Gavin Howe
The Catholic Church has long been an advocate for immigration reform, with Catholic bishops in the United States consistently calling for a just reform of the nation's immigration system. While the Church affirms the rule of law and discourages illegal immigration, it also emphasizes the right of individuals to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families. This has led to some tension with immigration authorities, with churches providing humanitarian aid and legal services to immigrants, including those who are undocumented. While churches cannot provide legal protection to undocumented immigrants, they have found other ways to rebel against immigration laws, such as by offering sanctuary and participating in assisting asylum seekers.
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What You'll Learn
Providing refuge for illegal immigrants
While the church has been vocal about its support for immigrants, it does not advocate for breaking the law. However, the church has been known to provide refuge for illegal immigrants in the past, and there are records of some faith communities concealing undocumented immigrants from immigration enforcement agencies.
In medieval Europe, a person could seek refuge in a church from law enforcement, and they could not be apprehended while sheltered in the church. While this is not a concept in US law, there are still ways that churches can provide refuge for illegal immigrants without breaking the law.
Firstly, churches can offer sanctuary by providing a place to live on church property. This does not mean that the church is providing legal protection, but it can offer a temporary safe space for those seeking refuge. Additionally, churches can provide legal aid and assistance with asylum applications. This can include helping immigrants regularize their status, which can provide stability to communities and keep families together.
Another way churches can help is by advocating for reform of immigration laws. This includes calling for an increase in legal pathways for immigration and the elimination of backlogs that result in long wait times. Churches can also work to address misconceptions about immigration and promote social teaching on the subject.
It is important to note that while churches can provide refuge and support for illegal immigrants, they must also be careful not to break the law. Some forms of assistance to undocumented immigrants, such as concealing or transporting them, are illegal. Churches must navigate this complex issue by balancing their desire to help with the need to abide by the law.
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Resettling refugees
While churches cannot provide legal protection to undocumented immigrants, they can still play a significant role in resettling refugees and assisting asylum seekers. Refugees often require assistance with basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and employment, as well as learning English and adapting to a new community and culture. Here are some ways churches can get involved:
Community Sponsorship
Churches can partner with organizations like the USCCB network resettlement agency to sponsor refugee families as they settle into a new community. This may involve providing a place to live, helping them navigate their new surroundings, and offering emotional support during this challenging transition.
Volunteering
Church members can volunteer their time and skills to help refugees in various ways. They can serve as English tutors, job coaches, or mentors. Volunteers can also assist with practical needs, such as driving refugees to appointments, helping them fill out important paperwork, or simply offering a friendly presence during this time of adjustment.
Employment Opportunities
Local businesses owned by church members can actively recruit and hire refugees as part of their workforce. This not only provides refugees with a source of income but also helps them regain a sense of purpose and contribute their skills to their new community.
Housing
Landlords within the church community can offer safe and affordable housing options for refugees. This can include renting apartments or providing temporary accommodations until more permanent solutions are found.
Donations
Churches can encourage their members to donate funds to organizations dedicated to refugee resettlement, such as the National Catholic Fund for Migration and Refugee Services. These donations can help provide essential resources and services to support refugees in rebuilding their lives.
Advocacy
Churches can use their collective voice to advocate for just and compassionate immigration policies that respect the dignity and rights of refugees and asylum seekers. This may include speaking out against inhumane detention practices, supporting legal pathways to immigration, and promoting policies that uphold family unity.
By actively participating in refugee resettlement, churches can embody their values of compassion, hospitality, and social justice. While there may be legal considerations to navigate, churches can still make a significant difference in the lives of vulnerable refugee populations.
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Supporting immigrant families
While the Church cannot provide legal protection to undocumented immigrants, there are other ways it can support immigrant families.
Firstly, the Church can provide pastoral care, education, and social services to immigrants, regardless of their circumstances. This includes offering legal services and other support to those affected by deportation and family separation. The Church can also work to shape a more humane and compassionate narrative on immigration, both within congregations and through engagement with local media. By mobilizing communities to live in solidarity with affected families, the Church can foster a sense of unity in diversity and offer a welcoming and hospitable reception to immigrants.
Additionally, the Church can advocate for just immigration reforms that uphold the sanctity of human life and respect the dignity of all persons. This includes pushing for an increase in legal immigration pathways and opportunities for people to lawfully enter the country, both temporarily and permanently. The Church can also support refugee resettlement, asylum, and temporary protected status, as well as visas for victims of trafficking and abused youth.
Furthermore, the Church can assist in practical ways, such as through its ministries and sanctuary programs that provide a place of refuge for immigrants. While sanctuary is not a legal concept in US law, some faith communities have used church property to provide undocumented immigrants facing deportation with a place to live.
It is important to note that the Church's support for immigrant families should be grounded in its commitment to human rights, equality, and the common good.
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Advocating against deportation
While the church cannot provide legal protection to undocumented immigrants, there are still several ways in which they can advocate against deportation. Firstly, it is important to understand the legal rights of individuals facing deportation. All individuals in the United States have rights, regardless of their immigration status. If a deportation order has been issued, the individual may be able to leave the country at their own expense before the removal is carried out, known as "voluntary departure". They may also be able to appeal the ruling and should seek legal services to do so.
Churches can also provide practical support to those facing deportation. This could include helping individuals locate legal services, as well as providing them with information about their rights and the deportation process. Churches can also offer emotional and spiritual support to those facing deportation and their families. This may involve providing a place for individuals to live on church property, as some faith communities have done in the past.
In addition to providing direct support to those facing deportation, churches can also advocate for policy changes that will reduce the likelihood of deportation for undocumented immigrants. This could include calling for an increase in legal pathways for immigration and the elimination of backlogs that result in long wait times. Churches can also emphasise the economic and social contributions of undocumented immigrants, who are estimated to contribute $100 billion in federal, state, and local taxes each year, and argue for reforms that will strengthen the economy, provide stability to communities, and keep families together.
Finally, churches can work to educate their congregations and the wider community about the complexities of immigration and the experiences of undocumented immigrants. This can help to dispel negative stereotypes and build empathy and understanding, recognising that immigration is a complex issue that requires a balance between border control and compassion.
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Protecting undocumented immigrants from ICE
While churches have historically provided sanctuary to undocumented immigrants, they do not offer legal protection. In fact, some forms of assistance to undocumented immigrants are illegal. However, churches can still play a vital role in protecting undocumented immigrants from ICE. Here are some ways they can help:
Offer Physical Sanctuary
Historically, the term “sanctuary” meant that a person could seek refuge in a church from law enforcement. While this is not a legal concept in US law, some faith communities still offer physical sanctuary to undocumented immigrants, providing them with a place to live on church property.
Provide Welcoming Ministries
Churches can participate in assisting asylum seekers and have immigrant-welcoming ministries. This can include providing practical support, such as food, clothing, and shelter, as well as emotional and spiritual support through counselling and prayer.
Educate and Inform
Churches can educate undocumented immigrants about their rights and how to protect themselves if they encounter ICE. This includes informing them of their right to remain silent, their right to refuse a search without consent or probable cause, and their right to hire a lawyer if detained.
Advocate for Immigration Reform
In line with Catholic social teaching, churches can advocate for just and merciful immigration reform. This includes calling for an increase in legal immigration pathways and improvements to the asylum system, ensuring that humanitarian protections are upheld and family separation is reduced.
Support Community Integration
Undocumented immigrants are vulnerable members of society. Churches can help them integrate into their new communities by providing language classes, cultural orientation, and assistance with accessing social services and legal resources.
By taking these actions, churches can actively protect undocumented immigrants from ICE and promote their well-being, while also upholding their commitment to human dignity and the common good.
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Frequently asked questions
No law prohibits immigration enforcement actions or any other law enforcement actions from taking place in a house of worship. Churches must ensure that their members and those served by the church's ministries do not mistakenly believe that the church can provide legal protection to undocumented immigrants.
Catholic theology promotes human rights rooted in natural law and God's revelation. The encyclical Rerum Novarum (On the Condition of Labor) in 1891 developed a systematic presentation of the principles of the rights and responsibilities of people. The Church affirms the rule of law, encourages the use of lawful immigration pathways, and discourages migration to advance one's individual position without regard for the common good in one's country of origin.
Catholic organizations along the U.S.-Mexico border may provide meals, clean clothes, showers, medical attention, and temporary shelter for newly arrived migrants. Some Catholic organizations also advise recently arrived migrants on how to reunite with their families or reach their immigration proceedings. The Church also provides resettlement and integration services to newly arrived refugees, helping them find lawful employment, enroll their children in school, learn English, and navigate life in their new communities.
The Catholic Church calls for a just reform of the nation's immigration system. While recognizing that countries have the right to regulate their borders and control immigration, the Church emphasizes that this must be balanced with upholding the sanctity of human life, respecting the dignity of all persons, and enacting policies that further the common good. The Church advocates for improving and increasing legal pathways for immigration and addressing issues such as family separation and regional labor shortages.
While the Church teaches support for immigrants, including illegal immigrants, it also emphasizes the importance of obeying the law. In practice, this means attending to the basic and pressing needs of immigrants while also upholding the nation's laws, which may include the eventual deportation of those who do not qualify to remain in the country.
