Archbishop Cupich: More must be done to 'repair our broken immigration system'

In a statement Wednesday, Archbishop Blase Cupich wrote that President Barack Obama’s recent executive order on immigration was a good “first step.”

But the new archbishop, who was installed as the head of the Archdiocese of Chicago last week, also added that much still needs to be done to “repair our broken immigration system.”

In the statement, which was posted to the archdiocese website, Cupich alludes to congressional gridlock on immigration reform and calls on activists to continue their efforts to “change the hearts and minds of legislators.”

“We must not forget that there are millions of people left out of these recent relief decisions, still forced to live in the shadows,” he wrote.

The missive comes on the heels of a meeting Cupich had with President Barack Obama on Tuesday. In that meeting, the archbishop — who like much of the Catholic clergy is outspoken in favor of immigration reform — discussed immigration issues with the president.

“This is a time for momentary celebration, a time to give thanks for a first step toward immigration reform for all of those who are being granted this relief,” Cupich wrote. “It is also a time to mobilize our communities to assist in helping those affected by the President’s actions to realize the full benefit of what is being offered.

“. . . We must continue to support these efforts nationally and locally until Comprehensive Compassionate Immigration Reform is achieved for all,” Cupich wrote.