The United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. In that document it states that all people have the right to freedom of movement, the right to seek asylum from persecution and the right to leave and return to their country.
A country has the right and obligation to secure its borders. At the same time the country has the responsibility to welcome those seeking legitimate protection.
“The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extend they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin. Public authorities should see to it that the natural right is respected that places a guest under the protection of those who receive him.”– 2241, Catechism of the Catholic Church
Scripture calls us to welcome the stranger
Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the stranger, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another. Zechariah 7:9-10
The Bishops have called us to work for justice for immigrants
Justice for Immigrants is the US Bishops’ website which houses prayers, resources and suggested actions we can take.
SND USA Corporate Stance on immigration reform
Immigration Reform is a major area of focus for the sisters. The Corporate Stance states that the issue is complex and that people have the right to seek refuge and a better life. Read the statement.
Catholic Charities USA produced a video about Sr. Joyce Bates and Sr. Roseanna Mellert as they minister to new arrivals at La Frontera Respite Center in Laredo, TX. Catholic Charities in Laredo has committed to providing resources to those who arrive legally at La Frontera. In this short video you can learn more about how SND USA is supporting and loving our family in Christ.
"I was a stranger and you welcomed me."
Neighbors, Not Strangers is an interactive digital storytelling project by CLINIC, funded in part by USCCB, that shares powerful immigration stories from the CLINIC network to show how immigrants are our neighbors to be encountered and embraced. Anti-immigrant sentiment remains prevalent, but we believe the Church and all people of good will can share stories of welcome to help shift the narrative.
Key Immigration Terms
- Asylum Seeker is a person seeking refuge in the country in which he or she currently resides because of persecution in that person’s native country. People seeking asylum can go to any point of entry in the U. S and claim asylum.
- Deportation is the expulsion of a noncitizens from the United States. People who can be deported include noncitizens (including lawful permanent residents) with criminal convictions, visa overstays, refugee/asylum seekers and those who entered the country unlawfully.
- An Immigrant is someone who has already come to live permanently in a country after being granted legal status to stay.
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the bureau within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that enforces immigration laws and conducts apprehension, detention and deportation of immigrants.
- A Lawful Permanent Resident (LRP) is an immigrant with a “green card” who has been lawfully admitted to the U.S. for permanent residence.
- A Migrant is defined by the United Nations as “any person who lives temporarily or permanently in a country where he or she was not born, and has acquired some significant social ties to this country.”
- A Refugee is a person seeking protection and a safe place to live outside their country of origin who is unable or unwilling to return because of past persecution and/or well-founded fear of persecution.
Learn more at Freedom for Immigrants
Did You Know?The difference between refugees and asylum seekers is that asylum seekers are physically present in the United States or at a U.S. border and are seeking permission to remain in the United States, while refugees are outside the United States and are seeking resettlement in the United States.
“In the Old Testament, the Torah teaches that strangers and the homeless in general, since they are exposed to all sorts of dangers, deserve special concern from the believer. Indeed, God clearly and repeatedly recommends hospitality and generosity toward the stranger . . . , reminding Israel of how precarious its own existence had once been.” John Paul II, Developing Special Concern for the Homeless, Origins 26:30 (January 16, 1997): p. 495
“Recalling this great bishop, (Blessed Giovanni Battista Scalabrini, bishop and patron of immigrants) my thoughts go to those who are far from their homeland and often also from their families; I hope that they will always meet receptive friends and hearts on their path who are capable of supporting them in the difficulties of every day.” -Pope Benedict XVI Vatican City, June 5, 2005
“Migrants and refugees are not pawns on the chessboard of humanity. They are children, women, and men who leave or are forced to leave their homes for various reasons, who share a legitimate desire for knowing and having, but above all for being more.” Pope Francis, Message for the 2014 World Day of Migrants and Refugees, September 24, 2013
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini was born in 1850 in Milan, Italy. With seven other women she founded the Institute of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1880. She went to New York City and there established orphanages and schools for the Italian immigrants. She is the Patron of Immigrants and her feast day is November 13.
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