Enforcement of immigration laws should not feature unnecessary penalties or force. Improvements in intelligence and information sharing, and technological improvements in border security would help ensure those who are most dangerous are intercepted. Ethnic or racial profiling should be avoided. Enforcement policies should be tailored and not overly broad so the basic rights of all immigrants are not abridged. enforcement resources should be focused so those who are dangerous are more easily identified and apprehended. Important Principles for Enforcement Measures

No community is well-served if some of its members are afraid to speak to the police or to report crimes. They should not be compelled to determine the legal status of persons who merely look like they may be illegal immigrants. State and local law enforcement agencies can and should cooperate with federal authorities wherever it is feasible and consistent with their primary responsibilities: the maintenance of public order and protection of their communities. The curricula should include human rights so that agents are more sensitive to the handling of undocumented migrants.Ĭommunity organizations, including dioceses and parishes, can assist in this effort. We urge them to develop training curricula to instruct agents in appropriate tactics. We believe enforcement should be the responsibility of federal authorities. This results in negative impacts on the rule of law and the maintenance of public order. Rather, they undermine the human dignity of migrants and create a confrontational and often violent relationship between enforcement officers and migrants. Unfortunately, some policies and tactics in effect or proposed at both the federal and state level do not meet that standard. Enforcement measures must be targeted, proportional, and humane. Expanding lawful means for migrants to live and work in the United States enables law enforcement to focus upon those who truly threaten public safety: drug cartel members, human traffickers, smugglers, and terrorists. government in intercepting unauthorized migrants who attempt to travel to the United States. The Catholic Church accepts the legitimate role of the U.S.

The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops opposes compelling local and state agencies to enforce federal immigration laws and supports targeted, proportional, and humane enforcement. Enforcement of Immigration Law Produced for the 85th Texas Legislative session (2017)

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