This is an open letter concerning U.S.refugee and immigration policy to the following elected representatives of Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District:
Monday, April 10 2017
Dear Senator Toomey, Senator Casey and Representative Brady:
My name is Roger Doherty. I am a registered voter and a member of Old St. Joseph’s Parish in Philadelphia PA. In observance of Lent, parishioners were encouraged to write their legislators regarding recent efforts by the Trump Administration to restrict “legal” immigration of muslim refugees and to crack down on “illegal” immigration.
Though American Catholic views on refugee and immigration policy span the political spectrum, I subscribe to the teachings of Pope Francis as articulated in the article Pope Francis: Protecting the world’s migrants and refugees is a moral imperative. The essence of Pope Francis’ teachings are expressed in this quote:
“We have a duty toward our brothers and sisters who, for various reasons, have been forced to leave their homeland: a duty of justice, of civility and of solidarity.”
I call on you as my Congressional representatives to pursue a moral approach towards refugees and immigration by influencing the Trump Administration to do the following:
- Focus U.S. foreign policy on addressing the plight of refugees by partnering with the international community to provide significant and sustained humanitarian aid to allies that are bearing the brunt of the global refugee crisis, and work with the international community to sanction governments that violate human rights.
- Rescind the so-called “travel ban” and “extreme vetting” executive orders which are racist, anti-muslim policies that violate fundamental American values.
- Direct the Department of Homeland Security, including USCIS, CBP and ICE to roll back new aggressive enforcement regimes that unfairly target immigrants based upon race, religion or national origin. These new enforcement regimes are a violation of human rights because they break up families and create a climate of fear among immigrants which discourages them from seeking assistance from hospitals and law enforcement.They also damage our reputation with the international community and discourage legitimate business and tourist travel to the United States.
- Discontinue efforts to take punitive action against so-called “sanctuary cities” that elect not to take on enforcement actions that are the responsibility of ICE.
- Fill political appointments with career professionals that have experience relative to the agencies they serve. Americans deserve experienced and qualified public servants, not idealogues, business associates and family members who have no grasp of how to govern. The first step towards better refugee and immigration policy is to ensure that there are qualified and experienced public servants formulating that policy.
As legislators, I encourage all of you to fulfil your duty as elected representatives to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation that reflects a moral approach towards refugees and immigrants and rejects racism and xenophobia. I ask that you meet directly with your constituents frequently in well publicized public town hall events to discuss these issues. Senator Toomey, your refusal to meet directly with constituents during the recent recess was noticed and did not reflect well on your character.
Finally, I would like to draw your attention to two articles that highlight the negative impact that Trump administration policies are having on human rights. The first article entitled “Mental Health Needs Aren’t Deportable: Free Jorge Herrera, DACA Eligible Youth, From Detention” details how an immigrant youth in York PA with mental health problems was targeted by the new aggressive ICE enforcement regime when his mother called 911 for help.
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT. The second article entitled “If Trump really cares about these “beautiful babies” the US will open its doors to Syrian refugees” documents the suffering and death of Syrian children who would be denied refugee status under Trump’s “travel ban” targeting muslims.
Thank you all for your service to our country, and I hope that history will reveal how each of you stood up for human rights during this critical period.
Sincerely,
Roger Doherty, Philadelphia PA
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