Immigration Reform and the Church’s Voice

For decades, the Catholic Church in the United States has called for immigration reform, elevating the importance of family unity and human dignity, among other considerations. The bishops have frequently been at the forefront of these efforts.

Unfortunately, immigration reform has fallen victim to a growing partisan divide.

Meanwhile, millions of undocumented immigrants and their families remain vulnerable while waiting for a permanent political solution—in many cases, for decades. Given this, the Church’s consistent moral voice is essential for providing direction and promoting positive change.

The below report highlights some of the challenges confronting efforts to bring about positive immigration reform and what the Church is doing in this regard.

Some further resources might also be of use as you seek to better understand migration and the Church:

For further information on the complexity of the visa system and the difficulties finding a legal pathway into the country, please also see this Green Card Flow Chart developed by the CATO Institute.
For those interested in learning more about the pastoral care of migrants, please check out the opportunities provided by The Scalabrini International Migration Institute, which is an international study, research and training institute whose core mission is the academic and professional education in the field of human mobility.