This year’s World Refugee Day follows on the heels of the U.S. bishops pledging their support Tuesday to those impacted by recent immigration enforcement efforts.
Aleteia had the opportunity to ask Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Migration, a few questions about the importance of this moment in the United States and the Church’s involvement in it.
Human faces
When asked whether a core message is being lost somehow in the heated political debate around immigration, Bishop Seitz commented,
The human faces of those involved are too often obscured by political rhetoric. Fundamentally, we are talking about people created in the image of God, the vast majority of whom want to follow a legal process. People do not want to be undocumented; they want to be able to work, to support their families. Unfortunately, the processes we have in place are very complex and, in many ways, altogether broken.
Still, what is to be made of their illegal situations?
The bishop encouraged the need for honesty in dealing with the issue.
Broadly referring to migrants as “criminals” and “invaders” is an effective political strategy because it taps into people’s fears, but it solves nothing, and it harms innocent people. There are criminals, including those who prey on migrants, and they should be brought to justice. However, immigrants are known to commit crimes at lower rates than native-born citizens.
We can both secure our borders and preserve human rights, but we have to be honest about it. Simply making things more arduous, adding even further restrictions and penalties, only leads to fewer people being able to comply and puts lives at risk. This approach will not lead to an orderly and humane immigration system.
What the Church says
This is by far not the first time that the U.S. bishops have spoken up about immigration. And yet, this seems to be a moment of particular importance as the attention of the nation and even the world is on the current situation.
Bishop Seitz explains that
We are currently witnessing a very aggressive and concerning escalation in the way immigration enforcement is carried out in our country, which seems specifically designed to intimidate people.
The bishop referenced Pope Francis' relatively unusual choice to write a letter specifically to the US bishops on this topic, which he did in February. The bishop quoted from the Pope's letter his reminder that “what is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly.”
The bishop noted:
Pope Francis was a strong proponent of orderly and legal migration, but the Church is ultimately concerned about whether human life and dignity are being respected, consistent with the Gospel.
However, the targeting of people seeking to comply with their immigration proceedings seems quite contrary to what we should expect from a nation built on the rule of law.
A word to politicians
... the root causes of migration are often influenced by our engagement on the world stage ...
We asked Bishop Seitz what it is that the U.S. Bishops would hope to communicate to politicians.
He has this to say,
The fearmongering and politicization of human lives must come to an end. For decades, Congress has failed to reform our immigration system, to the detriment of families and communities alike. This is not something that can be left to the executive branch, with drastic changes from one administration to the next, or a patchwork of approaches by individual states. A meaningful and holistic reform is long overdue.
However, such a reform cannot focus on enforcement alone, as is the case with the reconciliation bill currently making its way through Congress. We must have reliable legal pathways for people seeking to enter our country for the purposes of working, reunifying with family, and requesting humanitarian protection. A wide majority of Americans across the political spectrum agree.
At the same time, we must recognize that the root causes of migration are often influenced by our engagement on the world stage, and the United States has an important role to play in promoting integral human development around the globe.
Formation of conscience
Of course, politicians are not the only ones who must learn more about refugees and immigrants coming into the United States and the policies surrounding the process. Individual Catholics have the opportunity to form their consciences on this pressing and present issue.
Bishop Seitz has some suggestions of where to begin:
The USCCB’s website and the Justice for Immigrants website offer a wide range of resources rooted in Catholic social teaching, including policy statements, pastoral letters, educational materials, and stories of immigrant experiences. These platforms also connect immigration issues to broader moral and theological frameworks, helping Catholics engage both their faith and civic responsibilities.
I will also emphasize the importance of listening directly to migrants and refugees, including fellow parishioners or community members, as a way to encounter the issue through lived experience. This can be one of the most powerful means of growing in understanding these issues.
The USCCB Committee on Migration also provided the following resources for interested Aleteia readers:
· Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope, a joint pastoral letter on migration from the Mexican and American bishops.
