PATERSON, N.J., Aug. 19,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week, the Roman
Catholic Diocese of Paterson filed
a federal lawsuit in the District Court of New Jersey, alleging that the U.S. Department
of State and other agencies unlawfully and unconstitutionally
altered the calculation of visa availability for certain
noncitizens, creating profound immigration delays for noncitizen
religious workers.
"This complaint concerns a broken promise of the United States
Government to not interfere with the freedom of an individual or
employer to freely exercise their religion," said Raymond G. Lahoud of Norris McLaughlin, P.A., Counsel for the Diocese
of Paterson. "We urge the
community to support us in our effort to quell this
unconstitutional action and realign the immigration laws of
the United States with our shared
values."
The complaint describes a crisis of law and faith, as noncitizen
religious workers in the United
States now must choose to remain faithful to their
congregations and violate federal law, or otherwise abandon the
very communities they have devoted themselves to serve.
Additionally, the complaint alleges the U.S.
Government's implementation of immigration law discriminates
against religious employers and favors nonreligious employers.
"They have made a commitment to the faithful Diocese of
Paterson and to the Roman Catholic
Church which is now being impeded on by the federal government,"
said Lahoud.
In recent years, the Diocese of Paterson, like Catholic Dioceses across the
country, have increasingly relied upon foreign-born clergy to serve
its faithful congregants and communities.
"While in the US there is a lack of young men entering the
priesthood, we are encouraged by the number of Foreign-born priests
who have dedicated their lives to pastoral pursuits," said
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Diocese of Paterson. "Our Catholic communities rely on
our international clergy to shepherd our flocks and nourish their
spiritual journey."
"The State Department's change to the regulations threatens our
mission to serve our communities," said Bishop Sweeney.
Norris McLaughlin, P.A., is a multi-practice,
commercial law firm with offices in New
Jersey, New York, and
Pennsylvania, delivering legal
solutions to clients wherever they conduct their business,
including nationally and internationally. The firm's nearly 130
attorneys practice in more than 25 legal disciplines and
industry-focused groups and serve a wide range of clients,
including small businesses, middle-market companies, and Fortune
500 corporations, as well as the private individuals and families
who may own, lead, and/or manage those companies. Norris McLaughlin is a member of Meritas®, a
global alliance of leading independent law firms. To learn more,
visit www.norrismclaughlin.com.
Contact: Amy
Shorter
|
Jai
Agnish
|
Business Development
& Marketing Manager for Norris McLaughlin, P.A.
|
Director of
Communications for the Diocese of Paterson
|
(908)
252-4295
|
(973) 777-8818
x617
|
ashorter@norris-law.com
|
jagnish@patersondiocese.org
|
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SOURCE Norris McLaughlin, P.A