immigration

The leadership of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops late Jan. 30 praised fellow prelates for “their witness” and called on “all the Catholic faithful to join us as we unite our voices with all who speak in defense of human dignity.”

Church leaders in the United States and Mexico acknowledged the need for governments to keep their country secure but said two recent U.S. presidential actions could endanger the lives of immigrants and split border communities.

The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Migration criticized President Donald Trump’s executive memorandum to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, saying it would “put immigrant lives needlessly in harm’s way.”

Urging Americans to look at their families for stories of immigration, the president and vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called attention to the hardships and contributions of immigrants to American society as the U.S. church prepared to observe National Migration Week.

Taking place Jan. 8-14, the week “is an excellent opportunity to highlight biblical tradition and our mission to welcome the newcomer,” said Bishop Joe S. Vasquez of Austin, Texas, who is chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration.

Catholic organizations and other faith groups say they are happy with the Obama administration’s last-minute decision to end a type of national Muslim registry.

The debate over immigration policy is inevitably heating up as we prepare for Donald Trump’s inauguration as president. Undoubtedly, an early priority of his presidency will be to increase border security and re-examine President Obama’s immigration enforcement policies.

The decision, which they said was made “in the best interest of all of our students and the future of our institutions,” was announced Dec. 8 in a letter to the campus communities in St. Joseph and Collegeville.