Trump cancels refugee program in order condemned by Catholic leaders

(OSV News) -- The State Department has canceled all refugee travel to the U.S., following a Jan. 20 executive order by newly inaugurated President Donald Trump.

In addition, a Biden administration program that enabled private U.S. citizens to sponsor refugees has also been halted.

“Preventing any access to asylum and other protections will only endanger those who are most vulnerable and deserving of relief, while empowering gangs and other predators to exploit them," Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, and chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Migration, said in a Jan. 22 statement. "Likewise, indefinitely halting refugee resettlement is unmerited, as it is already proven to be one of the most secure legal pathways to the United States."

In a statement issued Jan. 22, the USCCB president, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, said Trump's executive orders on the treatment of immigrants and refugees were among those the bishops found "deeply troubling and will have negative consequences, many of which will harm the most vulnerable among us."

"No matter who occupies the White House or holds the majority on Capitol Hill, the Church’s teachings remain unchanged," he said in his statement. "It is our hope that the leadership of our Country will reconsider those actions which disregard not only the human dignity of a few, but of us all."

Trump's executive order on refugees gave the State Department until Jan. 27 before suspending refugee processing and travel, which had been overseen by the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. USRAP has been offlined by the order until "further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States," the executive order declared.

Trump said the nation "lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of migrants, and in particular, refugees, into its communities in a manner that does not compromise the availability of resources for Americans, that protects their safety and security, and that ensures the appropriate assimilation of refugees."

While the suspension was slated for Jan. 27, internal documents reviewed by The Associated Press showed the suspension took immediate effect Jan. 21.

Guidance reviewed by CBS News and reported by its media partner, BBC News, also indicated that the suspension, at present, does not impact Special Immigrant Visa holders. Those visas are granted to those who have assisted the U.S. military as translators and interpreters.

While often used interchangeably, the terms "migrant" and "refugee" are separately defined under international law, with refugees specifically protected due to perilous conditions -- such as war or persecution -- that make returning to the country of origin impossible. No uniform definitions of "migrant" or "forced migration" exist at the international level, according to the United Nations. However, migrants are nonetheless protected as human persons under international human rights law.

Under the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, refugees are persons who have left their countries of origin and are unwilling or unable to return, due to actual or well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, social group or political opinion. Asylum is a form of protection extended by the U.S. to refugees who are already in the U.S. or seek admission at a port of entry.

"The U.S. refugee program helps some of the most vulnerable people on earth, refugees whose lives are literally in danger," J. Kevin Appleby, senior fellow for policy and communications at the Center for Migration Studies of New York, told OSV News in a Jan. 22 email.

"To shut the door on refugee families who have already been processed, vetted, and prepared to travel is the height of cruelty," said Appleby, who served as the USCCB's director of migration policy and public affairs from 1998-2016.

"The program has successfully resettled refugees in the U.S. over the decades without a security breach," said Appleby. "There is no justified reason to halt it, other than to serve an anti-immigrant agenda."

Bishop Seitz explained in his statement that the Catholic Church "is committed to defending the sanctity of every human life and the God-given dignity of each person, regardless of nationality or immigration status."

"Church teaching recognizes a country’s right and responsibility to promote public order, safety, and security through well-regulated borders and just limits on immigration," Bishop Seitz explained. "However, as shepherds, we cannot abide injustice, and we stress that national self-interest does not justify policies with consequences that are contrary to the moral law."

While the Trump administration has made a welcome emphasis on fighting human trafficking, the bishop said several of Trump's executive orders were "specifically intended to eviscerate humanitarian protections enshrined in federal law and undermine due process, subjecting vulnerable families and children to grave danger."

He also condemned the "use of sweeping generalizations to denigrate any group, such as describing all undocumented immigrants as ‘criminals' or ‘invaders,’ to deprive them of protection under the law." Bishop Seitz said this behavior "is an affront to God, who has created each of us in his own image."

Bishop Seitz called on the president to "to pivot from these enforcement-only policies to just and merciful solutions, working in good faith with members of Congress to achieve meaningful, bipartisan immigration reform that furthers the common good with an effective, orderly immigration system."