Congress recessed without passing a bill on immigration reform. This is a very complicated question and one that stirs up emotions on every side. No one would deny that the current practice regarding immigration is inadequate in many different ways. Yet there seemed to be in every proposal for a new law sufficient elements that large numbers did not like. The result is that we have no new law. Without trying in any way to offer a solution, it struck me as worthwhile to try to shed a little bit of light on the issue from the perspective of Catholic social teaching and common sense. Perhaps the summer months can be a good time for all of us to look at the issue of immigration calmly and with a common desire to do our best for all involved.

First it should be clear that while there are connections, immigration reform and homeland security are two different realities. We have a law on homeland security, and many political leaders, including local ones, have worked long and hard to keep our nation as safe as possible in a time of international terrorism.

Second, the current practice of immigrants coming into our country is not working. There is no fair and just praxis. Emotions run high. We do need to bring some sense and order into this whole area.

That said, one of the principles of Catholic social teaching is that persons and families should be able to live in their own countries and homelands and find employment and live there a full life in peace, security and freedom. That so many come to our shores legally and illegally is evidence of the fact that the situations, political and economic, in their home countries lead them to seek new opportunities in the nation that continues to stand as the beacon of hope for all people everywhere.

Yet we as a nation need a system that works to regulate the influx of new peoples. We are a nation of laws, and we expect everyone in our country and those coming to our country to respect the just laws of our land. Those laws regarding immigration must be just, fair and enforceable. That is not the case right now.

While the figure of 12 million undocumented new people in our country is scandalously high and unacceptable, we must all recognize that the vast majority of new peoples enter our country legally and live and work legally in our communities. The Hagerdorn report on Hispanics on Long Island documents this fact as it documents the fact that the newly arrived Hispanics on Long Island contribute significantly more to our economy than the total cost that Hispanics — documented and undocumented — add to our public services. Therefore, we should abandon any false notions that the Hispanic population of Long Island on the whole is anything but a benefit to our communities.

Still, we need a law that will make it possible for people to enter our country in a legal and orderly fashion. That should include those who wish to come here and become citizens. It probably should also include a “guest worker” proviso that would be shaped by a fair relationship between those wishing to come here for a specific period of time before returning home and the actual economic and social needs of the communities who do not have a labor pool sufficient for their needs.

This brings us to two very thorny issues. What does one do with the 12 million undocumented now living and working in our country? And what do we on Long Island do with the large number of “day laborers” who fill so many roles in the service areas of restaurants, landscaping and other seasonal and nonseasonal work in our two counties? The responsibility for concrete answers to these two problems belongs with our elected and appointed officials. But we citizens must be helpful to them in this process and engage in a calm and informed discussion that avoids extremes and respects the dignity of everyone involved, no matter what his or her status is in our country.

Without trying to respond in any substantial way, may I say that to imagine that our government is going to round up 12 million persons and send them out of the country is not realistic. Many, many, probably should be sent back; certainly any who have been convicted of criminal activity. Elected officials must take the lead in resolving this vexing issue in a way that is fair and just, respects the law of the land and respects the human dignity and human rights every person has as a member of the human family regardless of citizenship.

The difficulty with day laborers here at home seems to stem from what I have been told is a fact: the vast majority of them are in fact not here legally. Obviously law enforcement must make a distinction between documented and undocumented. That said, as I suggested in an earlier column, law enforcement should certainly move against landlords that break the law by crowding day laborers into homes too small for their number. Employers who do not pay an adequate daily wage and the benefits that U.S. and state law require should be apprehended. The day laborer has a responsibility to obey the laws of our nation, state and communities. They should not live here in inhuman conditions nor should they live here sending all their money back to their families without contributing to the good of the communities in which they live. However, they cannot be blamed because they accept a low wage which is the best they can get and which often represents far more than they were able to earn in their home country. In short everyone has responsibilities. And if anyone or any group does not live up to those responsibilities, they should be apprehended and treated accordingly.

One issue comes up frequently. Day laborers are here and they are human beings who, like all of us, have human rights and must be treated with human dignity by us all. The waving of placards in their faces — and in mine and other persons — by a few extremists is a travesty that dishonors us all and coarsens civil conversation. That should stop. Hiring halls have worked in several places but are very controversial in others. I would hope the conversation on hiring halls might continue and that the public persons responsible would make whatever decisions best serve the common good.

What of the Church in all of this? The Church does not have the responsibility to provide nor will it provide hiring halls under the present situation. That is a civic issue and must be dealt with on a civic level. The Church, however, cannot facilitate employers who do not pay adequate wages, and the Church cannot use her resources to facilitate economic activities that are exploitive.

What the Church can do and stands ready to do is offer services to those who need them. Catholic Health Services has a “Healthy Sundays” program that helps those in need to get some basic health care treatment. Catholic Charities is ready and able to assist those who are eligible to apply for citizenship as well as assisting with ESL and other services. Parish outreach will help those who come for specific needs.

The Church will assist people in need and will offer her care for one and all consistent with Jesus’ example. That is our role and our responsibility. We do it gladly because it is the witness of God’s love shaped by our Catholic social teaching that compels us always forward to be of service to others.