More than 1,200 alumni of Jesuit universities and high schools have sent aletter this week to fellow alumni in the US House of Representativescalling on them to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation. Thegroup of 43 House members, which includes Speaker of the HouseRepresentative John Boehner (Xavier University 77) have attended one ormore of the 28 universities and 60 high schools sponsored by the Society ofJesus in the United States.

Citing the 'Jesuit spirit of generous service to people in need and apersevering commitment to the common good', alumni, led by the IgnatianSolidarity Network, are calling for reform that includes: a process forearned citizenship for the undocumented, respect for the rights of workers,preservation and protection family unity and human dignity, and therestoration of fairness and accountability to the US immigration system.

The 1,200 signatories include Dr Eugene Cornacchia, PhD, president ofSt Peter's University (Fordham University 85); Rev Steve Privett, SJ,outgoing president of University of San Francisco (Loyola High School ofLos Angeles 60, Gonzaga University 66, Jesuit School of Theology 72); RevDavid Hollenbach, SJ, Director, Center for Human Rights andInternational Justice, (St Joseph's University 64); Dr Kristin Heyer,PhD, ethicist and theologian, and author of "Kinship Across Borders: AChristian Ethic of Immigration"; (Boston College 03); and Rev JamesMartin, SJ, author and speaker (Weston Jesuit School of Theology 98).

Despite the growing humanitarian crisis of unaccompanied migrant childrenand the continued presence of 11 million people without documentation inthe US, President Obama and Congressional leaders like SpeakerBoehner havedeclared immigration reform dead. The fact that our countrys leadershave declared immigration a dead issue for the imminent future increasesthe need for people of faith to speak out for immigration reform. We haveto let them know we are not going away. "The current humanitarian crisis ofunaccompanied children is just one more signal to the US House of Representatives that our nation needs to act on immigration reform,said ChristopherKerr, executive director of the Ignatian Solidarity Network.

On why Jesuit school alumni would call on congressional members to act,Kerr, a signatory of the letter, said, Jesuit education has challengedeach of us to be people of solidarity who take responsibility for the mostvulnerable in our world. Jesuit and lay teachers implore students to bemen and women for others, responding to the greatest needs that exist insociety. Our country needs immigration reform. We hope that SpeakerBoehner and other Jesuit school alumni in the US House will respond tothis call and act in the spirit of our Jesuit educational heritage.

Over the past several years, Jesuit institutional leaders have been vocalsupporters of comprehensive immigration reform. In May 2013, the nine USJesuit Provincials wrote a letter http://www.jesuit.org/blog/index.php/2013/05/largest-order-of-priests-and-brothers-in-catholic-church-calls-for-comprehensive-immigration-reform/insupport of comprehensive immigration reform, which was endorsed by over 200Jesuit institutions and communities.

Before the end of 2013, Fr KevinWildeshttp://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2013/07/immigration_reform_would_help.htmlpresident of Loyola University of New Orleans, and Dr Eugene Cornacchiapresident of the Saint Peters University, released editorials publiclyvoicing their support of humane immigration reform efforts.

On AshWednesday of this year, five Jesuit university presidents participated in anational immigration reform fast http://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2014/03/04/jesuit-university-presidents-join-in-ash-wednesday-fast-for-immigration-reform/.

Later that month, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, a Jesuit highschool in Indiana, hosted a panel discussioNwith representatives from thestates agriculture and business sectors, religious leaders, and students.

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Jesuit school alumni urge fellow alumni in US government to act on immigration reform