On Monday evening May 15th, President Bush addressed the nation calling for comprehensive immigration reform.  The next day, Larry Snyder, President of Catholic Charities USA issued the following statement:  "We are pleased to see President Bush put the power of the presidency behind the need for comprehensive reforms of our nation's immigration laws, and we are hopeful that this push by the White House will move Congress forward towards necessary reforms."

This week, the U.S. Senate is considering S. 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act (CIRA) of 2006.   The legislation represents a positive step forward in enacting a comprehensive immigration reform bill before the end of the year.  Over the next two weeks, the Senate will consider amendments to the legislation.  Some of these amendments will improve the bill; others would cause harm to immigrants and refugees. It is important that we weigh in on this important issue at such a critical juncture.

Click here to urge your U.S. Senators to support immigration reform now.