By Jason Lange
Catholic News Service

MEXICO CITY (CNS) -- Mexican bishops say they are hopeful about the prospects of a new bill in the U.S. Senate that would allow millions of illegal immigrants to legalize their status, though they worry the bill may be changed to criminalize undocumented workers.

"It is a decisive moment for migration legislation," Tijuana Bishop Rafael Romo Munoz said at a March 28 press conference held by the Mexican bishops' conference.

The bill could represent "two steps forward and one step back," Bishop Romo said.

Of the estimated 11million to 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States, about half, or around 6 million, are Mexicans.

The Mexican bishops also called on their own government to pass economic reforms that would create more jobs in Mexico and give workers an incentive not to migrate to the United States.

Each year, Mexico generates only around half of the jobs necessary to meet the demand of young people entering the workforce, and economic reforms have been stuck in Mexico's congress for nearly a decade.

"The politicians need to put their party interests aside. This is what has gotten in the way," Bishop Romo said.

The bishops urged the Mexican government to put together a better migration policy for Central American workers living illegally in Mexico or passing through on the way to the United States. Central Americans frequently complain of abuses at the hands of Mexican authorities.

"Mexico's fight for migration reform should also bring a new sense of responsibility with Central America. We want to be treated well in the United States, but we need to treat (Central Americans) well, too," said Bishop Rogelio Cabrera Lopez of Tuxtla Gutierrez.

The Mexican government has been actively lobbying the U.S. Congress since 2000 for a migration reform that would legalize Mexican migrants' stay in the United States. The Mexican government bought a full-page ad in The Washington Post March 20 that said, "It is important to find a solution for the undocumented population that lives in the United States and contributes to the development of the country, so that people are fully incorporated into their actual communities, with the same rights and duties."

The Senate Judiciary Committee March 27 approved a measure that would, among other things, allow illegal immigrants already in the country to legalize their status, after waiting their turn in a backlogged system, paying a fine and meeting other requirements.

The bill, however, could still be changed on the Senate floor. Also, it probably will have to be reconciled with a December House bill that authorized building a 700-mile fence along the Mexican border and would make being an illegal immigrant a criminal offense. Under current law, illegal migrants violate civil and not criminal codes.

Even the softer bill passed by the Senate committee would nearly double the number of U.S. Border Patrol agents over the next five years and would speed the deportation of illegal immigrants from countries other than Mexico.

The Mexican bishops said they were opposed to any measure that would stand in the way of migrants seeking work.

"Trying to stop migration with different types of barriers is impossible," said Archbishop Alberto Suarez Inda of Morelia.

He said U.S. lawmakers have the moral obligation to "make a special effort to create a legal way so that Mexican workers can find jobs in that country that allow them to have a dignified life."

The bill passed by the Senate committee would create the largest guest worker program in the United States since the bracero program placed more than 4 million Mexican workers in agricultural jobs from 1942 to 1964.

The bill would put illegal immigrants on a path to eventual citizenship, requiring them to work for six years before applying for a green card. They could then apply for citizenship after five years and would pay a $1,000 fine and have to learn English.

It would also create a temporary program to allow 1.5 million foreign workers in the agricultural industry and would allow 400,000 foreign workers to enter the country every year.

The bishops praised the hundreds of thousands of protesters who have taken to the streets in recent days to protest the House anti-immigration bill.

At least 500,000 protesters turned out in Los Angeles March 25, some carrying images of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico's patron saint. In Washington, several hundred faith leaders -- including many Catholic priests -- gathered outside the Capitol March 27 and sang "We Shall Overcome," a song associated with the civil rights movement.

"It is a cause of joy to see how so many civil and religious organizations have contributed in a big way to raising consciousness of this reality among the U.S. people," Bishop Romo said.

Contributing to this story was Patricia Zapor in Washington.

Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops