Catholics must uphold migrants’ dignity amid policy changes

Recent changes to U.S. immigration policies have left many local farmworkers facing uncertainty and fear, according to Catholics who minister to them.

“There is a lot of fear. Most of the people don’t have immigration status, so they are really afraid to drive to the church,” remarked Father Jesús Flores, coordinator of the Diocese of Rochester’s Office of Migrant Ministry.

Policy changes have been coming so fast in recent weeks that it’s hard for people involved with migrant ministry to know how best to serve this population, added Elizabeth Johnston, diocesan coordinator of life and cultural ministries. Johnston recently sought answers at a regional presentation intended to provide guidance to faith-based organizations serving immigrant populations. But she said she came away without as much concrete information as she’d hoped.

“All I kept hearing was, don’t give anyone assurances of anything, because things are changing almost every day,” she said.

Catholic Church supports people’s dignity, not illegal immigration

Many people misinterpret the Catholic Church’s concern for immigrants and migrants as support for illegal immigration, but this is not true, Johnston said. Rather, the church’s concern is for the human dignity of every person, regardless of where that person lives or how he or she arrived there, she said.

“They are human beings. Their dignity is of the utmost importance, so we cannot just leave them. They’re already here. As Christians, we have to be Christ to them, just like they are Christ to us. We have to love them,” Johnston said. “It’s not a political issue. This is a dignity issue.”

Catholic social teaching instructs Catholics to respect the dignity of every human life from conception to natural death and at every stage in between, she added. The diocesan Office of Pastoral Ministry offers a resource on its section of the diocesan website (https://bit.ly/MigrantRefugeeInfo) providing resources about relevant teachings of the Catholic Church, including documents and prayers from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, as well as Bishop Salvatore R. Matano’s Jan. 30 letter to the faithful about immigration and Pope Francis’ writings on migration, Johnston said.

Rescinding of restrictions on raids at churches, schools sparks fear

The page also includes information on how best to support immigrants and refugees in light of recent policy changes. Among those changes was a Jan. 21 directive rescinding prior federal policy that restricted Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from making arrests at such sensitive locations as places of worship, schools, medical facilities and social-services establishments.

Following this change, fear of raids on churches and other formerly safe spaces soon began to percolate within the migrant community, Father Flores said. No such raids had been reported at diocesan facilities as of mid-March, yet fear of arrest has kept a number of farmworkers from attending Masses and ministry-sponsored activities, he said.

And in Rochester’s urban areas, similar fears have made some families — particularly those of Venezuelan descent — hesitant to send their children to school, Johnston said. Children are picking up on their parents’ stress, she added.

“They feel the fear of, ‘Oh my gosh, what if they take my mom and dad? Or are they going to take me?’ It’s causing a lot of trauma,” Johnston said.

The diocesan resource includes links to documents explaining individuals’ rights when speaking with law enforcement in different places and contexts. These resources are printable and available in several different languages.

Although government officials have claimed immigration agents are searching only for undocumented people who have criminal records, it’s easy for mistakes to be made and others to be caught up in that net, Johnston said. The way the administration has referred to migrants also has led to a dangerous public perception that all undocumented people are criminals, Father Flores added.

“This is not true. It could be possible that many people are going to react with discrimination and xenophobia,” he said.

‘Broken’ immigration system is in need of reform

Resources available on the diocesan website are not intended to stir up controversy, Johnston said, but rather to provide guidance and support, and to facilitate education and prayer. Acknowledging that members of the Catholic community have varying opinions on issues related to immigration, she said people on all sides can acknowledge that the current immigration system is broken and in need of reform, which the U.S. bishops have long advocated.

“Immigration reform will actually deal with both sides of the issue,” she said. “If there are people who don’t want illegal immigration, push for reform. If you want people to be treated better, then push for reform. … Address the issue instead of putting Band-Aids on it.”