Mahony opines on anti-immigrant 'hysteria'

On today's Times op-ed page, Cardinal Roger Mahony writes that "the church recognizes the right of our country to control its borders, and it does not condone undocumented migration...but the church also does not condone a broken immigration system in the U.S., one that too easily can lead to the exploitation, abuse and even death of immigrants." He goes on:

Our country stands at a critical point in its history. Our heritage as a nation of immigrants is at stake. We should not attack undocumented workers for our broader problems at the same time we accept their talent, toil and taxes. We should not blockade our border at the same time that we depend upon the labor of the immigrant nanny, janitor, busboy and agricultural worker.

As we have in the past, we should embrace our immigrant roots and recognize that newcomers to our land are not part of the problem, they are part of the solution.