Sr. Simone, executive director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, notes that one reason Congress has been “hamstrung on immigration, and many other critical issues, is because of the undue influence of wealthy far right donors.” This explains why legislation to extend a path to citizenship for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) beneficiaries, among others who call the U.S. home, has so far failed to advance in Congress–despite overwhelming support from the American people.
Sr. Simone writes:
In a secular democracy, elections are the closest thing we have to a sacrament. As a Catholic sister who follows Pope Francis’ call to immerse ourselves in politics, I can see that our elections have been corrupted. The 2010 landmark decision in Citizens United v. FEC undermined democracy by opening the door for wealthy far right donors to spend unlimited — and often untraceable — amounts of money to influence voters.
Citizens United has also dealt an additional blow to our democracy by ushering in a Senate and president who care more about delivering on promises made to donors rather than the priorities of their constituents. This leaves important issues, like the fate of almost 700,000 DACA recipients, in limbo.
The only way to finally pass common-sense, good legislation is to reclaim our democracy and end the outsized influence of big money. HR 1, passed by the House this spring, is a comprehensive approach to fixing our democracy. It will help restore faith in our government by protecting every person’s vote, reducing the power of lobbyists and removing big money from campaigns. This is faithful democracy in action.
Read the full op-ed, “Citizens United is standing in the way of immigration reform,” here.
The Interfaith Immigration Coalition is made up of 54 national, faith-based organizations brought together across many theological traditions with a common call to seek just policies that lift up the God-given dignity of every individual. In partnership, we work to protect the rights, dignity, and safety of all refugees and migrants.
Follow us on Twitter @interfaithimm
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