The Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake is getting on board a national effort by church leaders to work toward comprehensive immigration reform that will include a broad legalization plan for undocumented immigrants.

The official launch of "Justice for Immigrants: The Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform" is scheduled for Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

"We welcome this national initiative to fix the problem and put our heads together for solutions," said Dee Rowland, government liaison for the Salt Lake Diocese.

Rowland said immigration reform will also be a big topic on the agenda during the semiannual meeting of the Domestic Policy Advisory Committee to Catholic Bishops she's attending later this month in Washington.

Bishop George Niederauer said his diocese isn't new to the immigration debate. Earlier this year, Bishop Niederauer wrote a letter to Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. opposing SB227 —- now law — which replaces undocumented immigrants' drivers' licenses with driving privilege cards.

"We need this national dialogue," Bishop Niederauer said. "I'm still hopeful about the president's initiative on some sort of guest-worker status."

Opponents of such legalization for undocumented workers say it would reward lawbreakers and encourage more people to enter the country illegally. According to a news release issued by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, the national effort will focus on principles issued by U.S. and Mexican bishops in 2003. Those principles are, according to the release:

• Legalization for the undocumented.

• Expanded opportunities for legal entry for work and family reunification.

• Establishment of an appropriate and effective temporary workers program.

• Re-establishment of due process rights and other legal safeguards.

It's questionable, however, how much influence the Catholic effort will have on the national immigration debate, said Ron Hrebenar, political science department chairman at the University of Utah. Immigration, he said, isn't as religiously driven as doctrine-based issues such as abortion.

"It's not the kind of issue that's going to be decisive in terms of the Catholic Church taking a position," Hrebenar said. "I would think that the immigration policy is being driven by interests that are much more powerful than the Catholic Church, particularly big business. . . . Compared to big business, the Catholic Church is just another player in the game."

Rowland, however, sees immigration as a moral issue in the same way as abortion. Both, she said, "are about the dignity of a person."

Alex Segura, board member of Utahns for Immigration Reform and Enforcement, said the Catholics' effort is no surprise.

"I've been reading about Catholics supporting illegal immigration for some time now," he said. "I think the political clout in Washington is more to the reform side of it, rather than let's look the other way."

Segura pointed to the Real ID Act, which appears headed for final Senate approval this week, after it was attached to a military spending measure. The House gave final approval Thursday to the measure, which includes new restrictions on immigration and sets federal standards for drivers' licenses.

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E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com