Eight United States Catholic bishops whose dioceses share a border with Mexico reaffirmed their commitment to promoting human dignity and their cooperation with government officials as the Church and its partner organisations provide humanitarian aid. Source: OSV News.
“Daily, we witness the human consequences of migration, both its blessings and its challenges,” the bishops said in a May 12 statement released by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
“As pastors of border communities, we minister to migrants and native-born persons alike. Our congregations include asylum-seekers, enforcement officers, landowners, and elected officials, who come together, not as strangers or adversaries but as sisters and brothers, equal in dignity and worth before the Lord.”
The statement came the day after the May 11 expiration of Title 42, a federal US public health law granting the US Government some authority to implement emergency action to prevent the spread of contagious diseases by prohibiting some migrants from entry. It expired in tandem with the end of the federal public health emergency declared in 2020 for COVID-19.
With the end of Title 42, US immigration policy defaults to a set of laws known as Title 8. While the status of some migrants not eligible for US entry under Title 42 may change, recent Title 8 policy updates suggest those migrants may face new hurdles. Both Title 42 and Title 8 have been criticised by Catholic immigration advocates as insufficient, especially for migrants seeking asylum.
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U.S. bishops with Mexico-bordering dioceses reaffirm humanitarian commitment (OSV News)
