U.S. Catholic bishops urge immigration reform with ‘fair and humane treatment’

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 14, 2024 / 18:15 pm

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has issued a statement that urges the American government to reform the immigration system with “fair and humane treatment” of immigrants.

“Together, we must speak out on behalf of the ‘huddled masses yearning to breathe free’ and ask our government to provide fair and humane treatment for our beloved immigrant brothers and sisters,” read the Nov. 15 statement, signed by USCCB President Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and two other bishops. 

“It is our hope, and our prayer, that all of us can work together to support a meaningful reform of our current immigration system,” the bishops said. 

Broglio was joined by Bishop Mark Seitz of the Diocese of El Paso, Texas, who serves as the chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, and Bishop Jaime Soto of the Diocese of Sacramento, California, who serves as the chairman of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network.

The bishops called for an immigration policy that welcomes refugees and creates a pathway to citizenship for immigrants who entered the United States illegally but have been here for many years. They also called for a safe and secure border and policies that deter dangerous criminal activity on the southern border.

“Our country deserves an immigration system that offers fair and generous pathways to full citizenship for immigrants living and working for many years within our borders,” the bishops wrote. 

“We need a system that provides permanent relief for childhood arrivals, helps families stay together, and welcomes refugees,” they added. We hope that 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 end human trafficking.” 

“The United States should have an immigration system that protects vulnerable migrants and their families, many of whom have already been victimized by criminal actors,” they wrote.

“From the founding of our nation, immigrants have been essential to this society’s growth and prosperity,” the bishops added. “They come to our shores as strangers, drawn by the promises this land offers, and they 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 enforcement, including mass deportations of immigrants who entered the country illegally. Trump has said he will first prioritize deportations for people who have committed additional crimes after coming into the country illegally.

Trump appointed Tom Homan, a Catholic, as his border czar. He is the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

On Tuesday, Homan told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that “we will prioritize public safety threats and national security threats first and that’s what the focus should be” when it comes to mass deportations.

“There’s over 1.5 million convicted criminal aliens in this country with final orders removal that we're going to be looking for,” Homan said. 

“There’s thousands of gang members, illegal alien gang members we’ll be looking for,” he continued. “Now, I’m going to say, if you’re in the country illegally, you shouldn’t feel comfortable. Absolutely not. I won’t feel comfortable if I’m in the country illegally. If I’m in some other country illegally, I’m not going to be comfortable. You should [not] be comfortable either, because when you enter this country illegally, you have committed a crime. You are criminal and you’re not off the table.” 

Although the statement from the bishops did not directly reference Trump, Seitz said on Tuesday during the USCCB fall assembly that the bishops will “raise our voice loudly” if the administration’s deportation policies transgress human dignity. He said he is “concerned” about Trump’s rhetoric but that “we know that very often the reality is different from the rhetoric.” 

Broglio said during the assembly that the bishops do not encourage illegal immigration but that people who come into the United States should be taken care of because they “represent the face of Christ.”

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 remain.”