MASON, Ohio (CNS) -- Organizers for a comprehensive immigration reform effort gathered on a regional basis for the first time in Greater Cincinnati to develop strategies, target lawmakers and help area Catholics keep the issue at the forefront.

"Most of us aren't impacted by immigration," said Chris West, director of field operations for the Justice for Immigrants campaign of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"It is small groups who can get together to change things. There is that power. Immigration is bigger than us," he told the audience during his presentation. "We encourage others to pray about the issue. When you lift it up to God, you engage people."

The Justice for Immigrants campaign convened a regional Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform conference March 26-28 at a conference center in the northern Cincinnati suburb of Mason.

About 130 people, mostly from Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois and West Virginia, attended to exchange ideas and learn skills such as participating in a letter campaign to their representatives in Congress to push for immigration reform.

The conference included presentations for parishioners to learn how to spread the Catholic message regarding immigration reform to others, Catholic social teaching and migration, as well as policies and political views.

"We as the Catholic Church must return to our Judeo-Christian values of how newcomers -- whether they're legal or illegal -- and natives (of America) can live together," said Jill Marie Gerschutz, migration policy director for the U.S. Jesuit Conference.

"We have respect for human dignity," she said. "The laws should not be confused with morality. Laws are not equivalent to morality. Sovereignty has limitations. We have a responsibility for ensuring the common good."

Kevin Appleby, director of the migration and refugee policy for the USCCB in Washington, discussed policies and gave a political overview of immigration reform.

"We are the most diverse church to help integrate groups of people throughout the world," he told the audience. "The Holy Father talked about immigration, saying, 'This is not a government issue.'"

Trying to find a solution to immigration reform, he said, "goes beyond our borders. ... We know more about immigration than anybody else. We have firsthand knowledge."

Appleby said the current federal immigration system is not only broken but also inconsistent when it comes to admitting immigrants who have relatives living in America.

The objectives of the Justice for Immigrants campaign include educating the public and Catholic community about migration and immigrants; creating a political will for positive immigration reform; enacting legislative and administrative reforms based on the bishops' principles; and organizing Catholic networks to help qualified immigrants obtain the benefits of the reforms.

"Our goal is to educate and arm supporters of the comprehensive immigration reform for the Ohio River valley region. This is a rich environment with Catholics and lawmakers," said Antonio Cube, the campaign's national manager.

During the conference delegates from different states met to develop strategies to take back to their parishes and dioceses.

They also attended a variety of workshops, including one led by West and Todd Scribner, education coordinator with the USCCB's Migration and Refugee Services. The two discussed ways participants can educate fellow parishioners about immigration reform and how to organize within a diocese and parish.

"Our Catholic social teaching is central. We have to engage the media with a consistent message because we want to get our message out. We have to break down our audience," Scribner said.

"We need to get college students involved," he said. "This is a population that's more sympathetic than their parents who go to Mass every Sunday. We have an incredible network. We must show faith in action."

West encouraged conference participants to have clear action steps to take. "Presenting the problem is fine but people need to feel like (immigration issues) can be solved," he said.

Immigration attorney Susan Schreiber, who works for the Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc., known as CLINIC and also based in Washington, explained the complexities of the current federal immigration system.

For example, it can take an immigrant seeking a visa or "green card" from three years to as long as 20 years to get one, depending on the person's country of origin.

In addition, immigrants who have entered the U.S. illegally or remain in the country on an expired visa and return home for a family emergency could be banned from the United States when they try to re-enter, while waiting for a visa to be granted. The ban can be for a few years or 20 years or it can be permanent.

"Immigration in 2009 does not look like it did in 1980," Schreiber said. "It's more restrictive. They're increasing federal criminal charges that often overlap with being an undocumented citizen. A comprehensive immigration reform (effort) could resolve every problem."

Copyright © 2009 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops