The Catholic Church in California is officially taking a stand against what it says are unjust U.S. immigration laws.

According to a recent news story in the San Jose Mercury News, the Catholic Church is weighing in on federal immigration sweeps that have deported more than 6,500 immigrants from the San Francisco region during the past two years.

"It is heartbreaking to hear the painful stories of unjust deportations pouring in from our congregations. California can do better," said San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer in a prepared statement.

The timing of the church's statements -- with Catholic priests calling for a more humane approach to dealing with illegal immigration -- is important. As the story points out, it comes during the middle of the Republican primary, a primary that has featured more than one candidate advocating a tough approach to dealing with undocumented immigrants.

The church's stance on immigration might not be too surprising. According to the results of recent polls, 55 percent of Catholics say that today's immigrants do more to strengthen the country than they do to burden it. That result, from a Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life survey, compares with 45 percent of all U.S. residents and 37 percent of Protestant Christians who feel the same way.

Representatives of the Catholic Church in California are now joining a movement pressuring Governor Jerry Brown to withdraw his participation from Secure Communities, a federal program designed to aggressively target and deport illegal immigrants.

Illegal immigration remains a difficult issue for most U.S. residents and it's not likely to be resolved anytime soon. The debate in California, and across the country, is testament to this.

Stay tuned for further updates ...

Due to the continued complexity of U.S. immigration laws with respect to naturalization and the exposure to facing a denial of this petition, it is critical to speak with a legal professional who has extensive specialized knowledge and experience in immigration law.

This post was provided for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as legal advice.

Source:

The San Jose Mercury News, "California's Catholic hierarchy takes stand against illegal-immigration dragnet" Jan. 28, 2012