The words ‘les misérables’ appear only once in the whole book. It is a description of the poor who were seeking justice, not necessarily a revolution, but just the basics of life. ‘Les misérables’ is hard to translate, but it means those in difficult straits; the French dictionary explains the word more.
We can do better as a nation, leaving behind prejudices and misconceptions, to find a workable solution for our nation, especially for its low-wage and low-skilled workers and their families.
The phenomenon of almost instantaneous illegality has occurred repeatedly over the last several months, with the suspension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and the revocation of humanitarian parole for many groups of migrants.
In a recent article from November 2025, a group that favors immigration restrictions said: “Politicians, business leaders and activist groups have long exploited this issue for their own advantage.” As the article continues, it could have added to that list the Catholic Church from pope, bishops, priests, and laity.
The old saying “the more things change, the more they are the same” seems to be true regarding our past 100 years of immigration history. Many believe that history is cyclical, in that history repeats itself. Some individuals acknowledge fluctuations throughout history, yet maintain a more linear and progressive perspective on its development.
The Cabrini Pledge invites Catholics to pray, reflect, and act on behalf of migrants, writes Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, guided by St. Frances Xavier Cabrini and Catholic social teaching.
For the past 40 years, undocumented immigration has been fueled by a lack of legal avenues for immigrant workers to fill critical jobs in the economy and a failure by Congress to reform the system to create more of those avenues.
The latest migration issue that could soon reach the Supreme Court for a decision is the contention, established by a Trump administration executive order in January, that birthright citizenship has not been applied as intended and is not the norm for the United States.
There are better solutions to the present situation than mass deportations. We need entry-level immigrant workers in the labor market to fill essential jobs, which has always been the American way.
The recent offer of self-deportation assistance by the Department of Homeland Security is a first for our nation, but it replicates the practice of many anti-immigrant countries.
