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Recent changes to the US Immigration and Nationality Act have placed in jeopardy the ability of foreign-born religious workers to continue their ministries. The situation, in which foreign-born clergy could be suddenly deported, has led a New Jersey Diocese to sue the US Department of State. Now, a New York bishop is calling on Catholics to write their elected representatives to address these concerns.
Auxiliary Bishop Edmund J. Whalen of New York called for the letter writing campaign in an interview with The Good News Room. He explained that ministries all over the country have been placed at risk by the new rules, noting that many US ministries rely on foreign-born priests as the nation is experiencing a shortage of domestic vocations.
“We would not be able to maintain the service in the parishes that we provide were it not for our international priests,” Bishop Whalen said.
The new rules, Aleteia previously reported, have added special categories of juvenile migrants to the same pool as religious workers. The result is that some 100,000 additional migrants have been added to a pool that is only allowed to issue 10,000 residence cards each year. This has created a backlog that could take decades to work through.
Before the rule changes, a priest could enter the US on a temporary R-1 visa, which lasts five years. During that time, he could apply for a permanent residence green card and typically receive it within 18 months. With the current backlog created by the changes, the estimated wait time for a green card is as high as 15 years.
An act of Congress
In a bid to block the deportation of five of its priests, the Diocese of Paterson has launched a lawsuit against the US Department of State. The State noted, however, that while it shares the diocese’s concerns, any further changes to the rules would require Congress to pass legislation. This brings us to Bishop Whalen’s call for a letter writing campaign.
He directed the faithful to write to both their local and national representatives, as the new rules affect dioceses throughout the country. He was primarily concerned with members of Congress, but he also suggested writing to the White House to voice concerns.
“Write to your elected officials both local and national. Pressure your elected officials,” Bishop Whalen said.
If you are interested in taking part in the letter-writing campaign, but are unsure to whom to address the letter: Click here to find your representative in the Senate and here to find your representative in the House.
