The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has issued a statement which urges the US government to reform the immigration system with “fair and humane treatment” of immigrants.
“Together, we must speak on behalf of the ‘huddled masses longing to breathe freely’ and call on our government to provide fair and humane treatment to our beloved immigrant brothers and sisters,” reads the Nov. 15 statement, signed by the president of the USCCB, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services of the United States and two other bishops.
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“It is our hope, and our prayer, that all of us can work together to support meaningful reform of our current immigration system,” the bishops said.
Bishop Broglio was accompanied by Bishop Mark Seitz of the Diocese of El Paso, Texas, who serves as chair of the USCCB Immigration Committee, and Bishop Jaime Soto of the Diocese of Sacramento, California, chair of the Catholic Network of Legal Immigration.
The bishops called for an immigration policy that welcomes refugees and creates a path to citizenship for immigrants who entered the United States illegally but have been here for many years. They also called for a secure border and policies that deter dangerous criminal activity on the southern border.
“Our country deserves an immigration system that offers fair and generous paths to full citizenship for immigrants who live and work for many years within our borders,” the bishops wrote.
“We need a system that provides permanent help to those who arrive as children, helps families stay together and welcomes refugees,” they added. “We hope our country can develop an effective asylum system for those fleeing persecution.”
The letter also calls for “an immigration system that keeps our borders safe and secure, with enforcement policies that focus on those who present risks and dangers to society, particularly efforts to reduce gang activity, stem the flow of drugs and ending human trafficking.”
“The United States should have an immigration system that protects vulnerable migrants and their families, many of whom have already been victims of criminal actors,” they wrote.
“Since the founding of our nation, immigrants have been essential to the growth and prosperity of this society,” the bishops added. “They come to our shores as strangers, drawn by the promises this land offers, and become Americans. “They continue to provide food security, health services and many other essential skills that support our prosperous nation.”
President-elect Trump’s mass deportation plan
The statement comes less than two weeks after President-elect Donald Trump won the 2024 election on a platform that prioritized a stronger border and stricter immigration law enforcement, including mass deportations of immigrants who entered illegally. to the country. Trump has said he will first prioritize deportations of people who have committed additional crimes after entering the country illegally.
Trump named Tom Homan, a Catholic, as his border czar. He was acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
On Tuesday, Homan he told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that “we will prioritize public safety threats and national security threats first and that should be the focus” when it comes to mass deportations.
“There are more than 1.5 million convicted criminal aliens in this country with final deportation orders that we are going to be looking for,” Homan said.
“There are thousands of gang members, illegal immigrant gang members that we will be looking for,” he continued. “Now, I am going to say that if you are in the country illegally, you should not feel comfortable. Absolutely not. I won’t feel comfortable being in the country illegally. If I am in some other country illegally, I will not feel comfortable. You shouldn’t feel comfortable either, because when you enter this country illegally, you have committed a crime. “You are a criminal and you are not ruled out.”
Although the bishops’ statement did not directly refer to Trump, Bishop Seitz said Tuesday during the USCCB’s fall assembly that the bishops will “speak out loud” if the administration’s deportation policies transgress human dignity. . He said he is “concerned” about Trump’s rhetoric, but “we know that very often the reality is different from the rhetoric.”
Bishop Broglio said during the assembly that the bishops do not encourage illegal immigration, but that people who come to the United States should be cared for because “they represent the face of Christ.”
Bishop Seitz also encouraged the government to distinguish between those who have committed additional crimes after entering the country illegally and those who “for the benefit of our country, should be able to stay.”
Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in CNA.
Tyler Arnold
Tyler Arnold is a reporter for the National Catholic Register. He previously worked at The Center Square and has published in a variety of outlets, including The Associated Press, National Review, The American Conservative, and The Federalist.