Policy Issues and Catholic Teaching

As we move into a new administration that will likely bring new challenges on the migration front, this page will provide an opportunity to explore some of the longstanding policy positions staked out by the institutional church on the migration issue and updated responses to emergent policy issues.

Initial Migration-Related Executive Actions of the Second Trump Administration

January 24, 2025

On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump announced a series of executive actions on a wide range of topics. Several of these directly address, or otherwise implicate, the issue of migration. In addition to these executive actions, the new administration has announced several other migration related policy changes. (Read more)

Catholic Elements of Immigration Reform

“What is clearly true, and what the Church and many others have called for, is the urgent need for a comprehensive reform of our country’s immigration
system. The U.S. immigration system is overly complex and unjust, often keeping family members apart; it must be fixed.”
—Statement of the USCCB Administrative Committee (March 17, 2022)

For decades, the Catholic bishops of the United States have been consistent and steadfast in their calls for a just reform of the nation’s immigration system. The elements of reform supported by the bishops are grounded in Catholic social teaching generally and the Church’s teaching on migration specifically, including the joint pastoral letter released by the American and Mexican bishops, Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope (2003).

Please take a moment to download, read, and share the full document, Catholic Elements for Immigration Reform.

Problem Areas in Migration

This series delves into critical issues of migration policy, a subject that resonates deeply with the Catholic Church for both institutional and moral reasons. This initiative isn’t about offering comprehensive solutions; instead, it aims to shed light on specific challenges within the U.S. immigration system and the issue of migration generally that warrant a closer look. Please take a moment and review some of these key areas of interest for the bishops and the Church at large.