Arizona's proposed illegal immigration crackdown akin to Nazi tactics, Cardinal Roger Mahony says

Cardinal Roger Mahony blasted Arizona's proposed crackdown on illegal immigration, calling it "the country's most retrogressive, mean-spirited and useless anti-immigrant law."

"American people are fair-minded and respectful. I can't imagine Arizonans now reverting to German Nazi and Russian Communist techniques whereby people are required to turn one another in to the authorities on any suspicion of documentation," Mahony wrote on his blog.

The Arizona measure, which has yet to be signed by Republican Gov. Jan Brewer, would require police, if they suspect someone is in the country illegally, to determine the person's immigration status. Currently, officers can ask about someone's immigration status only if the person is a suspect in another crime. Those who can't prove they are in the U.S. legally face misdemeanor charges.

Mahony is a long-time supporter of immigrant rights and has spoken out before on legislation be believes is unfair to immigrants.

"The Arizona legislature just passed the country's most retrogressive, mean-spirited, and useless anti-immigrant law," Mahony said on his blog. "The tragedy of the law is its totally flawed reasoning: that immigrants come to our country to rob, plunder and consume public resources. That is not only false, the premise is nonsense."

He added: "The law is wrongly assuming that Arizona residents, including local law enforcement personnel, will now shift their total attention to guessing which Latino-looking or foreign-looking person may or may not have proper documents. That's also nonsense."

-- Shelby Grad

Photo: Cardinal Roger Mahony. Credit: Los Angeles Times

Related: Times photo gallery on the Arizona immigration fight.

Comments

[syscom3]

So now any attempt on controlling illegal immigration is similar to what the nazi's did?

Hey, Cardinal, just how many illegal aliens are going back to concentration camps and certain death?

[Debi]

Why is he sticking his nose in this?

[yxk0012]

Didn't the Catholic church side with the Nazis?

[Alrobot]

What part of "ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT" is confusing to the people here. There are legal ways to enter this great country of ours, how about they try to get people to use them. ""Mahony said on his blog. "The tragedy of the law is its totally flawed reasoning: that immigrants come to our country to rob, plunder and consume public resources. That is not only false, the premise is nonsense."" REALLY??? As far as I know this is one of the biggest problems with Illegal Immigration, they kill, steal, clog emergency services. Maybe he should read a paper every know and then...

[curmudgeonman]

All I need to know is that they are here illegally. I don't care what their motivation is or was. Even Jesus would not suggest that the Romans were not entitled to their taxes (or to protect their territory) even if he did not care for how the Romans became entitled to them. Although I am a Catholic, I feel the Cardinal's comments are motivated more by a need to increase his flock rather than love of illegals. I would think he would be at least as strident about getting pedophile priests out of the priesthood as he is for advocating violations of the laws of the land if his concerns were just about morality.

[Duped Tax Payer]

Cardinal is buying the Hispanics donation $$. AZ is simply helping out the federal government. Please name one single country on this planet that has no immigrantion laws. Even Mexico kicked out thousands of illegal's from other countries. Most people have no problem of legal immigrant.

[JL]

Maybe Cardinal Mahoney should worry about purging his diocese of Sex Offenders rather than comment on a Arizona Immigration Law!!!

Last I checked the State of Arizona isn't in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles

[HBDave]

Cardinal Mahoney,

Please stick to your day job....protecting pedophile priests. You should stay out of the legislative process. Ever hear of separation of church and state?

[thecanimalshusband]

If Mahoney was interested in people, why did he protect pedophile priests who molested illegal alien children?

[tr]

You can't really blame the guy. The Illegals are all that the Catholic Church has left, having systematically estranged the American congregations.

[seekerofbears]

what does Mahoney know? The Catholic church has been robbing from the people for ages. Let him pay attention to his congregation and parishioners and keep his nose in his sacred book. If anyone walks into his home, the church, and wants to set up camp he would be calling the police on them in a heartbeat. I only want to know how much money he has. He's been milking people's pockets for the past 50 years with the promise they will go to heaven when the admission is free..

[Becky]

Well I agree the way Arizona is doing things is terrible! If it was taken care of in a proper manner it would be different, but is not being done that way!!! For the last year we have been fighting to stop my brother who has been in the United States since he was 2 now 45 was adopted by my father (American citizen) served in the U.S. Army, has a family and children here in the U.S. and he was used as a "example" and deported to a country where he does not know the language,and has no family!!!!!!

[OnceMer]

Why doesn't the Cardinal address and comment on the disturbing issues involving the Catholic Church instead??

[Dav Lev]

It's not the illegals that are making laws which are beneficial to our country, it's the legals., who vote.
The Cardinal's analogy is absurd. There are not 20,000 camps, some death camps in the US. Anyone can turn in anyone to the Dept of Immigration or Justice..one does not need a specific law. Raids are conducted periodically here in Los Angeles to control the illegal work force. And what is so wrong with the above? If someone is here legally, then why the worry? Arizona is finally waking up to their plight. We owe illegals nothing, not education, medicine, or jobs. Lets give the legal immigrants priority..and those who seek to come here, with permission. It's called law and order.

[jeffrey]

just goes to show you how out of touch the cardinal and the catholic church are with reality

[John]

maybe they should open the vatican building and and allow anyone to go in and out as they please.

[Lame]

What a lame commentary by the Church. OF COURSE they're against crackdowns on illegals...illegals represent more potential parishoners to them. There's a reason there's a separation between Church and State. Cardinal Baloney should keep his nose out of it!

[jt]

Obviously when you've broken the kinds of laws that the Catholic church has, then illegal border crossing isn't even a blip on their radar screen.

[Paul]

Most illegal immigrants are catholic, and Mahoney is trying to increase membership in his church. If they were jewish or atheists, the catholic church would not be interested in them at all. Also, I'm not interested in the opinion of "A man of God" who protected child molesters for years.

[joe]

It is a fact that the current economic recession has more adverse affects upon minority communities as compared to those communities that are white.

I am not opposed to such measure like Arizona even though I look as Mexican as those illegals.

We need to get tough on illegals. No need to resort to accusations of racism to weaken our resolve.

[Dawn Henneman]

I think Cardinal Mahoney should concentrate on the illegal things going on in his parishes before worrying about AZ!

[Rick]

Cardinal Mahonie P{lease get your story straight.. the new Arizona law is against ILLEGAL immigrants, and they should be doing this all over the U.S. to protect the CITIZENS from the ILLEGAL act of crossing the border without documentation I say Arizona go for it and the rest of the border states should follow suit NOW

[Sandy]

Great comments so far, what part about illegal does he not understand. Thats right all the corruption in the Catholic church that they all hid. Mind your own business Cardinal, look to taking care in your own house. Illegal is illegal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JHB]

His point is obviously not that AZ is trying to send people to death camps. The point is that this law essentially gives officers the right to stop anyone at anytime. And really, its going to be police officers stopping Latinos anytime they feel like it.

[John]

Given what we've been reading in the Times over the past few years about this guy's conduct in the clergy abuse cases, one wonders just how much moral authority he actually brings to the table on this issue. Also, he's apparently being "retired" next year at 75, which is years younger than the current Pope, when it is my understanding that his tenure could be extended--unless his health is failing (apparently not), or there is some other reason that hasn't been made public. Has he become an embarrassment to the Church?