As pastors, we the bishops of the United States are bound to
our people by ties of communion and compassion in Our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and
anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement. We
are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of
immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers
and the lack of access to pastoral care. We lament that some immigrants
in the United States have arbitrarily lost their legal status. We are
troubled by threats against the sanctity of houses of worship and the
special nature of hospitals and schools. We are grieved when we meet
parents who fear being detained when taking their children to school and
when we try to console family members who have already been separated
from their loved ones.
Despite obstacles and
prejudices, generations of immigrants have made enormous contributions
to the well-being of our nation. We as Catholic bishops love our country
and pray for its peace and prosperity. For this very reason, we feel
compelled now in this environment to raise our voices in defense of
God-given human dignity.
Catholic teaching
exhorts nations to recognize the fundamental dignity of all persons,
including immigrants. We bishops advocate for a meaningful reform of our
nation’s immigration laws and procedures. Human dignity and national
security are not in conflict. Both are possible if people of good will
work together.
We recognize that nations have a
responsibility to regulate their borders and establish a just and
orderly immigration system for the sake of the common good. Without such
processes, immigrants face the risk of trafficking and other forms of
exploitation. Safe and legal pathways serve as an antidote to such
risks.
The Church’s teaching rests on the foundational concern for the human person, as created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27).
As pastors, we look to Sacred Scripture and the example of the Lord
Himself, where we find the wisdom of God’s compassion. The priority of
the Lord, as the Prophets remind us, is for those who are most
vulnerable: the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the stranger (Zechariah 7:10). In the Lord Jesus, we see the One who became poor for our sake (2 Corinthians 8:9), we see the Good Samaritan who lifts us from the dust (Luke 10:30–37), and we see the One who is found in the least of these (Matthew 25).
The Church’s concern for neighbor and our concern here for immigrants
is a response to the Lord’s command to love as He has loved us (John 13:34).
To our immigrant brothers and sisters, we stand with you in your suffering, since, when one member suffers, all suffer (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:26). You are not alone!
We note with gratitude that so many of our clergy, consecrated religious, and lay faithful already accompany and assist immigrants in meeting their basic human needs. We urge all people of good will to continue and expand such efforts.
We
oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people. We pray for an
end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at
immigrants or at law enforcement. We pray that the Lord may guide the
leaders of our nation, and we are grateful for past and present
opportunities to dialogue with public and elected officials. In this
dialogue, we will continue to advocate for meaningful immigration
reform.
As disciples of the Lord, we remain men and women of hope, and hope does not disappoint! (cf. Romans 5:5) May
the mantle of Our Lady of Guadalupe enfold us all in her maternal and
loving care and draw us ever closer to the heart of Christ.
11/12/2025
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