For Immediate Release
January 21, 2021
Contact: Brian Reardon
Statement by Sr. Mary Haddad, RSM, President and CEO, Catholic Health Association of the United States
Washington, DC – "The Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA) welcomes the Biden Administration’s proposal for comprehensive immigration reform legislation in the 117th Congress and expresses our hopes that it will lead to bipartisan action on this pressing issue.
"CHA has long championed comprehensive immigration reform as a moral imperative as well as an opportunity for economic growth and a vital addition to our nation’s workforce. During the pandemic, both documented and undocumented immigrants are working in many essential areas including health care and helping our nation get through these difficult times. Keeping these workers in their jobs and offering them an opportunity to become full citizens adds yet another reason for our nation’s leaders to provide real, comprehensive immigration reform.
"We commend the Administration’s proposal to offer a pathway to citizenship for approximately 11 million immigrants, and in particular a speedier path for those in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) programs. We are also pleased that this proposal would address the root causes of migration and remove barriers to family-based immigration. At the same time, we applaud the incoming Administration’s plans for executive actions to ensure that our nation’s border security policies are more just and humane. All of these actions represent an important first step toward new immigration policies that will benefit both those seeking a better life in our country and the nation as a whole.
"CHA calls on all members of Congress, regardless of party, to work together in response to this proposal and approve a bipartisan comprehensive immigration bill as quickly as possible. This effort is long overdue and will be a necessary component of restoring our nation’s moral obligations and economic success."
Download a PDF of the statement
###
The Catholic Health Association of the United States is the national leadership organization of the Catholic health ministry, representing the largest nonprofit provider of health care services in the nation.
- 1 in 7 patients in the U.S. is cared for in a Catholic hospital each day.
- Catholic health care, which includes more than 2,200 hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, systems, sponsors, and related organizations, serves the full continuum of health care across our nation.