ARCHBISHOP GOMEZ CALLS FOR EFFECTIVE BI-PARTISAN IMMIGRATION POLICY; REAFFIRMS CHURCH’S COMMITMENT TO HELP MIGRANTS IMPACTED BY BROKEN IMMIGRATION SYSTEM
February 11, 2025  |  By:   |  Press Releases  |  

In his weekly column to the Catholic faithful in the Archdiocese’s multi-media news magazine, Angelus, Archbishop José H. Gomez addressed the current immigration issues in the United States by reflecting on the words he wrote in his 2013 book Immigration and the Next America and once again called for immigration reform to fix the nation’s decades old, broken immigration system.

“Our national debate about immigration frustrates me. … Many of our leaders seriously believe the issue can best be ‘solved’ by rounding up and removing everyone caught living in our midst without proper legal documents. This would be a human rights nightmare, involving the forced repatriation of a population roughly the size of Ohio. …Politicians talk in euphemisms about … making life so scary and harsh for people who are here illegally that they will want to leave the country of their own accord. From the courts and legislatures to the media and popular opinion, there is an outraged, personal tone to our immigration debate that you don’t hear very often in our politics.”

Referencing current immigration issues, the Archbishop noted with disappointment that “I could write these words again.”  He also addressed the “lack of awareness of the history and confusion about the duties of the Church and government.”

“The Church has been a good partner,” reiterated Archbishop Gomez. “Working with the government through Catholic Charities and other agencies, we have helped our nation welcome and settle millions of legal immigrants and refugees. We work with efficiency and compassion and use the taxpayer monies entrusted to us wisely. On top of that, the Catholic faithful give very generously, not only their money but countless volunteer hours, to help those seeking a new life in our country.

“The Catholic Church did not break the nation’s immigration system, but every day we deal with the human damage caused by that broken system: women and children who have been trafficked by coyotes and cartels; people who’ve been living and working in this country for decades but don’t have the rights or benefits of citizens; those addicted by the drugs being smuggled across our borders… We all agree that we don’t want undocumented immigrants who are known terrorists or violent criminals in our communities. They should be removed from our country in a way that respects their rights and dignity as human beings. But we still need to fix the broken system that allowed them to cross our borders in the first place.”

Archbishop Gomez also affirmed the U.S. Catholic Bishop’s stance on immigration noting that “every nation has the solemn duty to control and secure its borders,” however “deportation is not immigration policy,” words he also said in 2013 under a previous administration which deported more than five million immigrants.  

“People are born with the natural right to emigrate in search of a better life, and prosperous nations are called to be generous in welcoming them,” stated the Archbishop. “But we cannot let everyone in who wants to live here, so there need to be rules and an orderly process for deciding who we welcome, how many we welcome, and under what conditions. These are basic principles of Catholic teaching and international law … Government has its responsibility, and the Church has her mission. And I am praying that in the months ahead we will find ways to work together for the common good.”

The full text of Archbishop’s column can be found here. For more information on the immigration policies and programs of the Archdiocese visit https://lacatholics.org/immigration/.

###