Conference of Bishops Pans State Immigration Laws

Bishop John C. Wester, left, from the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, talks with Arturo Cepeda of the Archdiocese of Detroit before giving his keynote address during the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' immigration conference in Salt Lake City at the Raddison Hotel on Jan. 11, 2012. (Kim Raff/The Salt Lake Tribune)

John Wester, bishop of Salt Lake City’s Catholic Archdiocese, said Wednesday he was “sad” to hear Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney accept the endorsement of the key architect for several state-based enforcement-only immigration laws.

Wester made the remark after giving the keynote speech at the opening session of three-day U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops immigration conference at the Radisson Hotel.

“We need leadership on immigration reform, and we’ve seen these state-based approaches don’t work,” Wester said. “We can’t just have people put their finger up in the wind to see which way it’s blowing.”

Romney touted the endorsement of Kris Kobach on Wednesday as he headed into the upcoming South Carolina primary.

Kobach, Kansas’ secretary of state, helped craft Arizona’s SB1070 enforcement-only law as well as South Carolina’s law, and he has been at the forefront of the anti-immigration movement.

“I’m so proud to earn Kris’ support,” Romney said in his statement. “Kris has been a true leader on securing our borders and stopping the flow of illegal immigration into this country. We need more conservative leaders like Kris willing to stand up for the rule of law.”

Wester, in his 30-minute speech to a packed room of about 300 clergy and lay members of the Catholic Church, challenged state lawmakers to stop passing unenforceable laws and to instead pass a resolution urging Utah’s congressional delegation to pass “humane,” comprehensive reform.

“A system of 50 state laws which supplant federal authority is untenable,” Wester said. “I hope the Supreme Court agrees with this assessment in the Arizona case. In this regard, I call upon our own Legislature in Utah — soon to convene —to pass a resolution to direct our Utah congressional delegation to lead the way forward in Congress toward humane reform of our laws.”

SOURCE

Utah News/Salt Lake Tribune