JRS: Catholic teaching confronts US migration crackdown

By Linda Bordoni 

Participating in the international conference “Refugees&Migrants in Our Common Home” taking place in Rome from 1 to 3 October, Donald Kerwin, Director of Advocacy, Research, Policy and Partnerships for Jesuit Refugee Service USA, highlights the urgent need for universities and Catholic institutions to respond collectively to the challenges of migration, in line with the Church’s long-standing call to protect the inherent human dignity of all men and women.

The event, promoted by Villanova University in collaboration with various Catholic institutions, is part of an ongoing effort to involve academic communities more deeply in supporting migrants and refugees—through research, education, advocacy, and service. Its inspiration comes from Pope Leo XIV’s call for shared responsibility, and is echoed in Pope Francis’ call to “welcome, protect, promote and integrate” migrants and refugees.

Kerwin, who is participating in the conference’s research working group, explained that the aim is to develop a concrete, collaborative plan of action.

“This is a conference that Villanova University is offering,” he said. “It’s part of a process to engage universities in the care for migrants in different ways, whether it’s teaching or research or service. We’re here because we care about migrants too. We care about forced migrants as people with gifts and needs, deserving of fair treatment.”

He recalled the powerful moment when Pope Francis articulated his now well-known “four verbs” early in his pontificate.

“We were so excited to hear that,” Kerwin said. “From the beginning of his pontificate to the end, he was this great champion of migrants. He laid out a plan for all of us to follow, not just during his 11 years but into the future.”

Action through research and advocacy

Kerwin is contributing to the research component of the conference, which seeks to mobilise universities to shape public understanding and policy through scholarship.

“What we’re hoping to do is to come up with an actionable research plan about how universities can engage the public better, explain these issues, and put them in the context of the values that Pope Francis and Pope Leo talk about,” he explained. “Refugees and immigrants tend to be portrayed negatively in public life, and they don’t at all deserve that. They’re, in many cases, very heroic people who strengthen the countries they go to.”

He emphasised that research can play a crucial role in educating both the public and policymakers about the human realities of migration.

A grim time for migrants in the U.S. 

Drawing from his advocacy work in the United States, Kerwin spoke frankly about the current political climate.

“It’s been a very grim time there for the last 8 or 9 months,” he said. “A lot of the programs the world has relied upon for years were just wiped out thoughtlessly in one fell swoop.”

He described the fear spreading through immigrant communities as mass deportations target individuals who have lived in the country for many years.

“Many believed the policy would only target criminals and have been surprised to find that they themselves and their families have been viewed as criminals,” Kerwin said. “It’s an unconscionable policy. It’s at odds with what the administration is trying to accomplish in terms of a robust economy and society. And it’s being done cruelly, in ways that break up families and hurt communities.”

He recalled a recent march in Washington, where Cardinal Robert McElroy delivered a strong moral critique of the deportations, which drew a prolonged standing ovation.

“People were so struck by that talk,” he recounted. “Public opinion is turning against this.”

The Church’s crucial role

In this context, the role of the Catholic Church in the United States is “crucially important,” Kerwin affirmed. “Like others who care about immigrants and refugees, we’re a little bit on our heels, but we’re inspired to do better and more at this point.”

He highlighted the extensive network of Catholic legal and resettlement services built over decades.

“I worked for 16 years at a legal network that now has around 440 legal offices around the country serving undocumented people, lawful permanent residents, citizens, and people in removal proceedings,” he said. “Unfortunately, the refugee resettlement program has reached very hard times. This once great program that saved more than 3 million lives since 1980 has been decimated. It needs to come back and be stronger ultimately.”

Hope as a central theme

Despite the challenges, Kerwin insists on the importance of hope, a key theme of the Rome conference.

“We’re all called to be hopeful,” he said. “We’re realists and we know we have a lot of hard work to do, but yes, we are hopeful. We recognise that we’re really in a big battle—for the soul of our country and also for the soul of our Church.”

He noted that many Catholics and institutions need to rediscover their mission regarding migrants and refugees.

“There are a lot of Catholics that aren’t with us, that need to be with us,” he stressed. “Migrants have immense gifts and things they can teach us. These are not people trying to abuse society—they enrich it in every way.”

Migration as an action of hope

The timing of the conference, on the eve of the Jubilee for Migrants, Kerwin agreed, is significant.

“Migration itself is a hopeful act,” he noted: “If somebody is migrating because they want their child to have a better life, or because they can’t have a good life at home, they’re doing exactly what God wants them to do.”

He also referred to Catholic social teaching on the “right to stay,” the “right to migrate,” and the “right to return home”, highlighting the fact that states have responsibilities to create conditions that respect human dignity and further the common good.

“It shouldn’t be states deciding what’s best for migrants,” he explained. “States should facilitate these decisions, not make them. Migration touches on the deepest questions of human dignity and our shared responsibility for one another.”

The conference’s ambition is to set in motion a global academic response to migration—rooted in Catholic teaching, guided by hope, and coordinated across disciplines and institutions, for Kerwin marks the beginning of a long process.

“It’s brought together so many people from around the world who accompany, serve, teach, and advocate,” he said. “We envision this as part of a continuum of work—but also the beginning of something new.”