Deacon James Nalls from Catholic Charities in Washington D.C. speaks at a panel on immigration at the Catholic Student Center on Wednesday, Oct. 29.
When a friend asked Regina Majano to join her at this university’s Catholic Student Center’s immigration forum Wednesday, Majano didn’t hesitate.
“As a Hispanic, immigration is a big thing,” said Majano, a freshman enrolled in letters and sciences. “I know people whose parents don’t live with them anymore because of deportation. It’s a big problem and a tricky issue, so it’s very important to talk about.”
The event, co-sponsored by the Maryland Catholic Conference, featured two guest speakers, Allison Posner, advocacy with the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., and Deacon Jim Nalls with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington. The pair discussed the nation’s current immigration system and its flaws, focusing on what students could do to make changes.
“We are a country of immigrants. We are immigrants and immigrants are us,” Posner said. “It’s not a problem that is going to go away, and it’s a great time to get involved to really make an impact.”
Though the CSC has worked with the Maryland Catholic Conference in the past, including hosting a talk on the DREAM Act, Campus Minister Lisa Greey said yesterday’s event was unique in format and topic.
“We wanted to pick something that everyone could rally around, so we chose immigration,” Greey said. “Politicians maybe don’t want to address it or deal with it for political reasons, but as Catholics, we approach it looking at the dignity of every person.”
Greey hoped the event would appeal to not only Catholics, but also students of various denominations and religious affiliations. Prior to the event, CSC student leaders reached out to political groups and cultural organizations on the campus that might be concerned with immigration issues.
Nalls discussed the issue as an opportunity for students to address “a real human need” — an issue that hasn’t been around for generations, he said, leaving today’s youth with a chance to make significant changes.
He encouraged students to develop plans for involvement in immigration issues in the local area, citing Langley Park and other neighboring cities as places where service could help drastically help a community.
“This is a time when you can get together and say, ‘Let’s respond to this,’ and really impact things,” Nalls said. “Even if it’s just planning to drive kids to a bowling alley, start with an idea, make a plan, start a program.”
Christina O’Brien, a sophomore biology and dance major, said she appreciated the CSC’s efforts to raise awareness on an issue that could be considered “liberal,” something she said not all Catholics might be readily in favor of, but that is inherently Catholic.
“Immigration is about service and love, not politics,” she said. “It’s nice to support an event like this, which is trying to dissipate ideas of politics in faith. Rather than focusing on tensions or who’s right and wrong, we should focus on the human aspect, the individuals who need our compassion.”
The Rev. Rob Walsh echoed O’Brien’s sentiments, citing the Catholic Church’s emphasis on respecting every individual’s human dignity as reason to address the nation’s immigration system and encourage justice.
“It’s not a political issue, it’s a human issue,” Walsh said. “It’s about the well-being of all humanity, of all human beings. Any time we can come together and improve our understanding of these issues, I’m totally about that.”
