In the top letter of a recent bundle presented to Pope Leo XIV, a young immigrant from the United States writes of the fear they have for their parents, and their aunts and uncles who are undocumented amid a nationwide crackdown. 

“Right now I feel a little sad for my people because they might have come here for a better future, and the doors are closing,” the letter reads, “or they build everything here and didn’t think anything like this were to happen, and they were detained.” 

The letters were presented to Pope Leo on Oct. 8 during a private audience with Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Migration; Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Celino of El Paso, Dylan Corbett, executive director of the El Paso-based Hope Border Institute, as well as representatives of immigrant communities from the U.S.-Mexico border city. 

Speaking with The Tablet after the meeting, Bishop Seitz said Pope Leo affirmed his support for his advocacy and encouraged them to continue their work.  

“He did speak about the importance of the [USCCB] speaking to this issue, and individual bishops as well in the United States. He’s hoping for more words,” Bishop Seitz said. “He also seems to be aware, and we certainly shared with him how important his supportive words have been, how encouraging.  

“We know that we’re doing something that is faithful to the gospel and faithful to the teaching of the Church, but it’s certainly nice to hear it from the successor of Peter.”  

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Bishop Seitz also highlighted a moment when Pope Leo said he would stand with them.  

“He said earlier on ‘I’m sorry that we don’t have time to sit down’ and I was moved to say, ‘Well, we’re happy to stand with you, Holy Father.’ And later in the meeting, he said, ‘I’ll stand with you,’ ” Bishop Seitz recalled. “It was a beautiful exchange, and he couldn’t have been more gracious.” 

As for the letters, Bishop Seitz said it was important to let the Holy Father “get a firsthand kind of feel for what people are going through in our country right now,” explaining that “We know that he’s knowledgeable about this reality, but sometimes, just to have that feel for the on the ground reality is difficult for a person in his position.”  

Other messages contained in the letters, also presented to Pope Leo in a brief video, included: “I’m in a constant state of anxiety.” “Why can we not come up with a better solution?” “We need support.” And “This is hurting my faith.”  

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Bishop Seitz also pointed out that Pope Leo has followed in the line of his predecessors in his commitment to the cause of immigrants, noting that he believes the Holy Father has addressed it when leaders have visited him, including Vice President JD Vance. Pope Leo also made headlines earlier this month when he commented on the “inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States” in response to a reporter’s question.  

“I think he will very much be along the lines of our past Holy Fathers, certainly Pope Francis, but even going back to statements that have come from Pope Pius XII, who wrote an apostolic letter about it, Pope John Paul II, who said that deportation was ‘morally wrong,’ ” Bishop Seitz noted. “So, he’s in line with certainly recent popes but really the teaching of the Church from the beginning.”