Bringing Out the Best In a Person

As I was praying before Mass yesterday, the Lord put into my heart the raids against illegal immigrants that have been going on since February in our country.  When the raids started in February, I was led to write “Treating Them with Dignity.”  As several United States Bishops have said, the problem with these raids is not the capture of immigrants, legal or illegal, who have committed violent crimes.  People who have committed violent crimes should face justice regardless of their immigration status. 

One issue with these raids is that they have created fear among people who are not violent criminals. They have even created fear within people who are American citizens of Hispanic descent.   

There are those who say anyone in our country without proper immigration status is a criminal and should be treated as such.  Technically, they are correct in saying undocumented immigrants have committed a crime in entering our country without following immigration policy.  

Are there not “crimes” that we do not prosecute because of circumstances?   When crimes are prosecuted, our justice system understands that all crimes are not equal.   

Yes, there are people who have entered our nation without following current immigration policy.  In considering what justice means here, we must ask ourselves why they are here illegally.   

One can make a comparison to theft here.  In determining the appropriate punishment for theft, does justice not ask why a person stole?  Do we not see a difference between a person who steals a small amount of food (that they are due) because they are starving and a person who steals because of greed?  The person who steals for greed already has enough but they want more than their share.   

In determining a moral approach to dealing with undocumented immigrants, we need to ask ourselves, why does these people choose to illegally immigrant to our country?  Does not their willingness to possibly face punishment for illegal immigration say something about how bad the situation in their home country is?   

Our nation is a nation of immigrants.  The United States has always been seen as a land of opportunity.  We who have enjoyed what our country offers must ensure others have the same opportunity for with rights comes responsibilities.  (I recently considered how rights come with responsibilities in “With Rights Come Responsibilities,”) 

Of course, a proper Catholic understanding of immigration policy understands that we may not be able to let in every person who wishes to immigrant to our country.  When the number of people who wish to immigrant to our country exceeds a responsible number, the answer to the “excess” people is not “too bad” and ignore their plight.  As Christians called to love our neighbor, we need to ask ourselves if our current immigration policy is just.  We also need to study what the situation in their home country is.  Then, we ask ourselves if we can do something to help improve the problems in their home country.  It is sometimes true that we cannot fix everyone’s problems.  That should not stop us from trying. 

One can find the perspective of Catholic teaching on immigration discussed in the recent statement by the New York State Catholic Conference, “For You Too Were Once Aliens” and the special message issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) last week.  (Since then, there have been videos by a few bishops posted on the USCCB Facebook page.) 

Last week, the USCCB also announced plans to consecrate the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.    The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a heart of full of his absolute love.  We must share that love with all God’s people.  We must consider the plight of all people and do what we can to help them. 

We must help them reach their full potential.  We must ask our Lord to help us see the potential in other people that He sees (see the story of God picking David to become king in 1 Samuel 16:1-13).  We ask God for the grace to see not just what is visible on the outside of a person but what is in their heart (see 1 Samuel 16:7).  Only then can we see the potential within a person so that we might help them, to use a phrase often used by Matthew Kelly, to become the best versions of themselves.  This means providing them not just with a handout but also with a hand up.   

Good leadership seeks to build people up, not tear them down.  It is only when we help each person become the best version of themselves that we can make America great again.  When we cannot help them within our boundaries, we keep the second greatest commandment, to love our neighbor, by doing what we can to improve the situation in their home countries.  It is in doing this that we truly work for what we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “thy kingdom come.” 

I began this article with mentioning the ICE raids in our country and how we treat immigrants.  If we treat undocumented immigrants the same as violent criminals, we may lead them to become what we treat them as.  How so?  Because our actions may lead the nonviolent undocumented immigrants to become true criminals who fight to have what they need. That accomplishes nothing. Actually, it may accomplish something destructive. It can bring bring out the worst in people. We make things better when we treat them as what they are, children of God with the same rights we have.

Peace, 

Fr. Jeff