The Catholic public policy position on immigration is based on Catholic Social Teaching, which is derived from the Gospels and the words of Christ, statements and encyclicals of the Popes, and statements and pastoral letters from bishops around the world. 

The USCCB's Migration & Refugee Services Policy & Public Affairs encourages a multi-faceted approach to immigration and reform. They focus on four key areas: advocacy, communication, education, and collaboration.

The Office of Social Justice Ministry can provide speakers at a parish or school event to discuss current legislation, the ethics of reform, the current immigration system and/or how it relates to Catholic Social Teaching. Catholic Charities' Legal Servies for Immigrants also conducts a vareity of workshops on immigration issues.

Justice for Immigrants supports five key principles articulated by the U.S. Bishops in relation to immigration and the need for reform.

Key issues:

1. Persons have the right to find opportunities in their homeland.
2. Persons have the right to migrate to support themselves and their families.
3. Sovereign nations have a right to control their borders.
4. Refugees and asylum seekers should be afforded protection.
5. The human rights and the human dignity of undocumented migrants should be respected.

Share the Journey Resources - Parish Toolkit for Leaders

Summary of Presidential Executive Orders on Immigration

A fundamental question: Why don't migrants come to the U.S. legally?

Five principles of migration supported by the U.S. Bishops.

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee is pleased to share a number of media and educational resources for parishes, schools, committees, and individuals, along with general information regarding the "Justice for Immigrants" campaign. Scroll down for the complete list.

Media Resources

A media resource publication of 25 suggested DVDs and documentaries on immigration issues with summaries is available for download (developed by the Justice for Immigrants committee of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee).

Click here for the media resource publication.

Titles include:

1. Which Way Home? 
2. Endless Exodus: The Sorrowful Flight of the Migrants 
3. Strangers No Longer 
4. The End of Poverty? 
5. 2501 Migrants: A Journey 
6. Dying to Live: A Migrant’s Journey 
7. One Border One Body 
8. El Norte
9. The Visitor 
10. Made in L.A. 
11. Entre Nos 
12. Crossing Arizona 
13. Sin Nombre (Without a Name) 
14. God Grew Tired of Us 
15. Farmingville 
16. Destination America 
17. Under the Same Moon 
18. Maquilapolis: City of Factories 
19. The Invisible Chapel 
20. The Gatekeeper 
21. Guatemala: A Tale of Two Cities
22. Dreams Die Hard
23. Mexico: Crimes at the Border – The Business of Human Smuggling
24. 9500 Liberty
25. The Invisibles: A Hidden Journey Across Mexico

Educational Resources

The Catholic Church has taken a position on immigration because, besides being an economic, social, and legal issue, it is also a humanitarian one, and ultimately has moral implications. Each day church social service programs, hospitals, schools, and parishes see the human consequences of a broken immigration system: families are divided, migrant workers are exploited and abused, and human beings die in the desert. This impacts human dignity and human life, and should be addressed.

While there is no mention specifically of immigration in the Catechism of the Church, migration is a major theme in the Gospels. Jesus and the Holy Family were refugees who fled the terror of Herod and Jesus, the Son of God, was an itinerant teacher while on earth, with “no place to lay His head.” Jesus also taught us to “welcome the stranger” for “what you do to the least of my brethren, you do unto me.”

Educational resources are provided to help Catholics understand several issues related to immigration. Click on any of the five items below for a PDF file addressing each issue.

1. Understanding Catholic Social Teaching as it relates to migration

2. Gospel Foundations and Papal Teachings

3. Statements of the United States Bishops, What our Bishops ask for in Immigration Reform, Answering Touch Questions about Immigration

4. History of Immigration

5. The Economics of Immigration: Productivity & Growth, Taxes and Public Benefits, Impact on Workers

To learn more about how parishes can get involved in educating their parish community, visit the Justice for Immigrants website. Also, the Office of Social Justice Ministry can provide speakers to address your community. Contact Susan L. McNeil, 414-758-2214 or mcneils@archmil.org.

Justice for Immigrants Campaign
 

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee hosts a monthly Justice for Immigrants meeting that is open to parish leaders and volunteers. For schedule details, monthly agendas, or action alerts, contact Susan L. McNeil, 414-758-2214 or mcneils@archmil.org.

The Web site www.justiceforimmigrants.org is designed to help achieve the goals of the Justice for Immigrants Campaign. It provides tools and information for diocesan and community-based organizing, education, and advocacy efforts. You will find information about Catholic teachings that underpin this Campaign, as well as proposals from the Catholic Bishops to achieve reforms in our nation’s immigration laws and policies that better reflect our values as a nation of immigrants.

We encourage you to visit this site often, as it will be updated frequently with resource materials, action alerts, and other information we hope you find useful.

"A JOURNEY OF HOPE" 

Since the founding, the United States has received immigrants from around the world who have found opportunity and safe haven in a new land. The labor, values, and beliefs of immigrants from throughout the world have transformed the United States from a loose group of colonies into one of the leading democracies in the world today. From its founding to the present, the United States remains a nation of immigrants grounded in the firm belief that newcomers offer new energy, hope and cultural diversity.

Our common faith in Jesus Christ moves us to search for ways that favor a spirit of solidarity. It is a faith that transcends borders and bids us to overcome all forms of discrimination and violence so that we may build relationships that are just and loving.

Excerpts taken from Strangers No Longer, Together on the Journey of Hope,
A Pastoral Letter Concerning Migration From the Catholic Bishops of Mexico and the United States.

If your parish or school is seeking a presenter to review or discuss immigration issues, please contact Susan L. McNeil, Office of Social Justice Ministry, at 414-758-2214 or via e-mail at mcneils@archmil.org.