The Episcopal Bishop of Texas has urged the U.S. government to relax its border controls in the face of an unprecedented wave of illegal immigrants crossing America’s southern border. Last week the Rt. Rev. Andrew Doyle said US immigration policy “offends the dignity of a civil society, and it’s a legacy worth changing.” More than 52,000 unaccompanied children, most from Central America, have been apprehended entering the U.S. illegally since October. Republicans in Congress have accused the Obama Administration of not enforcing immigration laws, prompting a surge in migrants to the US. The bishop noted that “Texas, like all border states, pays a toll for detaining and incarcerating refugees. We must decrease the use of detention centers for immigrants and improve conditions by enacting clear, enforceable reforms that include rigorous medical treatment standards and increased access to pastoral care, legal counsel and legal orientation programs. The government should also expedite the release of individuals who pose no risk to the community, and it should expand the use of community-based detention alternatives, which are more humane and cost effective,” Bishop Doyle said.