CNA Staff, Jan 30, 2025 / 18:25 pm

Since last week, Catholic bishops across the country have publicly responded to President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders on immigration, with many calling for a more comprehensive and humane approach to immigration policy that respects the dignity of migrants and refugees.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, newly empowered to make arrests at places like churches and schools without needing to seek a superior’s approval, have reportedly already begun ramping up arrests in some major cities after Trump promised “the largest deportation operation in American history” focusing primarily on “the most dangerous criminals.”

Trump’s other first-day orders, following through on numerous campaign promises, included a declaration of a national emergency at the southern U.S.-Mexico border, a reinstatement of the controversial “Remain in Mexico” border policy from his previous term, and a designation of drug cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations.”

Another Trump-signed order set in motion a process to end birthright citizenship for individuals born within U.S. territory irrespective of the legal status of their parents, though a judge has already blocked that order amid a significant legal challenge led by a coalition of states.

The Catholic Church teaches that countries, especially wealthier ones, should try to welcome migrants “to the extent they are able” but that nations also have the right to regulate migration.

Trump’s immigration plans, many now coming to fruition, have attracted criticism from Catholic leaders at the national level, with U.S. bishops’ conference president Archbishop Timothy Broglio saying Jan. 22 that “some provisions” of the immigration orders are “deeply troubling and will have negative consequences, many of which will harm the most vulnerable among us.”

Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ committee on migration, on Jan. 23 decried “sweeping generalizations to denigrate any group, such as describing all undocumented immigrants as ‘criminals’ or ‘invaders’ to deprive them of protection under the law.” Doing so, he wrote, “is an affront to God, who has created each of us in his own image.”

Many individual bishops’ statements have been addressed directly to immigrants, seeking to offer words of encouragement and support and assurances that the Church welcomes them.

The Catholic bishops of Michigan in a recent statement expressed concern over “mass deportations and harmful rhetoric that broadly demeans our immigrant brothers and sisters.” They pledged “unyielding support and respect for the human dignity of all migrant people” and urged elected officials to support policies that keep immigrant families safe and united.

The Michigan bishops clarified, however, that Catholic teaching on immigration rejects the idea of completely “open borders” in favor of a balanced approach that prioritizes both border security and compassionate welcome. They called for a “humane immigration system that welcomes refugees and immigrants by providing a fair pathway to citizenship.”

The bishops of Maryland released a joint statement Jan. 27 to express their solidarity with immigrants and recommitting to advocating for policies that protect rights and uphold their dignity. Quoting Pope Francis, they called for people to see in every migrant “not ‘a problem to be solved but … brothers and sisters to be welcomed, respected, and loved.’”

“The Church has always been a home for those in search of refuge and peace, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to welcome the stranger and embrace the vulnerable,” the Maryland bishops wrote.

Texas is at the epicenter of the immigration debate due to its lengthy and highly contested border with Mexico. The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, criticizing the use of sweeping generalizations to refer to immigrants, stated that the bishops of Texas “will continue to work with governmental officials and other people of goodwill to implement policies that recognize the dignity of every person, prioritize family unity, and address the root causes of forced migration while respecting the right and responsibility of our country to secure its borders.”

The Texas bishops said they “urge President Trump to pivot from these enforcement-only policies to just and merciful solutions.”

The bishops of Colorado, another state with a large Latino population, said the rhetoric of mass deportations has “created genuine fear for many we shepherd.” The bishops committed “to walking in solidarity with you, our migrant brothers, sisters, and families” and advocated for “comprehensive immigration reform… that respects human dignity, protects the vulnerable, and ensures safety and security for all people.”

The bishops of New Mexico had in December articulated a strongly worded statement against a policy of mass deportation of unauthorized immigrants, saying such a policy “will not fix the broken immigration system but, rather, create chaos, family separation, and the traumatization of children.” They called for Trump to instead “return to bipartisan negotiations to repair the U.S. immigration system.”

Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, building on the New Mexico bishops’ earlier statement, said on Jan. 21 that “overly simplistic solutions” to the immigration issue don’t tend to work and that comprehensive reform is needed.

He further stated that as Catholics, “we firmly believe that all human beings are children of God, brothers and sisters created in God’s image.”

“We must not treat [migrants] as mere pawns in a game of chess nor politicize them. Instead, we must place their needs and concerns at the forefront of our debates, considering both the citizens of our nation and those seeking refuge at our borders. Our Christian faith urges us to care for the resident and the stranger,” Wester said.

“The truth is that immigrants are a benefit to our country. They help the economy by increasing the labor force, creating jobs, and boosting productivity. It is a fact that immigrants are often among the most law-abiding, religious, hardworking, and community-minded individuals in our country. They have a lower incarceration rate than the native-born population, and research shows that as the immigration population grows, the crime rate declines.”

Archbishop Jose Gómez of Los Angeles invoked the maternal protection of Our Lady of Guadalupe, expressing in a statement his solidarity with undocumented migrants facing potential deportation. Emphasizing the Gospel’s message of human dignity, he criticized fear-based policies and said any enforcement actions should be “matched by immediate action in Congress to fix our immigration system, which has been broken for decades now.”

“For Catholics, immigration is not a political issue. It is a matter of our deeply held religious beliefs. Jesus Christ commanded us to love God as our Father and to love our brothers and sisters, especially the most vulnerable, and regardless of what country they came from or how they got here. Our love for Jesus compels us to continue our works of love and service in our parishes, schools, and other ministries,” Gomez said.

Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, prior to Trump’s inauguration, condemned reports of planned mass deportations, saying they are “not only profoundly disturbing but also wound us deeply.” He stated that “if the reports are true, it should be known that we would oppose any plan that includes a mass deportation of U.S. citizens born of undocumented parents.”

He affirmed that while the government has a responsibility to secure borders, it is also “committed to defending the rights of all people and protecting their human dignity.”

Bishop James V. Johnston of Kansas City-St. Joseph urged members of his diocese to “embody the Gospel values of love, mercy, and justice” in light of the recent executive orders. He also called on people to “understand the teachings of the Church on migration and the rights of individuals, articulated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2241, and as outlined by the USCCB’s Migration and Refugee Services.”