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By Father Michael J. Najim Recently, Pope Francis wrote to the United States bishops about the issue of immigration. His letter garnered both support and criticism among Catholics. Without a doubt, immigration is a politically charged, emotional issue. I am not a politician; however, as a Christian and Catholic priest, I’d like to share some spiritual thoughts on this topic. I want to be clear: I do not advocate for open, unchecked borders. The Church upholds the rights and duty of a nation to protect its citizens and its sovereign borders. I do, however, feel called to appeal for deeper compassion.

Bishop Mark J. Seitz (chairman, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration), Sr. Mary Haddad, RSM (president and CEO, Catholic Health Association of the United States), and Kerry Alys Robinson (president and CEO, Catholic Charities USA) have issued a statement in response to action taken by the Trump Administration rescinding guidance related to "protected areas" in immigration enforcement.

Pope Francis reminds us, “If we encounter them, we will get to know more about them. And knowing their stories, we will be able to understand them. We will be able to understand, for example, that the precariousness that we have come to experience as a result of this pandemic is a constant in the lives of displaced people.”

National Migration Week is September 23-29, with the Vatican’s World Day of Migrants and Refugees taking place on Sunday, September 29. (Photo: USCCB)

WASHINGTON– On December 4, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York ordered the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to reinstate the entire Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program by December 7, and to resume accepting first-time DACA applicants. Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, auxiliary bishop of Washington and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Migration issued the following statement:

WASHINGTON - Responding to the proclamation signed by President Trump announcing a temporary reviewable immigration halt, Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)...