By Bishop Robert Brennan
On Jan. 20, America again witnessed the peaceful transfer of power from one presidential administration to another. With the beginning of any new administration comes a shift in priorities, policies, and personnel. This is especially true when one of the major political parties takes the reins from the other.
One of the most controversial and vexing issues our nation has faced recently has been immigration. Over the last several years, our nation, state, and city have experienced the arrival of an unprecedented number of undocumented migrants and asylum seekers. During the campaign, President Trump promised to strengthen border security, conduct mass deportations, and change policies that have allowed such persons to remain in the United States as they await the adjudication of their immigration cases.
One area of concern is the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to rescind the previous administration’s guidance that limited federal immigration-related arrests in “sensitive areas,” including churches, schools, and hospitals. The free exercise of religion is one of the bedrocks of our Constitution. The potential disruption of religious services — particularly for Catholics, our gathering for Mass — would be entirely inappropriate, as would be any interference in our charitable works. The Catholic bishops of the United States have spoken strongly about intrusions into religious freedom during prior administrations, and we continue to do so.
The sad truth is that on this issue and many others, the policies of neither of the major political parties fully reflect the Church’s social doctrine. In advocating for and assisting migrants, the bishops of the United States are interested neither in partisan politics nor financial gain but rather in protecting human dignity, respecting family life, and creating a just and peaceful society.
During the last few years, immigration policies have led to a chaotic situation that has not been conducive to human dignity. Parents were separated from their children, migrants and refugees have been forced to live in shelters with limited resources, communities have been disrupted, crime has increased, illegal and lethal drugs have been smuggled over the borders, and many people seeking a better life have become victims of human trafficking, including many children who are lost in the system. The American people are right to be concerned about these grave problems and to seek solutions to them.
On the other hand, as in past eras, most people who have come to our country, whether documented or undocumented, have come to pursue a better life, not to do us harm. The process of seeking to emigrate to the United States legally is convoluted and nearly impossible for many to navigate successfully, especially given the chaotic situation mentioned above.
The Church in the United States has consistently called for comprehensive immigration reform. An integral part of such reform would include measures to secure our borders and control the entrance of migrants into our country. As I noted in my October 2023 column in The Tablet, “Catholic social teaching has always recognized the right of each nation to regulate immigration according to the principles of equity and balance and to ensure the integration of migrants into society. Other aspects of reform would include an earned legalization program for undocumented migrants, increased permits for foreign-born workers, and efforts to address the root causes of migration from countries plagued by poverty and violence.”
It is too early for us to know all the immigration policies the new administration will ultimately implement. Nevertheless, I know that many in our communities and parishes in Brooklyn and Queens are fearful for themselves, their family members, friends, and co-workers. This fear is made worse by over-the-top rhetoric on both sides of the aisle and reports in the media.
As Catholics, we have a responsibility to help our brothers and sisters who are frightened and unsure of how to go about their daily lives. Like Christ, we must accompany one another and share each other’s burdens. During his visit to Brooklyn and Queens for the celebration of the 125th anniversary of Catholic Charities, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Pope’s representative to the United States, spoke about our walking together as people of faith. He said, “It means journeying together, with each other and with the Lord, on the pathway to that final encounter with Christ that we all long for. Along this shared journey, there is a requirement of attentive listening to each other and to the Holy Spirit; for patient discernment; and for a dialogue that sets aside individualistic agendas and narrow ideologies in favor of a communal commitment to the Lord’s own work.”
Similarly, St. John Paul II speaks about the principles of solidarity in his encyclical “Solicitudo Rei Socialis,” as “a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good. That is to say the good of all and of each individual, because we are all responsible for all.”
This sincere listening to one another and to the Holy Spirit and patient discernment requires a delicate balance and a profound respect for the human dignity of every person created in the image and likeness of God.
We continue to advocate for those who are suffering. Our parishes and our diocesan institutions, such as Catholic Charities, will continue to serve all those in need of spiritual and material care, whether they are documented or undocumented. We will thus fulfill the mandate Christ has given us to welcome the stranger, to feed the hungry, and to care for the sick.