US Bishops to immigrants: We stand with you in your suffering

In a “Special Message” on immigration, the Bishops of the United States assure immigrants of their solidarity and call for “meaningful reform” of the nation’s immigration laws.

By Christopher Wells

Invoking a “particularly urgent way of speaking as a body of bishops”, the US Bishops’ Conference has issued a “Special Message” addressing their “concern for the evolving situation impacting immigrants in the United States.

It is the first Special Message released by the bishops since “a similar communication in 2013, published in response to the federal government’s contraceptive mandate. Such Messages can only be issued at the Conference’s plenary assemblies, and then only with the approval of two-thirds of those bishops present and voting at the Assembly. The current Message passed with almost 97% in favour, and only five bishops voting against the measure.

The Special Message assures immigrants that they are not alone, with the Bishops saying they “stand with you in your suffering.” The very beginning of the letter highlights the Bishops’ concerns about immigrants living in “a climate of fear and anxiety”, the current state of the debate over immigration, including the “vilification” of immigrants, conditions in detention centres, lack of access to pastoral care, and other attacks on the dignity of immigrants.

Precisely because of their love for their country, and recalling their prayers for “its peace and prosperity,” the Bishops say they feel “compelled” to raise their voices “in defence of God-given human dignity.”

“Catholic teaching exhorts nations to recognize the fundamental dignity of all persons, including immigrants,” the Bishops write. At the same time, they maintain that “human dignity and national security are not in conflict,” and that “both are possible if people of good will work together.”

The Bishops contend that “safe and legal pathways” for immigration can serve as an “antidote” to the risks of trafficking and exploitation immigrants face, while acknowledging the need for nations to “regulate their borders and establish a just and orderly immigration system for the sake of the common good.”

In their Special Message, the Bishops also clearly express their opposition to indiscriminate mass deportations and dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed toward immigrants or law enforcement personnel.

As they continue to advocate for “meaningful reform” of the United States’ immigration laws and procedures, the Bishops note that Church’s teaching is founded on “the foundational concern for the human person, as created in the image and likeness of God”, and highlight the “priority of the Lord” for those who are most vulnerable, including the widow, the orphan, the poor and the stranger.

“The Church’s concern for neighbour, and our concern here for immigrants”, the Bishops say, “is a response to the Lord’s command to love as He has loved us.”

The full text of the US Bishops’ Special Message on Immigration can be found on the website of the USCCB.