US Bishops’ Immigration ‘Special Message’ Provides a Signal Moment
National Catholic Register, 14 November 2025
Pope Leo XIV himself called for an effective and unified voice from the US bishops; in Baltimore, they delivered just that.
The U.S. bishops’ “special message” on immigration from their annual Baltimore meeting — approved near-unanimously and with an exuberant ovation upon approval — is a signal moment in the history of the American episcopal conference, with potential wider implications for American politics.
Coming 10 months into the second term of President Donald Trump, the American bishops have distinguished themselves from many other actors in resisting, not capitulating to, the Trump administration.
The U.S. bishops have confronted a presidential administration before, but the use of a “special message” — requiring a two-thirds majority at a plenary assembly — to issue a forceful denunciation is not common. The last time the bishops did so was in 2013, issuing a special message against the Obamacare insurance mandate to provide contraceptive coverage. It was another signal moment, as health care reform had long been a priority for the bishops, but they did not let their general support for the Obama administration’s health care policy compromise the integrity of their witness regarding the Church’s teaching on sexuality.
The special message on immigration notes that “human dignity and national security are not in conflict,” and that “nations have a responsibility to regulate their borders and establish a just and orderly immigration system for the sake of the common good.”
Several bishops noted in media comments that the statement was “balanced,” recognizing the legitimacy of enforcing immigration laws. But just as criminal laws are to be enforced with due process, the right to a hearing, humane detention and respect for the human dignity of those incarcerated, immigration enforcement is not exempt from those standards of justice.
Nevertheless, the main thrust of the message is clear opposition to “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people,” and calls for “an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement.”
The urgency of the bishops’ appeal arises from their direct experience of seeing firsthand in their parishes a “climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement,” where the “vilification of immigrants” has led to even naturalized citizens living under a cloud. The public presentation of the administration’s deportation policy, which seems to emphasize the cruelty of detention — even in foreign prisons — was also denounced, as the bishops expressed concerns about “conditions in detention centers,” including “lack of access to pastoral care” and the sacraments for Catholic detainees.
In President Donald Trump’s second term, a wide array of actors — state legislatures, foreign governments, universities, broadcast networks, tech titans — have capitulated to the aggressive tactics of the new administration. The U.S. bishops themselves were an early target, as their decades-long contracts for resettlement assistance to government-approved refugees were not only canceled abruptly — along with other similar partners — but payment for services already provided was withheld.
Until that money was belatedly restored, the USCCB had to cover costs with millions from its long-term investments. Coadjutor Archbishop James Checchio of New Orleans reported on that at this week’s meeting in Baltimore.
While Trump himself has not spoken directly about Catholic teaching and practice, his Catholic vice president did so in the very first weeks of the administration. Thus, the November meeting came toward the end of a year in which the new administration seemed particularly hostile to the longstanding advocacy and practical care of the Catholic bishops on immigration.
In a January interview with CBS, Vice President JD Vance accused the bishops of monetary motivations in their advocacy on behalf of immigrants. It was their “bottom line” that was their real interest, he claimed, referring to the federal contracts that date back to 1980, even though the federal contracts were not sufficient to cover the total costs of the migrant services the bishops’ conference provided.
It was a false charge, forcefully rejected by American bishops. Vance himself later withdrew it, but in a forum rather less public than CBS News.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York has spoken of how, hosting a dinner for U.S. cardinals after the inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV in Rome, the vice president apologized for his comments accusing the American bishops of defending migrants for pecuniary reasons.
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