Washington state bishops declare church stands with immigrants, refugees

(OSV News) -- On the same day dioceses around the world inaugurated the Jubilee Year, meant to be a time of hope amid a world of uncertainty, the bishops of Washington state affirmed their solidarity with immigrants and refugees. They stated that "refugees and migrants and their families -- documented and undocumented" are experiencing great fears due to threats of mass deportations and forced separation of families.

President-elect Donald Trump and his team have discussed openly their incoming administration's plan to enact "the largest deportation" in U.S. history. There have been reports of a possible policy change that would remove protections against arrest at sensitive locations such as churches and schools. Amid all this, the bishops urged believers to embrace "the Gospel teaching and Pope Francis' call to recognize the dignity of others as we welcome the stranger," in a Dec. 29 joint statement from the Washington State Catholic Conference.

"The threats of mass deportations and forced separation of families have caused great fear for refugees and migrants and their families -- documented and undocumented," said Archbishop Paul D. Etienne of Seattle, Bishop Joseph J. Tyson of Yakima, Bishop Thomas A. Daly of Spokane, and Auxiliary Bishops Eusebio Elizondo and Frank Schuster of Seattle. "These threats are contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the dignity of every human person that is central to the teachings of our Catholic faith."

Citing Pope Francis' third encyclical "Fratelli Tutti" (on fraternity and social friendship), the bishops spoke about being brothers and sisters and that the inalienable dignity of every human is more important than nationalities.

"We cannot separate our love for God from our love for others," said the bishops, echoing Pope Francis' call to welcome, protect, promote and integrate immigrants.

"As Christians we know our love for God is measured by our love of neighbor, particularly the most vulnerable," wrote the bishops.

"While we uphold that we are a nation of laws, as we've stated in the past, we also know that the U.S. immigration system is severely flawed and in need of a comprehensive overhaul," the bishops said in their statement. They added that "migration is part of the fabric of our nation."

According to data from the Pew Research Center, immigrants currently account for 14.3% of the U.S. population -- the highest level since 1910, but still less than the 14.8% marked in 1890.

Data for 2022 showed that the majority of immigrants (77%) are in the U.S. legally, with close to half (49%) being naturalized citizens, just under a quarter (24%) lawful permanent residents and 4% legal temporary residents. Slightly less than one quarter (23%) are unauthorized.

Trump's mass deportation plans are targeting an estimated 11 million people living in the U.S. without authorization. However, there are fears that immigrants who have temporary status and are registered with the federal government through different programs could also be vulnerable to deportation.

Trump's new "border czar" Tom Homan, who was named to the role in November and will not require Senate confirmation, has addressed the question of mass deportation's effects on families. Homan was Trump's acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the 2017-2018 "zero tolerance" era, which saw children taken from their parents in the midst of illegal border crossings.

On Dec. 26, Homan told multiple media outlets that the incoming Trump administration is considering open-air family detention centers for holding and deporting families. Homan has also proposed the deputization of local and military forces to apprehend these migrants, as well as the use of military bases to detain them and military planes to transport them out of the country.

In their Dec. 29 statement, the Washington state bishops talked about how "the Catholic Church has a long tradition of standing with those forced to migrate." This is rooted in Scripture, they said, referencing Matthew 25, which deals with the Final Judgment.

Catholic social teaching on immigration balances three interrelated principles -- the right of persons to migrate in order to sustain their lives and those of their families, the right of a country to regulate its borders and control immigration, and a nation's duty to regulate its borders with justice and mercy.

At the same time, the church also makes clear human laws are also subject to divine limits knowable to human reason. St. John Paul II's 1993 encyclical "Veritatis Splendor" ("Splendor of Truth") and 1995 encyclical "Evangelium Vitae" ("The Gospel of Life") both quote the Second Vatican Council's teaching in "Gaudium et Spes," the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, which names "deportation" among various specific acts "offensive to human dignity" that "are a disgrace, and so long as they infect human civilization they contaminate those who inflict them more than those who suffer injustice, and they are a negation of the honor due to the Creator."

The Washington bishops' statement echoes similar solidarity calls from other bishops, including an open letter by the bishops of New Mexico, a statement in five languages written by the bishops of California on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, as well as an op-ed column by 10 Arizona faith leaders, including the Catholic bishops, denouncing the spectre of immigration raids on churches, schools and other sensitive locations.

Soon after November's election, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops posted a statement of pastoral concern pledging support for immigrants. It said the U.S. "should have an immigration system that protects vulnerable migrants and their families, many of whom have already been victimized by criminal actors."

According to the U.S. Catholic bishops' Justice for Immigrants Campaign, bishops in Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Nebraska, as well as the Diocese of Portland, Maine, have also addressed migration in statements before and after the elections.

The Washington bishops concluded their statement with assurance of the closeness of the church, saying, "May all our brothers and sisters on the margins, especially migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, know that our parishes are open for prayer, comfort and solace."

"During this time of uncertainty and fear, we stand with our immigrant and refugee brothers and sisters," the bishops said.