AUSTIN -- The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, which includes 26 active bishops, has released a statement regarding immigration bills currently being considered in the 88th Texas Legislature. The bishops wrote:

"For years, burdens of an unworkable system of immigration have fallen heavily on states and communities along the US-Mexico border. The human and moral cost of ongoing federal inaction to create an effective set of policies to ensure safe and orderly migration is tragically reflected both in an unprecedented number of persons wishing to enter the country and the skyrocketing number of deaths of migrants at the border in the past year.

"Different proposals now under consideration in the Texas legislature attempt to address the dangerous vigilantism and a growing criminal network preying on those who are fleeing violence in their homelands.  We understand that our state legislators are trying to address the failures of the federal government. Sadly, we are unable to support most of these bills since they, too, fall far short of honoring the dignity of each human person with fundamental rights, such as safety, so they can flourish and contribute to a strong and peaceable society.