Chicago’s Archbishop Blase Cupich criticized GOP tactics on immigration policy at a Chicago gathering organized by the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition on Monday, March 9, reports the Chicago Tribune. Cupich challenged the Republican members of the U.S. House in attendance, including “Downton Abbey” congressman Aaron Schock and others, to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation if they disagree with President Barack Obama’s executive order preventing deportations of many undocumented immigrants.
“Trying to block the president's executive order … is not a serious proposal, nor an adult way to deal with this issue,” Cupich said.
Cupich also took the GOP leadership of the House to task for blocking a vote on a 2013 immigration bill that had cleared the Senate. “It seems to me there has to be a discussion at least about that point, because if in fact we're really a representative government in this country, then the full membership, on such an important issue, should be able to discuss this issue and vote on that piece of legislation, up or down, one way or another,” he said.
Cupich was the only speaker at the event to receive a standing ovation.
