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Immigration Conference Virginia Beach Virginia October 3-4 2008by Idalia Rosa-Martinez, Photos by IRM “The Undocumented population of the state of Virginia pays millions of dollars in taxes they’ll never be eligible to claim in retirement or any other benefit.” Michael Cassidy said. At least fifty among the crowd of many, at the Tidewater Sowers of Justice sponsored Immigration Conference, crammed into a small room to hear Michael Cassidy’s report. “The undocumented pay an additional $114 million to $137 million in Social Security and Medicare taxes.” Mr. Cassidy explained this estimated dollar figure came from employer-collected benefits of undocumented workers working under assumed names. His report on financial estimates and assumptions of the Tax contributions of Virginia’s Undocumented Immigrants can be found on http://www.thecommonwealthinstitute.org. Conference featured speaker, Daniel G. Groody, CDC, Ph.D, Catholic Priest and Theologian Professor of the University of Notre Dame, spoke on the theological perspective of Global Immigration and the immigration situation in Virginia. Dr. Groody explained through power points, personal stories, and well-researched data that immigration is a complex situation with Global implications. His extensive work with the Mexican population at the border was spoken of throughout the two-day conference. Dr. Groody, as well as Sowers of Justice members, asked the audience to look at the situation of immigration at this conference through their “faith lens”. “The condition of the immigrant is rejected by the Catholic church as people who are ‘aliens’ or ‘undocumented’. They are irregular migrants without papers.” Dr. Groody said these words as he pointed out the various types of Global immigrants and the institutions that cause and influence their condition. The film Dying to Live coproduced by Dr. Groody was viewed, among other films, and discussed. See more details of the named film at www.dyingtolive.nd.edu . Polly Siemann, volunteer of Peninsula Reads, stated of the conference “I’ve learned that Immigration touches on every aspect of life.” For the scheduled Voice of the Immigrant session, Hector M. Garcia, a legal resident of the USA, spoke to the public of his thirteen-year and more than seven thousand dollar journey to achieve his current status. He also commended his employer for sponsorship and financial expenses as well. When asks if amnesty was the answer to the broken border situation he responded. “My first response is of course not, not after all I’ve been through to get my residency.” Mr. Garcia said. “But then I think about the poverty in my country and the reasons why we come to the United States and I know something has to be done.” Tidewater Sowers of Justice founding member, Tim McCarthy, thanked the Church of the Holy Family of Virginia Beach for housing the event and said, “This conference offered more than the common discussion of immigration presented by any media. It helped me gain an appreciation for the immigration situation.” For more information on the group Tidewater Sowers of Justice visit: http://www.richmonddiocese.org/ojp/ojp105.htm . |
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