Catholic Social Teaching on Immigration
The Catholic Church in the United States is an immigrant Church with a long history of embracing diverse newcomers and providing assistance and pastoral care to immigrants, migrants, refugees, and people on the move. Our Church has responded to Christ’s call for us to “welcome the stranger among us,” for in this encounter with the immigrant, the migrant, and the refugee in our midst, we encounter Christ.
A rich body of Church teaching, including Papal encyclicals, Bishops’ statements and pastoral letters, has consistently reinforced our moral obligation to treat the stranger as we would treat Christ himself. In the 2001 pastoral statement, Welcoming the Stranger Among Us: Unity in Diversity, the Bishops of the United States called upon the Catholic faithful to a conversion of minds and hearts, imploring us to communion and solidarity with diverse newcomers, and entreating us to find new and meaningful ways to welcome our immigrant sisters and brothers into our parishes, schools and communities. In 2003, the Bishops of the United States, together with the Bishops of Mexico, in the pastoral statement, “Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope” / “Juntos en el Camino de la Esperanza Ya no Somos Extranjeros” acknowledged that the current immigration system is badly in need of reform and offered a comprehensive set of recommendations for changing U.S. laws and policies to bring about a more humane and just immigration system in the United States. (USCCB)
A rich body of Church teaching, including Papal encyclicals, Bishops’ statements and pastoral letters, has consistently reinforced our moral obligation to treat the stranger as we would treat Christ himself. In the 2001 pastoral statement, Welcoming the Stranger Among Us: Unity in Diversity, the Bishops of the United States called upon the Catholic faithful to a conversion of minds and hearts, imploring us to communion and solidarity with diverse newcomers, and entreating us to find new and meaningful ways to welcome our immigrant sisters and brothers into our parishes, schools and communities. In 2003, the Bishops of the United States, together with the Bishops of Mexico, in the pastoral statement, “Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope” / “Juntos en el Camino de la Esperanza Ya no Somos Extranjeros” acknowledged that the current immigration system is badly in need of reform and offered a comprehensive set of recommendations for changing U.S. laws and policies to bring about a more humane and just immigration system in the United States. (USCCB)
Lord our God, you have made the world and all it holds. You preserve it and bless it.
You rise above every human boundary: of nation and culture, age and status, sex and race.
Lord, shatter in us every barrier of prejudice and of fear that prevents us from acting as disciples of Jesus.
Today we want to unite ourselves with your compassion for those who suffer.
Help us to stand with them in their struggle for liberation. Amen.
Reparation Prayer from "This Day of God," community prayer book of the Priests of the Sacred Heart
Be sure to see Action Resources at the bottom of this page!
Latest News, Analysis and Opinion
Latest Developments
Religious Groups Are Suing DHS
BuzzFeed: Photos show dire immigrant conditions at U.S.-Mexico border
Vice: US Companies Are Helping Mexican Cartels Get Rich Kidnapping Migrants
The wave of migration at the border is a boon for kidnappers, human smugglers, and the American businesses that handle their money.
TITLE 42 FUELS FAMILY SEPARATION
The Title 42 policy of expelling families is contributing to the increase in unaccompanied children arriving at the border.
Just Security: Refugee status for Central Americans proposed
Central American asylum seekers must risk their lives to reach the U.S. border and apply for asylum followed by what is often a lengthy examination of their application. Instead, they should be allowed to apply for refugee status, which would allow them to legally enter the United States after being vetted.
WSJ: Men Looking for Work Drive Surge in Illegal Crossings at the U.S. Border
Mother Jones: What So Many People Are Getting Wrong About the "Border Crisis"
Reports/Background
Columbus Dispatch: Undocumented immigrants pay billions of dollars in taxes yearly
An undocumented immigrant pays thousands of dollars in taxes annually on revenue from his painting company, but he will not receive social security, Medicare or Medicaid because of his legal status. A Congressional Budget Office report says that 50-75 percent of undocumented immigrants pay billions of dollars in taxes yearly.
ARCHIVES
Opinion
Parents who send their kids across the border are not heroes or villains. They’re humans facing an impossible choice.
Many migrants and asylum seekers are parents doing their best to make difficult decisions. That recognition should guide our border policies.
What America would look like with zero immigration
Justin Gest writes that if immigration remains at near-zero levels, within decades, the country could be older, smaller and poorer. But if the US government welcomed more newcomers, within decades, the country could be younger, more productive and richer.
WaPo Opinion: The border crisis is about human pain and desperation. Why can’t the media grasp this?
BuzzFlash: “The Republican ‘Crisis’ on the Mexican Border Is a Crisis of Weaponized Racism”
Atlantic: The Real Border Crisis
America has tried to solve its immigration problem for decades through brute force. It doesn’t work.
Catholic Standard: Biblical migration and the quest for immigration reform
A survey shows that 70 percent of Americans support comprehensive immigration reform, but it needs bipartisan support. In the Bible, migration involves faith, hope and love. This puts it squarely in the stream of salvation history.
Newsday/Washington Post: Path to citizenship is no-brainer
The most important provision of President Biden's immigration bill is the path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants. Years of polling show that this policy is popular, with 67-83 percent of the population favoring legalization.
The Conversation: Change to ‘noncitizen’ in immigration laws recognizes humanity of immigrants
The proposed U.S. Citizenship Act would eliminate the term “alien” from immigration laws, replacing it with “noncitizen.” The change would be a small but critical step in recognizing the humanity of immigrants.
Dallas Morning News: Don't kick immigration reform down the road
The Bush and Obama administrations failed to get comprehensive immigration reform legislation passed, leading to the Trump administration's draconian executive orders. Congress and President Biden need to hammer out reform legislation to keep future presidents from undoing policies through executive order.
The Hill: Let's unclog the immigration courts
Achieving a fairer and more functional immigration enforcement system requires focusing on immigration courts and diminishing the hundreds of thousands of non-priority cases clogging the system. The backlog stands at 1.3 million cases, and the average wait time for a hearing is more than 1,600 days.
Many migrants and asylum seekers are parents doing their best to make difficult decisions. That recognition should guide our border policies.
What America would look like with zero immigration
Justin Gest writes that if immigration remains at near-zero levels, within decades, the country could be older, smaller and poorer. But if the US government welcomed more newcomers, within decades, the country could be younger, more productive and richer.
WaPo Opinion: The border crisis is about human pain and desperation. Why can’t the media grasp this?
BuzzFlash: “The Republican ‘Crisis’ on the Mexican Border Is a Crisis of Weaponized Racism”
Atlantic: The Real Border Crisis
America has tried to solve its immigration problem for decades through brute force. It doesn’t work.
Catholic Standard: Biblical migration and the quest for immigration reform
A survey shows that 70 percent of Americans support comprehensive immigration reform, but it needs bipartisan support. In the Bible, migration involves faith, hope and love. This puts it squarely in the stream of salvation history.
Newsday/Washington Post: Path to citizenship is no-brainer
The most important provision of President Biden's immigration bill is the path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants. Years of polling show that this policy is popular, with 67-83 percent of the population favoring legalization.
The Conversation: Change to ‘noncitizen’ in immigration laws recognizes humanity of immigrants
The proposed U.S. Citizenship Act would eliminate the term “alien” from immigration laws, replacing it with “noncitizen.” The change would be a small but critical step in recognizing the humanity of immigrants.
Dallas Morning News: Don't kick immigration reform down the road
The Bush and Obama administrations failed to get comprehensive immigration reform legislation passed, leading to the Trump administration's draconian executive orders. Congress and President Biden need to hammer out reform legislation to keep future presidents from undoing policies through executive order.
The Hill: Let's unclog the immigration courts
Achieving a fairer and more functional immigration enforcement system requires focusing on immigration courts and diminishing the hundreds of thousands of non-priority cases clogging the system. The backlog stands at 1.3 million cases, and the average wait time for a hearing is more than 1,600 days.
New Resources & Backgrounders
Forbes: 10 thought-provoking movies about immigration
Visual Capitalist: Video animates two centuries of immigration to the United States
Sanctuary cities, explained
Dehonian Resources for Parishes and Schools
A Path to America, Marked by Dead Bodies
Here's What Happens When An Undocumented Immigrant Gets Detained
The Haunting Answers Migrants Gave When Asked About Their Most Prized Possession
Faith Communities: Discerning How to Welcome Your Neighbors
Social Justice Center Facts, Figures, Quotes, Media, Etc.
Archdiocese of Chicago Resources
Jesuit Social Research Center Immigration Articles and Links to Pro-Immigrant Organizations
Social Justice Center Facts, Figures, Quotes, Media, Etc.
Legal Resources for Immigrants
Visual Capitalist: Video animates two centuries of immigration to the United States
Sanctuary cities, explained
Dehonian Resources for Parishes and Schools
A Path to America, Marked by Dead Bodies
Here's What Happens When An Undocumented Immigrant Gets Detained
The Haunting Answers Migrants Gave When Asked About Their Most Prized Possession
Faith Communities: Discerning How to Welcome Your Neighbors
Social Justice Center Facts, Figures, Quotes, Media, Etc.
Archdiocese of Chicago Resources
Jesuit Social Research Center Immigration Articles and Links to Pro-Immigrant Organizations
Social Justice Center Facts, Figures, Quotes, Media, Etc.
Legal Resources for Immigrants
For Further Study...
Videos of Sr. Norma Pimentel's and Barbara Graham's Presentations at June US Province Assembly
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Ottawa SCJs Welcome Syrian Refugee Family
On Friday, September 23, SCJs in Ottawa welcomed Andre Boulad, a 22-year-old Syrian refugee (he is pictured below with his uncle; Andre is on the left). He is staying at the community house on Daly Street until an apartment is ready for him and his family in mid-October. His mother and sister are expected to join him soon; other family members, including an uncle, are already in the area.
“With the urgent need for Syrian refugees to find a new homeland in view of the unending civil war, each of the Canadian Region’s communities made a commitment to sponsor a Syrian family,” said Fr. John van den Hengel, regional superior of Canada. “With the close of the federal government sponsorship program on February 29 the application by the Ottawa community got in just under the wire for a second wave of privately-sponsored refugee families on March 31.”
Although the community was expecting the family sometime in fall, they didn’t have a specific date until they learned that Andre would be in Ottawa by the end of the week. Then it was a quick scramble to get things organized for the family. The SCJs are working with volunteers, including members of Resurrection parish, in assisting the family.
“With the urgent need for Syrian refugees to find a new homeland in view of the unending civil war, each of the Canadian Region’s communities made a commitment to sponsor a Syrian family,” said Fr. John van den Hengel, regional superior of Canada. “With the close of the federal government sponsorship program on February 29 the application by the Ottawa community got in just under the wire for a second wave of privately-sponsored refugee families on March 31.”
Although the community was expecting the family sometime in fall, they didn’t have a specific date until they learned that Andre would be in Ottawa by the end of the week. Then it was a quick scramble to get things organized for the family. The SCJs are working with volunteers, including members of Resurrection parish, in assisting the family.
Highlights from March 30, 2016 Panel Presentation on the
Immigration and Refugee Crises
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Insights into the Middle East Refugee Crisis
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Delving More Deeply into Root Causes of the Crises
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What Can Individuals, Parishes and Religious Leadership Do?
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Related Issues
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Interviews with children in detention centers
