One of the big issues that the United States as well as many other European countries is dealing with right now is immigration. This issue divides the country in half and many others are unsure of where they stand. Some are against immigrants due to that violence that some of them have caused. As Catholics we are called to love one another and this includes our foreign brothers and sisters. America is a nation of immigrants and we should continue to help our neighbors in need. Many years ago Pope Paul VI said the following about immigration: “We shall always insist upon giving a generous welcome to others which is at once a duty of human solidarity and Christian charity. . . . [They should be] welcomed with brotherly love, [with] examples of upright living in which genuine and effective Christian charity and the highest spiritual values are esteemed. Paul VI, Populorum Progressio: On the Development of Peoples (March 26, 1967), no. 67 (http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/migrants-refugees-and-travelers/quotes-rights-migrants-refugees.cfm).
Today, he words still ring true. We should keep our doors open and welcome and everyone has the right to freedom and thus the right to immigrate to another country. Currently, America is facing an immigrant problem due to the Syrian Civil war. However, we must accept immigrants in a way that still protects current Americans. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops says the following about immigration restriction: “The U.S. Catholic Bishops accept the legitimate role of the U.S. government in intercepting unauthorized migrants who attempt to travel to the United States. The Bishops also believe that by increasing lawful means for migrants to enter, live, and work in the United States, law enforcement will be better able to focus upon those who truly threaten public safety: drug and human traffickers, smugglers, and would be terrorists. Any enforcement measures must be targeted, proportional, and humane” (http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/immigration/churchteachingonimmigrationreform.cfm). This simply means that the government has the right to restrict and screen immigrants entering the country in order to keep Americans safe.
Other issues on the mind of Americans would be unchecked immigrants entering or currently living in the country. For example, Germany opened its doors wide open to immigrants and on New Year’s Eve in 2015 many German were sexually assaulted due to these immigrants. Germans were simply celebrating the coming New Year when a group of foreign men started attacking them. According to sources, most of the victims were women between the ages of 19 and 25 and there were at least 19 cases of sexual abuse reported. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/04/austrian-police-searching-group-men-foreign-appearance-new-years/). This incident is just one of the many instances of harm caused due to immigrant violence. American lives must come first and therefore it is essential to screen both incoming immigrants as well as immigrants currently living in the U.S.
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