Tucson, Arizona, Bishop Gerald Kicanas is pushing for Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill stating, "No one is illegal in God's eyes," in an interview with the Vatican Radio.

The Catholic Bishop testified on behalf of the United States Congress of Catholic Bishops Committee on Migration before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security and urged better immigration reform instead of three harsh enforcement-only bills.

"We believe these bills would not fix our immigration system," Kicanas said in a statement. "Rather, they would make it less just and would undermine our nation's moral authority, both domestically and globally."

The Bishop said the three bills would take the nation in the wrong direction and fail to fix America's immigration system and called for comprehensive immigration reform, including a path to citizenship for the undocumented.

"Our country is judged by how we treat the most vulnerable and the removal of protections from children -- both in the DACA program and those seeking refuge -- flies against human decency and violates human dignity," Kicanas said. "We should not punish these children, who themselves are innocent and are only seeking opportunity and safety."

Bishop Kicanas pointed out provisions in the 2006 bill that would arrest undocumented citizens and those who help them into the country including faith-based persons who send undocumented immigrants to hospitals, churches and soup kitchens.

"Do we want to criminalize millions of persons who have built equities in this country, jail them, and separate them from their families?" the Bishop said. "Instead of fixing a broken system, would we want to jail nuns and other good Samaritans who are simply aiding their fellow human beings, consistent with their faith?"

Bishop Kicanas added people of faith and most Americans are upset a comprehensive immigration reform bill was not passed in the 113th Congress but are ready to help fix the system in the 114th Congress.

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