura de un Centro de Derechos Humanos del Migrante. ¿Por qué el nombre de Beato Juan Bautista Scalabrini? Mons. Scalabrini fue un obispo de la Iglesia Católica que, ante la situación concreta de que muchos italianos emigraban hacia América en busca de una vida mejor, se sintió impelido en su “calidad de obispo y ciudadano” a hacer algo por aquellos hombres y mujeres migrantes. Funda para ello, con el tiempo, la congregación de los Misioneros de San Carlos para los migrantes, cuya primera tarea era velar por el bienestar de los migrantes en las Américas. Con el correr de los años y abiertos siempre a la realidad migratoria, la obra se extendió a 42 países de los cinco continentes, apoyando en varias áreas a los migrantes de todas las nacionalidades. Ellos son conocidos actualmente como los Misioneros de San Carlos-Scalabrinianos “para los migrantes”. Por su santidad y dedicación pastoral el papa Juan pablo II lo proclamó en 1997 “Beato, Padre y Patrono de los migrantes”.

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Aquí en México los misioneros Scalabrinianos, administran tres casas del migrante localizadas en Tijuana, donde nace el concepto Casa del Migrante, Tapachula y Nuevo Laredo. Cuentan además con tres casas de formación religiosa (seminarios) donde se forman los jóvenes con inquietudes de servir a los y las migrantes mediante la vida consagrada. Acompañan, además, anualmente a un grupo de jóvenes laicos de distintas nacionalidades en el servicio a los migrantes con el Programa Voluntariado Scalabriniano. ¿Cuáles son las tareas del CDHM? Son tres las tareas básicas que se realizan en el Centro. La primera tarea es la defensa y asesoría legal. Es la recepción de reportes de abuso de parte de los migrantes hospedados en la Casa del Migrante. Estos reportes son, en algunos casos, turnados a la Comisión Nacional y Estatal de Derechos Humanos. La segunda tarea es la de educar. La educación está dirigida sobre todo a los y las migrantes que están hospedados en la casa, recomendándoles siempre que pueden seguir contando con el apoyo de nuestro Centro aunque su estancia en el albergue haya terminado. Se les explica el origen y desarrollo de los derechos humanos, para qué sirven y cómo hacerlos valer, y ante que instancias recurrir. La tercera tarea es la promoción. Promover una cultura de los derechos humanos, los derechos humanos en sí y su defensa, con estudiantes y personal docente de escuelas preparatorias y universidades locales. Así como con grupos de pastoral en las parroquias y la comunidad en general. Junto al coordinador responsable del Centro se propicia el trabajo de un equipo de voluntarios profesionales y simpatizantes que apoyan y cooperan en esta labor. Lidera Tamaulipas en abusos Por: Osvaldo Rodríguez, EL MAÑANA, Viernes, 05 de Septiembre de 2008 NUEVO LAREDO -Tamaulipas es el estado donde más abusos han reportado los connacionales e indocumentados que van en busca del “sueño americano” y llegan a la Casa del Migrante Nazareth A.C.

José Luis Manzo Ramírez, coordinador general del Centro de los Derechos Humanos del Migrante “Beato Juan Bautista Scalabrini” presentó el informe tras los primeros tres meses de funcionamiento del departamento mencionado.

Este centro fue inaugurado en junio, que tiene como principal tarea la defensa y asesoría legal hacia los migrantes, y se han atendido 290 personas; el 94% de estos han sido del género masculino, el resto del género femenino.

“Estamos en una fase exploratoria del centro, hemos quedado como una especie de registro solamente, pero ya se han interpuesto ocho quejas, cuatro ante la Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos (CNDH) y cuatro ante la Comisión de Derechos Humanos del Estado de Tamaulipas (Codhet)”, mencionó Manzo Ramírez.

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Destacó que el hecho de que sea muy poco el porcentaje de mujeres que denuncian, no quiere decir que no sean vulneradas y abusadas en sus derechos humanos, sino que muchas veces prefieren callar un poco más que los hombres en ese sentido.

De los procedimientos que hay ante la Codhet ya se recibieron notificaciones de que ya están en proceso de calificación para dar una posible respuesta, de la CNDH probablemente en los siguientes días.

“El principal derecho que se viola es el de libre tránsito y el de privación ilegal de la libertad o detención arbitraria, son los dos que más se han violentado, aparte del derecho de información y el derecho a la integridad personal” dijo Manzo Ramírez.

Los jueves se imparte una charla a todos los migrantes que estén en la casa, por medio de la cual se les explica sobre los derechos humanos, y específicamente los derechos humanos del migrante, se les notifica que existen oficinas para que denuncien, no sin antes asegurarles que tienen confidencialidad.

En números Respecto del país de origen quienes representan un mayor porcentaje de abusos: Honduras 65 % Guatemala 14 % El Salvador 15 % México 6% Los estados mexicanos de origen los más representativos son: Morelos 22% Jalisco 6% Chiapas 17 % Nuevo León 6% San Luis Potosí 17% Tlaxcala 5% Puebla 11% Veracruz 5% Zacatecas 11% Los lugares más recurridos donde se han cometido abusos y delitos en contra de la población migratoria; Tamaulipas 30% Tabasco 6% San Luis Potosí 21% Veracruz 6% Chiapas 19% Oaxaca 2% Estado de México 8% Del total por abusos cometidos por alguna autoridad: Autoridades mexicanas 20% Particulares o grupos delictivos 67% Autoridades estadounidenses 3% En cuanto a las autoridades mexicanas que están involucradas en cuanto a la comisión de abusos: Policía Municipal 83% Ejército 8% Policia Federal Preventiva 9% Policía Municipal con mayor porcentaje de los abusos cometidos por estos elementos: Nuevo Laredo 40% San Luis Potosí 22%. Monterrey 22%

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Los derechos más comunes o que más se han violentado dentro de la población migrante y delitos cometidos también por Seguridad Ciudadana en Nuevo Laredo: Libre tránsito 27% Delito de lesiones 6% Privación de la libertad 27% Daños y derecho a la integridad personal 4% Robo 19 % Derecho a la información 2% Cohecho 7% Fuente: Centro de los Derechos Humanos del Migrante “Beato Juan Bautista Scalabrini” Abusan las autoridades y pandilleros de migrantes GASTÓN MONGE 5 Septiembre,2208 La Casa del Migrante de esta frontera, denunció que en los últimos tres meses 290 migrantes fueron objeto de abuso, vejaciones y hasta secuestro en su trayecto a Estados Unidos, por parte de policías municipales, de guardias del ferrocarril y de bandas de delincuentes y pandilleros. Reportó que a diferencia de otros años, en el presente se incrementó la violencia en contra de los migrantes, debido a que quienes son los responsables de protegerlos (las autoridades), no lo hacen, y que en cambio, abusan de ellos. La denuncia se hizo a través del Centro de Derechos Humanos del Migrante, que opera en dicho lugar, y fue el coordinador del CDEHM, José Luis Manzo, quien mencionó que de esa cantidad, el 94% fueron hombres y el restante 6% mujeres, procedentes de Honduras, El Salvador y Guatemala, en su mayoría. Agregó el especialista que al llegar a Nuevo Laredo, los migrantes son extorsionados y robados en un 83% por policías municipales, mientras que agentes de la PFP lo hacen en un 9%. Sin embargo, aceptó que pese a que se denuncia ante la autoridades, éstas no resuelven el problema por lo que no son dignos de confianza, y como ejemplo dijo que existen dos recomendaciones elaboradas por la Comisión de Derechos Humanos de Tamaulipas, a las que la autoridad no les hace caso. Por su parte, Francisco Pellizari, director de la Casa del Migrante, dijo que es muy difícil que la policía municipal de esta ciudad entienda como se trabaja en la Casa del Migrante, pero añadió que intentará convencerlos de que los migrantes no son delincuentes. "Nosotros les llamamos para que nos ayuden a retirar a otras personas que están afuera de la Casa, y que hace todo tipo de delitos, pero cuando vienen se llevan a los migrantes y no a los delincuentes", expresó con impotencia el sacerdote. Dijo que de dos mil 800 migrantes hospedados en el lugar en esos tres meses, al menos el 10% son los que reportan abuso, pero mencionó que se solo una parte de lo que les ocurre, ya que no todos denuncian por miedo o por amenazas de los delincuentes. Consideró Pellizari que este trabajo de dar a conocer lo que le ocurre a los migrantes que solicitan albergue en las Casas del Migrante de la zona norte, "es importante porque no hay intenciones de engañar a nadie, sino presentar la realidad como es, y se trata de una realidad muy triste", expresó. El año pasado fueron atendidos en este lugar cerca de 10 mil migrantes, y se espera que este año la cantidad sea superior toda vez que hasta el momento suman 7 mil 780 las persona atendidas. Como dato adicional, dijo que el número de mujeres aumento en un 3% con relación al

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año pasado, "y llegan muy lastimadas y con mucha hambre, y su desesperación fue mucha, aunque se trata de mujeres que toman el lugar de sus esposos que fueron deportados", explicó. Crece 2% la presencia femenina en albergue; este año han recibido a 480 Por: Osvaldo Rodríguez, Viernes, EL MAÑANA, 05 de Septiembre de 2008

NUEVO LAREDO -Ligeramente ha aumentado la presencia de mujeres en la Casa del Migrante Nazareth, que deciden ir en busca de internarse en Estados Unidos.

Francisco Pellizzari, dirigente de la Casa del Migrante, destacó que el presente año incrementó un 2% la presencia de mujeres en comparación con al año pasado; en cifras casi 160 más.

“Con mujeres revelamos que la frase era esta: ‘Mi esposo intentó varias veces, no la hizo, ahora vine yo para ver si la hago’, es lo que nos dicen la gran mayoría de estas casi 480 mujeres que hemos tenido aquí en el año”, mencionó el sacerdote Pellizzari.

Lo peor en este incremento es que las mujeres llegan muy lastimadas, hambrientas y con mucha carga del cansancio del viaje a esta ciudad, la gran mayoría no cuenta de los abusos que fueron blancos.

“Eso es preocupante porque ellas aquí no nos dicen, por temor a sus agresores que muchas veces consiguen teléfonos, direcciones de sus familiares y las amenazan, a nosotros nos cuentan los hombres migrantes”, dijo Pellizzari.

Detalló que ellos se enteran de los abusos hacia las mujeres migrantes gracias a que los hombres les relatan que en su trayectoria venían mujeres con ellos y fueron atrapadas por sujetos que abusan de sus derechos humanos, pero ellas generalmente lo callan.

El flujo migratorio en el presente año en la Casa del Migrante Nazareth, está prácticamente igual que el 2007, con 7 mil 880 personas que han pasado por asociación para ser atendidas. “Estamos igual que el año pasado 100 más 100 menos, estamos muy parecidos en números que en el 2007, no sabemos cuántos van a ser a finales de año, pero siempre llegamos a 10 mil”, dijo.

Otro factor de que destacó el Pellizzari es el incremento de la violencia en todo el país ya que cada vez el migrante llega más afectado, maltratado, golpeado, que quizá se deba al descuido de quienes protegen sus derechos.

Expuso que ese descuido viene a desencadenar en la opinión pública, que hoy en día considera degradante la persona, la imagen y el perfil del migrante que genera tantas agresiones.

“Si el migrante yo se que es una persona que viene de afuera, pero es una persona y la persona para mí es sagrada yo no la toco, yo no voy a violar sus derechos”.

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Cardinals see immigration at 'dark moment,' but call for hope By Patricia Zapor Two Catholic cardinals called the current U.S. immigration situation "a terrible crisis" and "a dark moment in our nation's history" in remarks they made July 28 at the opening Mass and plenary session of the 2008 National Migration Conference. Both Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles and Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washington, urged participants to hold on to hope in their work with immigrants for local and national church agencies. The July 28-31 conference attended by more than 850 people was co-sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Relief Services. In his July 28 keynote address, Cardinal Mahony more directly took on the failure of Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation and the federal enforcement policies that have led to "the separation of families, the harassment and profiling of U.S. citizens and legal residents, the expanded use of detention against those who are not a flight risk or a danger and, tragically, deaths in the United States desert." The recent national policy described as "deportation by attrition" has a goal of creating "such a dangerous and unwelcoming atmosphere that immigrants and their families leave the United States because they have no other choice," said Cardinal Mahony. It has led to fear among immigrant communities and a hostile atmosphere, "fanning the flames of intolerance, xenophobia and, at times, bigotry," he continued. "Such a national policy is doomed to fail because it underestimates the human spirit, the spirit of hope that we celebrate in this gathering," the cardinal said. The very act of migration is a hopeful one, he said, because it is based in the belief that a better life is possible for the migrant and his family. He encouraged conference attendees to consider the call to hope expressed by Pope Benedict XVI in the encyclical "Spe Salvi" ("Saved by Hope"). Hope "gives us the courage to place ourselves on the side of the good even in seemingly hopeless situations, aware that, as far as the external course of history is concerned, the power of sin will continue to be a terrible presence," the encyclical said. Cardinal Mahony said that, "despite the attacks on our position and on those we serve, we must not lose faith as to the rightness of our cause and of our service to our immigrant brothers and sisters. The church must remain a prophetic voice in an increasingly hostile wilderness, defending her mandate, given by Christ, to welcome the stranger." He outlined some suggestions for the church to work to change the current situation, including continuing to reach out and support immigrants; holding elected officials accountable by insisting on a human approach to immigrants; changing attitudes toward migrants through education; and working to reform immigration laws. He also called for the two presumptive presidential candidates - Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama - "to pledge to make comprehensive immigration reform one of their highest priorities in early 2009 and to work with Congress to enact it." "While we are bound to respect our laws and not violate them, we also are bound to correct unjust laws," Cardinal Mahony said. "The terms 'rule of law' and 'national security' should no longer be used to justify the harsh and inhumane treatment of immigrants, refugees or asylum seekers.

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While we acknowledge the right and the need for our government to enforce the law, we must remind our fellow Americans that man-made law does not permit the violation of God's law." 'Shout the Gospel message' In his homily July 28 at the conference's opening Mass, Cardinal McCarrick said he sees "our challenge as one of shouting out the message of the Gospel, the words of the holy fathers, the unchanging teaching of the church, and in the profound conviction of our nation's history that the real heart of America has not changed, that its willingness to right a wrong has not faulted, that it needs only continuous courage, unwavering confidence in the goodness of people and a trust in God's love for the poor and the stranger." Drawing from the Gospel reading of the parable of the mustard seed, Cardinal McCarrick said the story is full of optimism "that the kingdom of heaven itself can be sown in men's hearts like a seed." The sowing of seeds is a theme in many of Jesus' parables, he noted, with one important lesson that the seed is the word of God. He said that lesson "is often lost because of the hardness of men's hearts, belief and the temptations of the world, which sometimes allure them into political positions which they know in their hearts are wrong, since they do not conform to the loving providence of God." He said the parable also has a message "to keep sowing the seed, no matter what the likelihood of success ... no matter how hard the sowing may be, no matter how challenging the prospects of success, keep sowing, keep sowing in confidence that God's providence will provide the good soil. Do not give up; your seed will reach it yet; keep sowing, because if you stop the people will perish." Multifaceted approach needed A letter of greeting to the conferees from Cardinal Renato Martino, as president of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers, was read by Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, the council secretary. Cardinal Martino said an approach to the difficulties of migration should be intercultural, ecumenical and interreligious. He said political action on migration should be comprehensive and "not turn the immigrant into the scapegoat for other crucial social issues, nor a threat to security and stability." The basis for church action on behalf of immigrants is "the affirmation that all persons are equal, well beyond the differences deriving from origin, language and culture," Cardinal Martino said. The church's approach "affirms the central role and sacred character of the human being independently from his/her regular or irregular legal status.... The church is more and more convinced that making the most of the ethical-religious dimension of migration is the surest way to reach also other goals of high human and cultural value." Other prelates attending the conference included New York Cardinal Edward M. Egan; Guatemalan Bishop Alvaro Ramazzini Imeri of San Marcos; Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City, chairman of the bishops' migration committee; Bishops Jaime Soto of Sacramento, Thomas G. Wenski of Orlando and Frank J. DeWane of Venice, Fla.; and Auxiliary Bishop Rutilio J. del Riego of San Bernardino. Much of the conference's agenda, built around the theme "Renewing Hope, Seeking Justice," reflected the struggles faced by those who work with immigrants.

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Workshops were scheduled on topics such as "How to respond to federal raids," "Identifying and supporting survivors of traumatic events," "A Catholic response to human trafficking" and "Parenting challenges from an African immigrant perspective." Another two dozen workshop sessions dealt with legal issues including "Filing waivers of inadmissibility" and "Immigration law and crimes"; strategies for fundraising; and getting out the church's message on immigration. ---CNS To view the complete text of Cardinal Mahony's July 28 address, visit www.the- tidings.com.

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Renewing Hope, Seeking Justice on Immigration

Cardinal Mahony

"We are in a dark moment in our nations history with regard to immigrants, refugees and newcomers to our land,"

Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles said July 28 in the keynote address of the 2008 National Migration

Conference in Washington. The conference was co-sponsored by Migration and Refugee Services of the U.S.

Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Catholic Charities USA and Catholic

Relief Services. Cardinal Mahony said the failure to enact comprehensive immigration reform has led to an

enforcement-only policy that has resulted in separation of families, harassment and profiling of U.S. citizens and

legal residents, unfair detention and even death. He said that even though he was painting a bleak picture, "We have

the opportunity, a long historical commitment and the needed skills to help reverse these unfortunate developments

and improve - and in some cases reform - these policies." The cardinal offered several suggestions on how this

could be accomplished, including holding accountable candidates seeking political office. "I call upon the two

presidential candidates - Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama - to engage in a civil discussion on how we

must reform our nation's immigration laws in a fair and humane fashion. I call upon them to remind all Americans

of our wondrous immigrant history and how immigrant peoples have helped make this nation great," the cardinal

said. The keynote address follows.

I would like to speak with you this evening about the decision our nation is facing

regarding immigration to this country and how the church - and those of you who help

perform her good works - can help guide our nation in taking the right path.

We are in a dark moment in our nation's history with regard to immigrants, refugees

and newcomers to our land. The failure of comprehensive immigration-reform legisla-

tion just over a year ago emboldened some of our elected officials to pursue a punitive

approach, using enforcement as both an immigration policy and a political tool. As many of you know from your work, we and the immigrants we serve are facing enforcement raids, state and local enforcement actions, heightened border enforcement and the construction of a border wall as well as lengthy stays in detention - all at great human and financial cost. These enforcement policies have led in many cases to the separation of families, the harassment and profiling of U.S. citizens and legal residents, the expanded use of detention against those who are not a flight risk or a danger and, tragically, deaths in the U.S. desert. We have also seen attempts to stifle the church's mission through proposals to

criminalize those who strive to serve the basic human needs of migrants. A human being's worth is defined by their God-given dignity, not by what papers they carry. These are the ingredients of a recipe known as deportation by attrition: Its goal is to

create such a dangerous and unwelcoming atmosphere so that immigrants and their families leave the United States because they have no other choice. These various efforts have led to fear in our immigrant communities and to the creation of a negative atmosphere against all immigrants, fanning the flames of intolerance, xenophobia and at times bigotry. And, as we have seen, these punitive efforts have not solved the challenge of illegal

immigration in our country; they are not the answer to our broken immigration system. Such a national policy is doomed to fail because it underestimates the human spirit, the spirit of hope that we celebrate in this gathering.

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Enforcement policies have not been limited to the area of immigration, however. In the area of refugee protection we have seen a retreat from America's traditional role of providing safe haven to those fleeing persecution. Refugees admitted to the United States have fallen drastically since 9/11 despite the implementation of onerous security precautions. The charge of providing "material support" to groups on U.S. terror lists has denied

bona fide refugees entry into our country and safety from their persecutors. Upon their arrival to our shores, asylum-seekers from around the world are faced with detention or immediate return to their tormentors under a policy of expedited removal. We see this most prominently in the case of Haitians, but other groups are affected as well. In the area of human trafficking, our nation has made significant progress yet more

must be done. Too many victims, especially children, have yet to be discovered and offered the care and protection they deserve. Even our nation's historical ability to integrate newcomers into American society

rapidly and in large numbers - a hallmark of our republic - is in serious jeopardy. High application fees and long waiting times are making citizenship out of reach for many potential Americans. I realize that I am painting a somewhat bleak picture, but all is not lost. We have

the opportunity, a long historical commitment and the needed skills to help reverse these unfortunate developments and improve - and in some cases reform - these policies. I think the question for our church and others of good will, and the question for all of us at this conference, is how. How can the church reframe the debate on immigration in this country? What steps must we take as a faith community to ensure that the rights of immigrants, refugees and other newcomers continue to be protected in the United States of America? In addressing these questions, I would like to focus on renewing hope, part of the theme of our gathering this week. It is a theme that is recurrent in our ministry to migrants, who risk their lives in the hope of pursuing a better life. It can be seen in the eyes of the immigrant traveling to our land, the refugee preparing for resettlement, the trafficking victim who has been rescued or the permanent resident taking the oath of citizenship. It was seen and realized by the first newcomers to Ellis Island. The act of migration is at its heart a hopeful act, an act that a better life more

befitting of human dignity is possible for the migrant and his or her family. It is hopeful in the sense that migrants, in giving of themselves to others, are becoming who God calls them to be. Most migrants are self-sacrificing people whose commitment to values like faith, family and work can help evangelize a culture and individuals who do not always treat them as fully human. The word hope resonates among us gathered this week and provides us a guiding

light in our ongoing journey with the migrant. The conference theme, "Renewing Hope, Seeking Justice," appropriately sets the tone for our gathering. The landmark pastoral letter of the U.S. and Mexican bishops "Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope" offers us a framework for fulfilling the hope of immigrants and their families. Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has reminded us - both in his encyclical Spe

Salvi ("Saved by Hope") and in the theme of his recent apostolic visit to our country, "Christ, Our Hope" - that hope is central to the life of the church. Indeed, our ultimate hope lies in the life, words and deeds of our Lord and Savior,

Jesus Christ. It is he who gives us the strength to continue our struggle. The life of Christ gives us the guidance we need to respond to the migrant in his

name, even in the face of criticism of our actions and efforts. Indeed, while on earth Christ himself was an itinerant preacher with "no place to rest his head" (Mt 8:20).

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Jesus, Mary and Joseph were refugees, fleeing the terror of Herod into Egypt. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches us to "welcome the stranger" because

"whatever you did for one of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (25:40). This is perhaps the central Gospel passage guiding the work and teaching of the church toward the migrant. But we also find truth in how Christ interacted with others, particularly those who were not welcome in society or cast aside to the margins of the social, political and economic systems of his day. In the Gospel of John, Jesus encounters the Samaritan woman at the well (In 4:4-

42). As you are likely aware, Samaritans were considered a lower class in Judea, persons with whom many Jews would not associate. And women were considered lower on the social scale. So in engaging the woman Jesus was performing a transformative act in which misguided social norms and ethnic differences were set aside to make room for a new law, God's law, in which we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. The Samaritan woman is so moved that she proclaims that she has found the Messiah. We can learn from Christ's life here. Like him, we are to welcome the stranger from

another land and in so doing spread the love of Christ and help transform the world. But Jesus reached out to government authorities as well: He called upon tax col-

lectors like Zaccheus and Matthew to follow him; raised the daughter of the Roman soldier from the dead and forgave those who nailed him to the cross. So, too, must we reach out to government authorities - legislative and administrative - involved in the migration process and work toward mutual understanding and reconciliation. In his encyclical Spe Salvi our Holy Father speaks to the meaning of hope, born in

Christ, and how Christian hope is realized through perseverance and action but not without suffering. His message is applicable to the struggle that the immigrant - as well as the church welcoming the immigrant - faces today. In his encyclical the Holy Father points to the presence of suffering in the world -

because of our sin - and how we must express hope by working for justice and the reduction of suffering. "It is however, hope - not yet fulfillment; hope that gives us the courage to place ourselves on the side of the good even in seemingly hopeless situations, aware that as far as the external course of history is concerned the power of sin will continue to be a terrible presence" (Spe Salvi, 36). So in these days of enforcement raids and anti-immigrant sentiment in our nation,

we must not be distraught and discouraged by the suffering and injustice we see, but strengthen ourselves to alleviate it and find the hope to move beyond it. Consequently, hope involves action. The Holy Father continues: "All serious and

upright human conduct is hope in action. This is so first of all in the sense that we thereby strive to realize our lesser and greater hopes, to complete this or that task which is important for our onward journey or we work toward a brighter and more humane world so as to open doors into the future" (Spe Salvi, 35). Thus, hope is not wishing for something without working for it. In the context of our

current struggle, we must continue to work to realize the hope of a more just immigration and refugee-protection system or, as the Holy Father says, a "brighter and more humane world." In "seeking justice," the second part of our conference theme, we help bring about this reality. In order for hope to be fully realized, however, we must have faith - faith in God but

also faith in our own best efforts. As the Holy Father points out at the beginning of his encyclical, hope is faith; faith is hope. Despite the attacks on our position and on those we serve, we must not lose faith as to the rightness of our cause and of our service to our immigrant brothers and sisters. The church must remain a prophetic

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voice in an increasingly hostile wilderness, defending her mandate, given by Christ, to welcome the stranger. This is why the theme of the National Migration Conference 2008 - "Renewing Hope, Seeking Justice" - captures so well what we must focus upon in our gathering. It incorporates the action needed, "seeking justice," to realize our renewed hope of changing our immigration system and the lives of millions of our fellow human beings and generations to come. But how do we do that, you ask. What must the church - what must you and I - do

to change the current situation for the better? Let me offer a few suggestions: First, we must speak clearly and often to the migrants and refugees who are in our midst or who are coming to our country: You can count on the Roman Catholic Church to stand with you and to walk with you on your journey to legal status in the United States - something we have done decade after decade, century after century since the founding of our country. You can count on us to work tirelessly to make certain that your God-given rights as human beings are granted and protected. Our immigrant brothers and sisters: We will not allow mean-spirited rhetoric to deter us in our commitment to you. Second, we must hold accountable those who are asking for our votes this

November. We must insist that they outline a humane plan for reform of our immigration laws, that they refrain from demagoguery and anti-immigrant rhetoric, and that they educate the voters on the need to repair a broken system. I call upon the two presidential candidates - Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack

Obama - to engage in a civil discussion on how we must reform our nation's immigration laws in a fair and humane fashion. I call upon them to remind all Americans of our wondrous immigrant history and how immigrant peoples have helped make this nation great. I call upon them to pledge to make comprehensive immigration reform one of their

highest priorities in early 2009 and to work with Congress to enact it. Third, we must change attitudes toward migrants through ongoing education. Many

of those who are not welcoming toward immigrants and who work against immigration reform are Catholic: We must change their hearts and address their misunderstandings and their fears. We must make a renewed effort through the Justice for Immigrants campaign to

educate Catholics and others as to the realities of immigration. Educating Catholics and others makes them less likely to scapegoat immigrants or to use harsh rhetoric against them. Fourth, we must continue to provide pastoral care and social services, including

legal assistance, to migrants and their families. The church is the first, and sometimes last, refuge for the newcomer, many of whom are Catholic. Migrants and their families must be aware that the church will meet their spiritual

and material needs, no matter where they are on their migration journey. We must not let attacks on the mission of the church toward migrants - in the form of legislative proposals or rhetoric - deter us. Fifth, we must work toward the reform of laws impacting migrants, immigrants and

refugees. We must use the failure of the past battles as knowledge to win the ultimate victory.

This can occur in the next two years, provided we work hard toward this end and start doing so now. Many of you will be joining this effort by participating in Advocacy Day on Wednesday.

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While we are bound to respect our laws and not violate them, we also are bound to correct unjust laws. In this regard we must advocate for an enforcement regime which respects basic human dignity and human rights. The terms rule of law and national security should no longer be used to justify the harsh and inhumane treatment of immigrants, refugees or asylum-seekers. While we acknowledge the right and the need for our government to enforce the law,

we must remind our fellow Americans that man-made law does not permit the violation of God's law. And by repairing the law, we are better able to enforce it in a humane manner. In addition, I would like to draw special attention to two areas of migration policy in

which the church has special authority to speak: family unity and the root causes of migration. They are common threads in all issues of migration - refugee protection, immigration, human trafficking and others. These are themes the Holy Father addressed during his recent apostolic visit to the

United States. With regard to the root causes of migration, the church, a universal institution

present in both sending and receiving countries, can provide special expertise. Sustainable economic development is the church's answer to border walls. It takes away the market from human traffickers, who lure victims with promises of jobs in the developed world. It reduces the number of refugees, since wars and conflicts often involve a battle over resources. We must strive for the day on which human beings can remain in their homelands

and live and support their families in dignity. Governments should pursue economic policies and practices that make the need for their citizens to cross borders less compelling and necessary. As the world's economic superpower, the United States should assist these governments or, at a minimum, not make it more difficult for them to reach this goal. The church must also protect the family unit, especially in the context of migration,

since families are often separated, sometimes indefinitely. Families should be able to remain together despite their legal status or circumstances, and our laws should be tailored toward that goal. This is true of the undocumented migrant who has left their family behind in the home country, the trafficking victim isolated from family or the refugee or unaccompanied minor separated from their family during war. Finally, we ourselves must not lose hope. It may be helpful here to recall the basic,

fundamental "structure of hope." Hope always moves in three steps. First: What I hope for I do not yet have; hope is always for some future good. Second: What I hope for may be difficult; hope strains, searches, struggles. But, third: What I hope for can come to be; it is possible. At times it is easy to forget that even as we work and not merely wish - what we

hope for lies in God's hands. It can only come to us as a gift. The only danger we face is losing hope. It must be our daily prayer that we remain open to receive the hope that can only come to us as a gift. And then pass this hope on for the life of the world. The church must remain a source of hope for all those who seek protection or search for a better life for themselves and their families. We can achieve these goals with faith in God, our ultimate hope, by giving witness

to Christ, who welcomed the stranger, whether the lame, the blind, the hungry, the thirsty or the Samaritan woman. In Spe Salvi the Holy Father reminds us: "So on one hand, our actions engender

hope for us and others; but at the same time it is the great hope based upon God's promises that gives us courage and directs our action in good times and bad" (No. 35).

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I would like to close by expressing my deep appreciation for the work you do on behalf of newcomers to our land. I know that in your day-to-day jobs you face moments in which problems seem daunting and the benefits to the people you serve seem minimal. Without the light you provide to these vulnerable persons, however, the world would be even darker for them. Whether you are the parish employee responding to an enforcement action, as we

have seen in PostviIle, New Bedford and other places; a refugee-resettlement specialist working to find housing or employment for a new arrival; an attorney seeking ways to prevent the deportation of a client; a priest, religious or layperson offering pastoral assistance; or a social action director or public-policy advocate meeting with a public official, know that your work is invaluable - indispensable - in saving lives and creating a "brighter and more humane world," as the Holy Father puts it, for our fellow human beings. In many ways, you are the fulfillment of the hope in their eyes. I will leave you with the words of Pope Benedict XVI, this time given during his

apostolic visit to the United States in April. He spoke these words to the U.S. bishops but he also was speaking to the entire country. They reaffirm the importance of your work and how the church must remain in solidarity with the migrant. They also speak to the spirit of America, our great country, a land that is and always will remain a land of immigrants: "Brother bishops, I want to encourage you and your communities to continue to

welcome the immigrants who join your ranks today, to share their joys and hopes, to support them in their sorrow and trials, and to help them flourish in their new home. "This, indeed, is what your fellow countrymen have done for generations. From the

beginning, they have opened their doors to the tired, the poor, the 'huddled masses yearning to breathe free.' These are the people who America has made her own." Confident in our cause and with hope as our guardian and faith our constant companion, we will soon win justice for all of our brothers and sisters. May God bless you and keep you strong.

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COMUNICADO DE PRENSA LA IGLESIA CATOLICA DE GUATEMALA URGE QUE SE RESPETE LA DIGNIDAD Y LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS DE LOS MIGRANTES. ERA MIGRANTE Y ME RECIBISTE EN TU PATRIA ( cfr. Mt 25,35) MADRE TIERRA VIDA DE LOS PUEBLOS Estimados hermanos y hermanas, amados sacerdotes, religiosos, religiosas, catequistas, laicos y laicas comprometidos: a todos los saludo fraternalmente con el amor de Jesús, el Buen Pastor. La Iglesia de Guatemala, año tras año, celebra en el primer domingo de septiembre el Día Nacional del Migrante. Siempre, pero particularmente en este día, recordamos sus esperanzas, valoramos sus luchas, y denunciamos los atropellos a sus derechos. En este año queremos llamar la atención, nacional e internacional, sobre el drama vivido por la población migrante al recibir el impacto inhumano de las deportaciones y señalar en el contexto guatemalteco, la íntima relación existente entre la injusta distribución de los bienes de la tierra y el aumento de la pobreza, causa fundamental de las migraciones forzadas. Para ello hemos escogido el lema: MADRE TIERRA, VIDA DE LOS PUEBLOS. 1. La globalización económica factor decisivo de la creciente brecha entre ricos y empobrecidos. Los flujos de emigrantes de los países pobres hacia los países ricos, están determinados actualmente por factores de índole económica. El aumento de la pobreza, la falta de oportunidades y la deficiente implementación de procesos de desarrollo integral y sostenible, son causa y efecto de la brecha creciente entre los países ricos y los países pobres y entre los sectores ricos y los empobrecidos de cada país. La brecha de la desigualdad entre pocos ricos y grandes mayorías empobrecidas, es fruto de la globalización en la cual la dinámica del mercado absolutiza con facilidad la eficacia y la productividad como valores reguladores de todas las relaciones humanas. Este peculiar carácter hace de la globalización un proceso promotor de inequidades e injusticias múltiples..Ella no es capaz de interpretar y reaccionar en función de valores objetivos que se encuentran más allá del mercado y que constituyen lo más importante de la vida humana: la verdad, la justicia, el amor, y muy especialmente, la dignidad y los derechos de todos, aún de aquellos que viven al margen del propio mercado. (Documento de Aparecida, No. 61). 2. Las injusticias múltiples de la globalización deben ser superadas desde una perspectiva humana y cristiana. Los problemas surgidos de una situación de injusticia estructural, que golpea siempre con mayor fuerza a los pobres, tienen que ser resueltos desde los criterios éticos .poniendo todo al servicio de la persona humana, creada a imagen y semejanza de Dios. (cfr. Aparecida No.60). En este sentido no podemos silenciar el apoyo enorme que los migrantes dan a una visión solidaria de la vida y su enorme contribución a evitar catástrofes mayores cuando a través de las remesas enviadas, sostienen la economía de sus propios países. México, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras y Nicaragua son ejemplo vivo de ello. Esta es por lo general, la ayuda de los pobres a los pobres, que evidencia la capacidad de sacrificio y amor solidario a favor de las propias familias y patrias de origen (Aparecida, No. 416).

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Con su ejemplo y sus sacrificios los migrantes, en el extranjero, demuestran ante los demás que el amor y la preocupación por una vida mejor para sus familiares, son los mejores remedios para superar las exclusiones y desigualdades. 3. El doloroso vía crucis del migrante y de sus familiares empieza cuando tiene que abandonar su país. Independientemente de las razones que el migrante haya tenido para tomar la decisión de emigrar, sean laborales, académicas, políticas o económicas, forzadamente atraviesa por un duelo o drama profundamente humano, que afecta definitivamente su vida emocional y afectiva. Las situaciones que generan traumas y duelos en la vida del migrante son: la separación familiar, la pérdida de su lengua materna, la pérdida de las raíces culturales, vivir el rechazo dentro de la nueva cultura, la pérdida de los lazos afectivos con la naturaleza, madre tierra, los paisajes, entre otros. Las actitudes de xenofobia y el abuso de la mano de obra de los migrantes, profundizan ese trauma. 4. La zozobra de las injustas detenciones y deportaciones irregulares de migrantes. Las condiciones reales en que se producen las detenciones y deportaciones de migrantes, en México, Estados Unidos y la Comunidad Europea, conlleva siempre el riesgo de vulnerar los derechos humanos por las restricciones y practicas impuestas por los Estados. Y así sucede en muchísimos casos. Para ejecutar los procedimientos de deportación se recurre a las legislaciones nacionales. El hecho es que tales legislaciones no siempre están apegadas a los convenios y tratados internacionales y mucho menos a los principios de una ética en la que el ser humano sea plenamente respetado. Cuando las deportaciones de migrantes sin documentos separan las familias, se realizan con todo lujo de fuerza y prepotencia, se disfrazan con la convicción de proteger la seguridad de los ciudadanos, cortan los sueños legítimos de un futuro mejor, no podemos menos de concluir que aquí como en otros países del mundo, los procesos de irrespeto al ser humano y la crisis de humanismo han aumentado gravemente. 5. Las fronteras de la pesadilla que lloran sangre por las deportaciones y muertes. Una muestra clara de ello son las distintas formas y grados de violencia que sufren los migrantes en los momentos en que tienen que cruzar los países de tránsito. Las fronteras ponen de manifiesto el alto grado de vulnerabilidad que ellos enfrentan y el alto grado de inseguridad que afecta particularmente a las mujeres, niños y niñas. Estas situaciones favorecen la Trata de Personas a través de la explotación sexual, prostituciòn, trabajo o servicios forzados, la esclavitud y la servidumbre. La migración indocumentada no ha disminuido, sino que se ha desplazado por nuevas rutas, usando vías más peligrosas debido a las políticas y leyes de migración, cada vez más restrictivas. Esto, ha provocado muertes en las fronteras por los cruces en áreas geográficas de clima hostil o con infraestructura peligrosa. La vulnerabilidad de los migrantes se agudiza, aumenta el número de muertes, mayor dependencia de los coyotes y un mayor costo para llegar al destino. Los gobiernos de México y Estados Unidos comparten la misma responsabilidad al no buscar soluciones humanas a estos problemas. La identidad cristiana de la que hacen gala estos países se ve disminuida considerablemente. Nos unimos y apoyamos las demandas y gestiones de la Conferencia Episcopal de Estados Unidos, para que el gobierno Norteamericano cree una política migratoria integral, que tome en cuenta la unidad familiar y el respeto a los

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derechos humanos y dignidad de los inmigrantes; Asimismo manifestamos nuestro apoyo y solidaridad a nuestros hermanos obispos de México que exigen del gobierno mexicano respeto a los migrantes Centroamericanos y de otras nacionalidades que se encuentran de paso en dicho país. Los problemas humanos de los migrantes deben ser resueltos desde los principios éticos, teniendo la capacidad de ir más allá de criterios estrictamente legales. 6. Madre tierra, vida de los pueblos. El lema para la celebración del Día del Migrante es: Madre tierra, vida de los pueblos. No podemos negar que la gran mayoría de migrantes hacia Estados Unidos, México y Europa, en el caso guatemalteco, son guatemaltecos que viven en el área rural. En el vigésimo aniversario de la carta .El clamor por la tierra., la situación de la gran mayoría de campesinos indígenas y ladinos, es peor. Así también lo constató la Quinta conferencia general del episcopado en Aparecida, Brasil: .los campesinos en su mayoría, sufren a causa de la pobreza, agravada por no tener acceso a tierra propia. Sin embargo, existen grandes latifundios en manos de unos pocos. En algunos países, esta situación ha llevado a la población a demandar una Reforma Agraria, estando atentos a los males que puedan ocasionarles los Tratados de Libre Comercio, la manipulación de la droga y otros factores. ( Aparecida, No. 73). En el día del migrante, vale la pena recordar cómo y cuánto la problemática agraria no ha sido debidamente atendida y resuelta en nuestro país, y se ha descuidado analizar y verificar la estrecha relación existente entre ella y el aumento de la pobreza. Hermanos y hermanas en nuestro Señor Jesucristo: Como discípulos de Jesucristo no debemos ni podemos dejar pasar el dolor injusto y la exclusión que sufren a diario nuestros hermanos y hermanas migrantes. Ante esta realidad de detenciones injustificadas, de muertes, de deportaciones masivas, de violaciones a los derechos humanos, de pobreza creciente, quedarnos indiferentes es hacernos cómplices. No podemos quedarnos tranquilos en espera pasiva en nuestros templos, sino urge acudir en todas direcciones para proclamar que el mal y la muerte no tienen la última palabra, que el amor es más fuerte, que hemos sido liberados y salvados por la victoria pascual del Señor de la historia. (Aparecida, No. 548). Por ello, invito a las diócesis y vicariatos apostólicos, parroquias, congregaciones religiosas y comunidades a escuchar el clamor de los emigrantes. Asimismo, los motivo a hacer algún gesto de solidaridad a favor de la población migrante, porque en el corazón de la Iglesia nadie es extranjero, y la Iglesia como madre es una Iglesia sin fronteras. Exhorto a las autoridades guatemaltecas y a todos los guatemaltecos y guatemaltecas a que promuevan y defiendan la dignidad y el respeto a los derechos humanos de los migrantes y refugiados en nuestro país. La Iglesia puesta a disposición de los pueblos, con actitud fraterna de servicio, comparte su experiencia en humanidad, a favor de la justicia y la paz en el mundo de las migraciones. Que María, Madre de los Migrantes y el Beato Juan Bautista Scalabrini acompañen a todos los y las migrantes en esta hora tan difícil en la historia de las migraciones. Mons. Álvaro Ramazzini Obispo de San Marcos Presidente de la Pastoral de Movilidad Humana Conferencia Episcopal de Guatemala. Guatemala, 2008.

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Welcome the Stranger By Kevin Appleby August 4, 2008 A Promised Land, A Perilous Journey Edited by Daniel G. Groody and Gioacchino Campese Univ. of Notre Dame Press. 352p $32 (paperback) Missing from most of the national immigration debate has been the humanitarian aspects of the migration phenomenon. One can hardly find—on talk radio, in the mass media or in scholarly journals—a serious discussion of the human dignity and rights of the migrants who cross international borders to find work or join family. A Promised Land, A Perilous Journey, a compilation of essays taking a theological and rights-based approach to the issue of migration, provides a needed framework to begin that discussion. Comprised of pieces from a wide range of scholars, advocates and service providers, it engages the contemporary immigration debate from a faith-based, Catholic perspective. The issue of migration has been with us for centuries, and one truth maintains: Migrants are human beings and are imbued with God-given rights that must be honored. In his foreword to the book, Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez of Honduras captures this theme: “We are called to see in our migrant brothers and sisters a common humanity and work together for a common solidarity, that is, a community of love and fellowship reflective of the reign of God.” Several noted scholars build on this theme in the first part of this four-part compendium, uncovering the theological roots of migration. Jacqueline Hagan of the University of North Carolina opens with a vivid and personal account of the faith of migrants and how religious symbols and rituals are central to their journeys. Peter Phan of Georgetown University looks at the history of the early Christians as migrants and strangers in new lands. Jesus himself was a migrant, an itinerant preacher “having no place to lay his head,” (Lk 9:58) and, profoundly, as both divine and human, part of two worlds. Like Christ, the first Christians became migrants to spread the Gospel. Gustavo Gutiérrez, O.P., of Notre Dame, noted scholar of liberation theology, concludes this section with an analysis of migration as part of the “preferential option for the poor.” The book’s second part communicates a sense of the mission of the church toward migrants and how it has developed over the centuries, beginning with Christ’s instruction to “welcome the stranger,” for “what you do for the least of my brethren, you do unto me” (cf. Mt 25:35, 40-41). Stephen Bevans of the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago offers a thorough analysis of the Christian obligation in this regard. Giovanni Tassello writes on the Scalabrinian tradition of assisting migrants and provides historical insight into how this mission was developed and continues today. Pat Murphy, the director of Hispanic ministry for the Archdiocese of Kansas City, points out the challenges and opportunities for local dioceses in ministering to a new generation of Hispanics. Then, in the part entitled “The Politics of Sovereign Rights, Cultural Rights, and Human Rights,” writers confront the dichotomy of natural rights and sovereign rights. Where do the human rights of the migrant and the right of a sovereign nation to control its borders intersect? Does one right trump another? These questions are certainly at the fulcrum of the current debate, as manifested in the political terms “amnesty,” “rule of law” or “border security.” But as the contributors to this section suggest, human rights and sovereignty are not mutually exclusive: both can be achieved and, in some cases, complement each other. Graziano Battistella of the Scalabrini International Institute in Rome begins the argument by suggesting that a human rights approach to migration creates room for common

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ground among competing interests. By using human rights as the yardstick for effective policy, economic, social and security interests will be served. “Policies of exclusion,” as he calls them—deportation, detention, worker exploitation—only lead to a failure of all competing interests and exploitation of the human being. This argument comports with the policy positions of the U.S. bishops, who favor legal status as a way to promote human rights for the undocumented and to serve the common good. Donald Kerwin, executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, compares a rights-based approach to current U.S. policy and practice. Human rights and national security can go hand in hand, provided the right policies are adopted and implemented. In the case of the United States, post-9/11 security concerns have, in some cases, undermined basic human rights. “National security, at its core, implicates the right to self-preservation,” Kerwin concludes. “The Catholic natural rights tradition, however, cautions against turning security into an ‘idol’ or an absolute good.” In the end, the human dignity and rights of the person should remain a central principle—even in a national security context—and the ultimate measure of just immigration policies. Concluding this section, Olivia Ruiz Marrujo of the El Colegio de la Frontera Norte in Tijuana, Mexico, draws attention to the sexual violence confronting migrant women, bringing needed attention to an underreported issue—one that makes clear the necessity of a rights-based approach to migration. The final section of the book returns to the theme of Christ as migrant. Daniel Groody of Notre Dame looks at migration and the Eucharist, the central example of God’s real presence among us. He concludes powerfully: “The liturgy of the Eucharist is a place where we seek to develop a community that transcends all borders, that sees in the eyes of the immigrant stranger a brother, sister, and a real presence of Christ.” A Promised Land, A Perilous Journey is a useful resource for Catholics (and others) who want to reach beyond the dehumanizing language of the national immigration debate and articulate a vision of the migrant as a human being created in God’s image. It does not pretend to engage the anti-immigrant rhetoric so often heard and seen in the media these days, and it will probably not move those who use or agree with such rhetoric. But that is not its purpose. Its purpose is to educate and inspire those who are called to “welcome the stranger” that theirs is not only a just but also a spiritual mission. It accomplishes that goal very well. Kevin Appleby is director of migration and refugee services for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C.

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Employers Fight Tough Measures on Immigration By Julia Preston Published: July 6, 2008 Under pressure from the toughest crackdown on illegal immigration in two decades, employers across the country are fighting back in state legislatures, the federal courts and city halls. Business groups have resisted measures that would revoke the licenses of employers of illegal immigrants. They are proposing alternatives that would revise federal rules for verifying the identity documents of new hires and would expand programs to bring legal immigrant laborers. Though the pushback is coming from both Democrats and Republicans, in many places it is reopening the rift over immigration that troubled the Republican Party last year. Businesses, generally Republican stalwarts, are standing up to others within the party who accuse them of undercutting border enforcement and jeopardizing American jobs by hiring illegal immigrants as cheap labor. Employers in Arizona were stung by a law passed last year by the Republican-controlled Legislature that revokes the licenses of businesses caught twice with illegal immigrants. They won approval in this year’s session of a narrowing of that law making clear that it did not apply to workers hired before this year. Last week, an Arizona employers’ group submitted more than 284,000 signatures — far more than needed — for a November ballot initiative that would make the 2007 law even friendlier to employers. Also in recent months, immigration bills were defeated in Indiana and Kentucky — states where control of the legislatures is split between Democrats and Republicans — due in part to warnings from business groups that the measures could hurt the economy. In Oklahoma, chambers of commerce went to federal court and last month won an order suspending sections of a 2007 state law that would require employers to use a federal database to check the immigration status of new hires. In California, businesses have turned to elected officials, including the Democratic mayor of Los Angeles, to lobby federal immigration authorities against raiding long-established companies. While much of the employer activity has been at the grass-roots level, a national federation has been created to bring together the local and state business groups that have sprung up over the last year. “These employers are now starting to realize that nobody is in a better position than they are to make the case that they do need the workers and they do want to be on the right side of the law,” said Tamar Jacoby, president of the new federation, Immigration Works USA. After years of laissez-faire enforcement, federal immigration agents have been conducting raids at a brisk pace, with 4,940 arrests in workplaces last year. Although

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immigration has long been a federal issue, more than 175 bills were introduced in states this year concerning the employment of immigrants, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. State lawmakers said they had acted against businesses, often in response to fervent demands from voters, to curb job incentives that were attracting shadow populations of illegal immigrants. “Illegal immigration is a threat to the safety of Missouri families and the security of their jobs,” Gov. Matt Blunt, a Republican, said after the Missouri Legislature passed a crackdown law in May. “I am pleased that lawmakers heeded my call to continue the fight where Washington has failed to act.” But because of the mobilization of businesses, the state proposals this year have increasingly reflected their concerns. State lawmakers “are starting to be more responsive to the employer community because of its engagement in the issue,” said Ann Morse, who monitors immigration for the national legislature conference. The offensive by businesses has been spurred by the federal enforcement crackdown, by inaction in Congress on immigration legislation and by a rush of punitive state measures last year that created a checkerboard of conflicting requirements. Many employers found themselves on the political defensive as they grappled, even in an economic downturn, with shortages of low-wage labor. Mike Gilsdorf, the owner of a 37-year-old landscaping nursery in Littleton, Colo., saw the need for action by businesses last winter when he advertised with the Labor Department, as he does every year, for 40 seasonal workers at market-rate wages to plant, prune and carry his shrubs in the summer heat. Only one local worker responded to the notice, he said, and then did not show up for the job. Mr. Gilsdorf was able to fill his labor force with legal immigrants from Mexico through a federal guest worker program. But that program has a tight annual cap, and Mr. Gilsdorf realized that he might not be so lucky next year. His business could fail, he said, and then even his American workers would lose their jobs. “We’re not hiring illegals, we’re not paying under the table,” Mr. Gilsdorf said. “But if we don’t get in under the cap and nobody is answering our ads, we don’t have employees.” His group, Colorado Employers for Immigration Reform, is pressing Congress for a much larger and more flexible guest worker program. Unhappy California businesses won the support of Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, who wrote a letter in March to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff criticizing immigration agents for aiming raids at “established, responsible employers” in the city and urging him to focus on those with a record of labor violations. In Virginia, an employers’ coalition headed off bills that would have closed businesses that hire illegal immigrants and would have required all employers to participate in the federal system to check the working papers of new hires, which is known as E-Verify. Business groups nationwide oppose mandatory use of the system, which is now voluntary, because they say the Social Security Administration database it draws upon is full of errors that could lead to job denials for American citizens and legal immigrants and bureaucratic overload for the agency.

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Virginia employers said they learned a lesson last year after the broad immigration bill they supported failed in Congress. “The silent masses of businesses out there should have been on the phone with their Congressional representatives calling for rational reform,” said Hobey Bauhan, president of the Virginia Poultry Federation, whose members include some of the biggest low-wage employers in the state. Virginia lawmakers ultimately adopted verification rules aimed at employers who systematically hire illegal immigrants. In this legislative session, Arizona businesses rallied behind a bill to create what would have been the first state guest worker program in the country. Their advertising campaign used the slogan “What part of legal don’t you understand?” — a tweak of the battle cry of their opponents, who use the same phrase with the word “illegal.” Arizona employers said they knew that passage would be difficult for the bill, because only the federal government can issue visas to immigrant workers. Although the bill never came to a vote, employers said the debate helped make their views known in Washington. “It’s a message to the federal government,” said Joe Sigg, director of government relations for the Arizona Farm Bureau, “that we need a legal and reliable means to recruit workers.” Employers’ groups have not succeeded everywhere. Under a bill passed this year, Mississippi is the first state to make it a felony for an illegal immigrant to work. The measure also allows terminated employees to sue their employer if they were replaced by an illegal immigrant. President Bush on June 9 ordered all federal contractors to check new workers with E-Verify. The administration is pressing forward with a rule that would pressure employers to fire within 90 days any worker whose identity information does not match the records of the Social Security Administration, as frequently happens with illegal immigrants. The first version of the rule was held up last year by a federal court injunction. While many businesses have come forward, they say they speak for many others with immigrant workers that are lying low after finding that the crackdown has left them in a perilous legal bind. While raids and sanctions are increasing, employers with low-wage immigrant workers are barred by antidiscrimination rules from examining identity documents of new hires too closely or checking the immigration status of employees after they have been hired. “The problem for business is that despite their complete compliance with the law, it is inevitable for employers with large numbers of immigrant workers that a certain percentage will be unauthorized workers using false documents,” said Peter Schey, a lawyer who represents two California companies facing scrutiny by federal immigration agents. “The system is just as broken for employers as it is for immigrants.” Top of Form One employer facing this problem is the chief executive of a $20 million company on the outskirts of Los Angeles that assembles electronic parts. She said she had come to fear

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that her company — including its legal workers — is at risk of being crippled by an immigration raid. The executive spoke on the condition that neither she nor her company be identified by name, for fear of attracting immigration authorities. A human resources manager who worked for the company a decade ago hired a number of workers without conducting an extra check of their documents with the Social Security Administration, the executive said. Now she has received notices from the agency of mismatches in the identity documents of 20 workers who were hired 10 years ago, out of 90 workers on the assembly floor today. Because of the antidiscrimination rules, the executive cannot check to be certain that the 20 workers, mainly Hispanic women, are illegal. Moreover, they have advanced through training, she said, and excel at their jobs, which require the repetitive assembly of tiny parts by hand, often under microscopes. “I can’t replace those people,” the executive said. She said that despite offering competitive wages from $9 to $17 an hour, the company had failed over the years in repeated efforts to attract nonimmigrant workers because of the state’s tight technology labor market and because of the nature of the work, exacting and tedious. If the workers were fired or arrested, she said, she could fail to meet her contracts. “If we have to terminate 20 people, that’s going to jeopardize 100 other jobs of people who are legal, Americans, people who are making a good living,” she said. Angelo Paparelli, an immigration lawyer who represents the company, said: “This is not an employer who wants to turn a blind eye to lawbreaking. She is facing a tightening of the enforcement vise that does not take into account Congress’s failure to create a workable system.” California employers were shocked by the raid earlier this year at Micro Solutions Enterprises, an established manufacturer of printer cartridges that is based in Los Angeles and has more than 800 workers. Officials said 138 workers were arrested. In a message to his customers, Avi Wazana, the Micro Solutions owner, said the company had been verifying the legal status of all new hires through federal programs for nearly a year. Bush administration officials said the crackdown was the price employers must pay to persuade voters to agree to open the gates to immigrant workers. In an interview, Mr. Chertoff, the homeland security secretary, said, “We are not going to be able to satisfy the American people on a legal temporary worker program until they are convinced that we will have a stick as well as a carrot.”