A Catholic Perspective on Immigration Reform

As recognized by the Church for decades, the American immigration system is inadequate for a multitude of reasons. Below are the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ proposed elements of immigration reform that have been shared with all members of Congress and the administration.

Enforcement efforts should be targeted, proportional, and humane. Deportations should always be carried out with due regard for families, community ties, and religious liberty interests, and enforcement measures should focus on those who present genuine dangers to society.

Humanitarian protections and due process should be ensured. Refugee resettlement, asylum, and temporary protected status, as well as visas for victims of trafficking and abused youth are essential components of an immigration system. Immigration processes, whether affirmative or defensive, must also be subject to due process.

Long-time residents should have an earned pathway to citizenship. Providing legal processes for long-time residents and other undocumented immigrants to regularize their status would strengthen the American economy, provide stability to communities, and keep families together.

Family unity should remain a cornerstone of the U.S. immigration system. Immigration reform measures should be evaluated according to whether they strengthen families and promote family unity.

Legal pathways should be expanded, reliable, and efficient. Unreliable and inadequate processes have contributed to an increase in irregular migration. Improving and increasing opportunities for people to lawfully enter the country, on both a temporary and permanent basis, are necessary steps to address family separations and regional labor shortages.

The root causes of forced migration should be addressed. There are a multitude of factors causing people to migrate in large numbers, often as the only way to sustain or protect human life. This cannot be addressed unilaterally or by shifting responsibility; it requires meaningful cooperation between the United States and other countries.