WASHINGTON, 09/21/2022 (KAP / KNA) – Several US Catholic bishops have spoken out strongly against the recent migration policy maneuvers of the republican governors. “Using migrants as pawns – this offends God,” said Archbishop of San Antonio Gustavo Garcia-Siller (Monday local time). He is one of the first bishops to criticize the flight of some 50 mostly Venezuelan migrants to the luxury island of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.
Brownsville Bishop Daniel Flores called the actions of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis a “shame.” It is “a degrading disrespect with which immigrants are treated in this country – as pawns in political fights”.
Immigration is not only a political issue, but also a “fundamentally human and moral issue,” said Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami. The development of Martha’s Vineyard is “worrying”.
The Archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, did not directly address the issue in his statement. Instead, he called for an immediate reform of the “broken immigration system”.
Political maneuver of the Republicans
The background of the reactions is the landing of two charter planes with dozens of Venezuelans on the elegant holiday island a few days ago. At the same time, two carriages with migrants arrived in Washington. The transport organizers had dropped the victims from Texas directly in front of Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence.
Since spring, the Republican governors of Texas, Florida and Arizona have provided funds to organize voluntary, free bus transfers to Washington and New York for migrants. Since then, more than 10,000 people have arrived in Washington and around 1,000 in New York, both strongholds of the ruling Democrats. They are now assisted by humanitarian organizations there.
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