The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued a special message in a strong response to the growing crackdown on immigrants across the country.
The Special Pastoral Message was published on Nov. 12 as bishops gathered for their Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore, Maryland. The special message expresses the increasing concern among bishops over the expanding crackdown and violence carried out in immigration enforcement in communities, citing the Bible and Catholic doctrine.
“We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people,” the bishops wrote in the Special Pastoral Message. “We pray for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement. We pray that the Lord may guide the leaders of our nation, and we are grateful for past and present opportunities to dialogue with public and elected officials.”
The pastoral letter recognizes that nations have the responsibility to regulate their borders, but calls on nations to recognize the “fundamental dignity” of all people, including migrants. They advocate meaningful reform of U.S. immigration laws and procedures.
The message was overwhelmingly supported by the conference members, with 216 votes in favor, 5 against, and 3 abstentions.
The last Special Pastoral Message was issued in 2013 in response to the federal government’s contraceptive mandate.
President Donald Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan responded to the letter outside the White House. He criticized the letter and the Bishops.
“The Catholic Church is wrong, I’m sorry,” Homan told reporters. “I’m saying it not only as the border czar, I’m saying it as a Catholic.”
He argued they should focus on fixing the church, while the Trump administration has the right to focus on “securing the borders.”
‘Not meant to be confrontational’
Bishop Mark Seitz of the Diocese of El Paso was part of the team that brought the special message to vote in the assembly.
Seitz, who is chair of the migration committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said that they had been arranging the message since June. He was grateful for the support outcome of the vote.
“I hope people see that the church is really together on this, from the Pope on down to bishops — and frankly not only the bishops in the United States, but throughout the world,” Seitz told the El Paso Times. “This is a very fundamental issue and one that should draw concern about what is happening in our world to immigrants.”
Seitz has long been an advocate for migrants. He traveled to the Vatican in October to deliver letters from migrants expressing fear about the growing crackdown to Pope Leo XIV.
The statement comes at the time of the administration of President Donald Trump’s growing crackdown on immigration across the country, which, as the letter acknowledges, has created fear and uncertainty in communities across the country. But the message is not meant to be confrontational, Seitz said.
“What we are doing is simply restating what the church believes and teaches,” Seitz said. “It has always taught about the dignity of the human person and especially the dignity of the poor and vulnerable.”
Jeff Abbott covers the border for the El Paso Times and can be reached at:jdabbott@gannett.com; @palabrasdeabajo on Twitter or @palabrasdeabajo.bsky.social on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: US bishops stand with migrants amid expanding ICE raids, decrying immigration crackdown
Reporting by Jeff Abbott, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
