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43 Catholic Democrats pledge migrant solidarity, invoke Leo XIV, Francis #Catholic More than 40 Catholic Democrats in the House of Representatives signed onto a statement of principles regarding immigration, which urged “solidarity” with migrants and cited Catholic social teaching and the visions of Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV to back up their positions.The statement comes as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) continues to speak out against indiscriminate mass deportations. Lawmakers are also negotiating an end to a partial government shutdown, which was spurred by debates about funding and potential reforms for immigration enforcement.“We feel called in solidarity to stand with immigrants — especially those who are poor, marginalized, or fleeing hardship — and to ensure they are treated with dignity, justice, and compassion,” the statement said.“As Catholics and elected officials, we believe that addressing long-standing inequities and expanding meaningful opportunities for immigrants is an essential part of our responsibility to community and to those most in need,” the lawmakers said.The statement was led by Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, and signed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, and 41 other Catholic Democrats. No Republicans signed onto the statement.The Catholic Democrats said their position is rooted in three principles of Catholic social teaching on immigration: that people have a right to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families, that nations have a right to regulate borders, and that all enforcement must be consistent with justice and mercy.In their statement, they said Jesus Christ “identifies with the migrant” when he says in Matthew 25:35: “I was … a stranger and you welcomed me.” They also cited Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Dilexi Te, commenting on migration, in which he said the Church knows that “in every rejected migrant, it is Christ himself who knocks at the door of the community.”They quoted Pope Francis’ 2019 message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, in which the former pontiff said the Church’s response to immigration can be summed up in four verbs: “welcome, protect, promote, and integrate.”The statement recognizes that regulations on immigration are legitimate, citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which teaches that “political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions.”“Catholic social teaching approaches migration with realism: It affirms the right of persons to seek safety and opportunity while recognizing the legitimate authority of nations to regulate their borders,” they said. “Sound immigration policy is ordered, humane, and sustainable, balancing solidarity with prudence in service of human dignity and the common good.”The Catholic Democrats said, however, that border enforcement “is never a license for cruelty, indifference, or dehumanization” but instead “must be governed by justice and mercy.” They accused Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of having “failed this moral standard.”“Their actions have separated families, removed law-abiding individuals from our communities, and, tragically, contributed to the deaths of detained migrants and citizens like Renee Good and Alex Pretti,” the statement read.The Catholic Democrats, in their statement, said their position on immigration is “guided by a living Catholic tradition that affirms the dignity of every human life.” Despite the USCCB having called “the threat of abortion” its “preeminent priority” in the 2024 election, the Democratic Party supports abortion access, identifying abortion as an essential component of health care.Negotiating ICE, CBP reformsThe signatories called on Congress to “bear the Church’s teachings in mind” when considering reforms to ICE and CBP, which are being negotiated.On Feb. 14, the government entered into a partial shutdown when Congress did not reach an agreement on funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which operates both ICE and CBP.Many Democrats are proposing reforms that would restrict immigration enforcement as a condition of approving funds. Some have gone further, calling for the abolition of ICE altogether.Catholic administration officials have rejected the Democrats’ characterization that immigration enforcement has violated the human dignity of migrants.In December 2025, border czar Tom Homan told EWTN News that “we treat everybody with dignity.” He said “the most humane thing you can do is enforce the law, secure the border, because it saves lives” and asserted that the administration targets criminals and cited its work to combat fentanyl and sex trafficking.Nathaniel Madden, principal deputy assistant secretary for communications at DHS, told EWTN News in November 2025 that detainees “are going to be treated like a person, and your dignity is going to be respected.” He said dignity and immigration enforcement are compatible and “we have to take into account that laws were broken.”In January, U.S. citizens Pretti and Good were both shot and killed by federal immigration officers in separate incidents in Minneapolis.In November 2025, the USCCB issued a special message that opposed “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people” and called for an end to “dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement.” The message was approved by a vote of 216-5.
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43 Catholic Democrats pledge migrant solidarity, invoke Leo XIV, Francis #Catholic More than 40 Catholic Democrats in the House of Representatives signed onto a statement of principles regarding immigration, which urged “solidarity” with migrants and cited Catholic social teaching and the visions of Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV to back up their positions.The statement comes as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) continues to speak out against indiscriminate mass deportations. Lawmakers are also negotiating an end to a partial government shutdown, which was spurred by debates about funding and potential reforms for immigration enforcement.“We feel called in solidarity to stand with immigrants — especially those who are poor, marginalized, or fleeing hardship — and to ensure they are treated with dignity, justice, and compassion,” the statement said.“As Catholics and elected officials, we believe that addressing long-standing inequities and expanding meaningful opportunities for immigrants is an essential part of our responsibility to community and to those most in need,” the lawmakers said.The statement was led by Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, and signed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, and 41 other Catholic Democrats. No Republicans signed onto the statement.The Catholic Democrats said their position is rooted in three principles of Catholic social teaching on immigration: that people have a right to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families, that nations have a right to regulate borders, and that all enforcement must be consistent with justice and mercy.In their statement, they said Jesus Christ “identifies with the migrant” when he says in Matthew 25:35: “I was … a stranger and you welcomed me.” They also cited Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Dilexi Te, commenting on migration, in which he said the Church knows that “in every rejected migrant, it is Christ himself who knocks at the door of the community.”They quoted Pope Francis’ 2019 message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, in which the former pontiff said the Church’s response to immigration can be summed up in four verbs: “welcome, protect, promote, and integrate.”The statement recognizes that regulations on immigration are legitimate, citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which teaches that “political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions.”“Catholic social teaching approaches migration with realism: It affirms the right of persons to seek safety and opportunity while recognizing the legitimate authority of nations to regulate their borders,” they said. “Sound immigration policy is ordered, humane, and sustainable, balancing solidarity with prudence in service of human dignity and the common good.”The Catholic Democrats said, however, that border enforcement “is never a license for cruelty, indifference, or dehumanization” but instead “must be governed by justice and mercy.” They accused Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of having “failed this moral standard.”“Their actions have separated families, removed law-abiding individuals from our communities, and, tragically, contributed to the deaths of detained migrants and citizens like Renee Good and Alex Pretti,” the statement read.The Catholic Democrats, in their statement, said their position on immigration is “guided by a living Catholic tradition that affirms the dignity of every human life.” Despite the USCCB having called “the threat of abortion” its “preeminent priority” in the 2024 election, the Democratic Party supports abortion access, identifying abortion as an essential component of health care.Negotiating ICE, CBP reformsThe signatories called on Congress to “bear the Church’s teachings in mind” when considering reforms to ICE and CBP, which are being negotiated.On Feb. 14, the government entered into a partial shutdown when Congress did not reach an agreement on funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which operates both ICE and CBP.Many Democrats are proposing reforms that would restrict immigration enforcement as a condition of approving funds. Some have gone further, calling for the abolition of ICE altogether.Catholic administration officials have rejected the Democrats’ characterization that immigration enforcement has violated the human dignity of migrants.In December 2025, border czar Tom Homan told EWTN News that “we treat everybody with dignity.” He said “the most humane thing you can do is enforce the law, secure the border, because it saves lives” and asserted that the administration targets criminals and cited its work to combat fentanyl and sex trafficking.Nathaniel Madden, principal deputy assistant secretary for communications at DHS, told EWTN News in November 2025 that detainees “are going to be treated like a person, and your dignity is going to be respected.” He said dignity and immigration enforcement are compatible and “we have to take into account that laws were broken.”In January, U.S. citizens Pretti and Good were both shot and killed by federal immigration officers in separate incidents in Minneapolis.In November 2025, the USCCB issued a special message that opposed “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people” and called for an end to “dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement.” The message was approved by a vote of 216-5.

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Catholic U.S. House Democrats cited Church teaching in defense of the dignity of migrants as Trump administration officials defend immigration enforcement.

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Lawmakers urge White House to restore visas for international adoptions #Catholic Lawmakers are urging the Trump administration to offer government exceptions for international adoption visas so that children can be united with their adoptive families and “welcomed into safe and stable homes.”U.S. Sens. Kevin Cramer and Amy Klobuchar, along with U.S. Reps. Robert Aderholt and Danny Davis, asked the Department of State to restore a “categorical exemption for adoption visas,” one that was suspended in December 2025 amid government travel restrictions on certain countries.The suspension of the visas “has introduced uncertainty for children and American parents who have waited years for their adoptions to be completed and were preparing to bring their children home,” the lawmakers said.The letter cited Department of State guidance from 2025 that acknowledged that adoption “involves children in need — some in urgent need — of a loving, permanent home and family.”In that guidance the State Department acknowledged the need to “vigorously engage at both the policy and case levels to protect the interests of all parties involved.”“We strongly urge you to advocate for the restoration of the categorical exemption for adoption visas,” the lawmakers said, calling on the department to “move expeditiously to address this situation to ensure these children are united with their adoptive parents.”Difficulty of international adoption changes with governmentsKatie Dillon, a spokeswoman for Commonwealth Catholic Charities in Virginia, said international adoptions “typically follow clear, predictable steps,” though she said the process is “lengthy.”Like many Catholic charity groups, Commonwealth Catholic Charities offers adoptive families a variety of resources and services to facilitate in both domestic and international adoptions. Dillon said the Virginia group “acts as the home study provider and post-placement agency” for families seeking to adopt from other countries.Such adoptions “can be a difficult process that ebbs and flows with global policy shifts,” she said. “It can be a challenging process for families to navigate.”“Families interested in international adoption work with an in-state agency like Commonwealth Catholic Charities to complete their home study and an international agency to help with the placement of the child,” she said.Child placement agencies must be accredited by the Hague Adoption Convention of 1993, an international accord that established protections for children in international adoptions. Such agencies “have programs in certain countries to legally assist a family in the adoption of a child from that country,” Dillon said.Though there are numerous resources that prospective adoptive families can utilize to help them in their journey, Dillon said international adoption “is often a long process that can take upwards of three or four years.” Some countries can require parents to reside in the country in question for anywhere from several months to a year, she said.Amid the uncertainty at the federal level, Dillon stressed that the difficult process is at times upended by elections in which government rules can shift without warning.“Parents who are considering international adoption should be aware that adoption policies can change abruptly with changes in government leadership,” she said. “There are no guarantees.”
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Lawmakers urge White House to restore visas for international adoptions #Catholic Lawmakers are urging the Trump administration to offer government exceptions for international adoption visas so that children can be united with their adoptive families and “welcomed into safe and stable homes.”U.S. Sens. Kevin Cramer and Amy Klobuchar, along with U.S. Reps. Robert Aderholt and Danny Davis, asked the Department of State to restore a “categorical exemption for adoption visas,” one that was suspended in December 2025 amid government travel restrictions on certain countries.The suspension of the visas “has introduced uncertainty for children and American parents who have waited years for their adoptions to be completed and were preparing to bring their children home,” the lawmakers said.The letter cited Department of State guidance from 2025 that acknowledged that adoption “involves children in need — some in urgent need — of a loving, permanent home and family.”In that guidance the State Department acknowledged the need to “vigorously engage at both the policy and case levels to protect the interests of all parties involved.”“We strongly urge you to advocate for the restoration of the categorical exemption for adoption visas,” the lawmakers said, calling on the department to “move expeditiously to address this situation to ensure these children are united with their adoptive parents.”Difficulty of international adoption changes with governmentsKatie Dillon, a spokeswoman for Commonwealth Catholic Charities in Virginia, said international adoptions “typically follow clear, predictable steps,” though she said the process is “lengthy.”Like many Catholic charity groups, Commonwealth Catholic Charities offers adoptive families a variety of resources and services to facilitate in both domestic and international adoptions. Dillon said the Virginia group “acts as the home study provider and post-placement agency” for families seeking to adopt from other countries.Such adoptions “can be a difficult process that ebbs and flows with global policy shifts,” she said. “It can be a challenging process for families to navigate.”“Families interested in international adoption work with an in-state agency like Commonwealth Catholic Charities to complete their home study and an international agency to help with the placement of the child,” she said.Child placement agencies must be accredited by the Hague Adoption Convention of 1993, an international accord that established protections for children in international adoptions. Such agencies “have programs in certain countries to legally assist a family in the adoption of a child from that country,” Dillon said.Though there are numerous resources that prospective adoptive families can utilize to help them in their journey, Dillon said international adoption “is often a long process that can take upwards of three or four years.” Some countries can require parents to reside in the country in question for anywhere from several months to a year, she said.Amid the uncertainty at the federal level, Dillon stressed that the difficult process is at times upended by elections in which government rules can shift without warning.“Parents who are considering international adoption should be aware that adoption policies can change abruptly with changes in government leadership,” she said. “There are no guarantees.”

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“Adoption visas are not guaranteed” amid a travel freeze, said lawmakers who have asked the State Department to restore a “categorical exemption for adoption visas.”

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U.S. clergy celebrate Masses in detention centers, urging humane treatment #Catholic U.S. Catholic clergy are bringing the sacraments to the nation’s immigrant detention centers, celebrating Masses and urging humane treatment for those held inside. As part of this effort, pastoral visits are aimed at ensuring detainees can access the Eucharist and receive spiritual support.In California, Bishop Joseph Brennan of the Diocese of Fresno is set to celebrate Mass on Feb. 15 at the California City Detention Facility, the state’s largest ICE center. While the diocese regularly provides sacraments in prisons and detention sites, this will be Brennan’s first Mass inside an ICE facility.In Oregon, Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland issued a Feb. 12 statement stressing the Church’s duty to safeguard detainees’ access to the sacraments and voicing concern about large‑scale deportations. “I just feel very strongly about this, that there has to be a better solution to solving the immigration problems we have in the United States,” he said.In December 2025, seven bishops celebrated Mass at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California.Chandler Marquez, director of public affairs and innovation at the Fresno Diocese, told EWTN News that there are “people who are in the facility [who] want the sacrament — they want the spiritual accompaniment,” which they are not able to access as frequently while in detention.Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Brian Nunes and Father Kris Sorenson, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in California City, will join for the Mass.With President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts still ongoing, Marquez said “the current climate has certainly motivated” Brennan’s decision to celebrate Mass at the facility. He said the bishop has been “vocal about the promotion of human dignity” for migrants.In January 2025, Brennan issued an open letter on “immigration challenges,” in which he said “it seemed as if we took a step back as a society, and the old days of immigration sweeps were upon us once again” when he saw the uptick of immigration enforcement within his diocese.“Our people are being asked to produce proof of citizenship, and it seems as if the request is based on how they look and how they speak,” he said at the time. “That is not, by way of example, going after hardened criminals or drug dealers which, I hope, none of us would take exception to. It is going after people who, rightly or wrongly, were allowed to cross a border and who are now being subjected to tactics that are causing much fear and anxiety among my people. It is an insult to human dignity, and it is simply wrong.” Bishop Joseph V. Brennan of Fresno, California. | Credit: Screenshot of Diocese of Fresno YouTube video Marquez noted the diocese has the largest detention facility and the “largest amount of prisons and detention centers” in the state, which is why the ministry at prisons and detention centers is “a very, very big part of our diocese.”“Our chaplains have a great relationship with the prisons and detention centers within our dioceses,” he said, adding that the diocese has not run into problems gaining access to the facilities to provide religious services.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which operates ICE, said it encourages clergy to request accommodations for religious services at long-term ICE detention centers.Catholic clergy ran into obstacles several times last year when trying to administer sacraments at an ICE field office in Broadview, Illinois, where detainees are processed. A federal judge said Feb. 12 that DHS must provide accommodations to ensure Catholic clergy could provide ashes and Communion for detainees on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18.
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U.S. clergy celebrate Masses in detention centers, urging humane treatment #Catholic U.S. Catholic clergy are bringing the sacraments to the nation’s immigrant detention centers, celebrating Masses and urging humane treatment for those held inside. As part of this effort, pastoral visits are aimed at ensuring detainees can access the Eucharist and receive spiritual support.In California, Bishop Joseph Brennan of the Diocese of Fresno is set to celebrate Mass on Feb. 15 at the California City Detention Facility, the state’s largest ICE center. While the diocese regularly provides sacraments in prisons and detention sites, this will be Brennan’s first Mass inside an ICE facility.In Oregon, Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland issued a Feb. 12 statement stressing the Church’s duty to safeguard detainees’ access to the sacraments and voicing concern about large‑scale deportations. “I just feel very strongly about this, that there has to be a better solution to solving the immigration problems we have in the United States,” he said.In December 2025, seven bishops celebrated Mass at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California.Chandler Marquez, director of public affairs and innovation at the Fresno Diocese, told EWTN News that there are “people who are in the facility [who] want the sacrament — they want the spiritual accompaniment,” which they are not able to access as frequently while in detention.Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Brian Nunes and Father Kris Sorenson, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in California City, will join for the Mass.With President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts still ongoing, Marquez said “the current climate has certainly motivated” Brennan’s decision to celebrate Mass at the facility. He said the bishop has been “vocal about the promotion of human dignity” for migrants.In January 2025, Brennan issued an open letter on “immigration challenges,” in which he said “it seemed as if we took a step back as a society, and the old days of immigration sweeps were upon us once again” when he saw the uptick of immigration enforcement within his diocese.“Our people are being asked to produce proof of citizenship, and it seems as if the request is based on how they look and how they speak,” he said at the time. “That is not, by way of example, going after hardened criminals or drug dealers which, I hope, none of us would take exception to. It is going after people who, rightly or wrongly, were allowed to cross a border and who are now being subjected to tactics that are causing much fear and anxiety among my people. It is an insult to human dignity, and it is simply wrong.” Bishop Joseph V. Brennan of Fresno, California. | Credit: Screenshot of Diocese of Fresno YouTube video Marquez noted the diocese has the largest detention facility and the “largest amount of prisons and detention centers” in the state, which is why the ministry at prisons and detention centers is “a very, very big part of our diocese.”“Our chaplains have a great relationship with the prisons and detention centers within our dioceses,” he said, adding that the diocese has not run into problems gaining access to the facilities to provide religious services.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which operates ICE, said it encourages clergy to request accommodations for religious services at long-term ICE detention centers.Catholic clergy ran into obstacles several times last year when trying to administer sacraments at an ICE field office in Broadview, Illinois, where detainees are processed. A federal judge said Feb. 12 that DHS must provide accommodations to ensure Catholic clergy could provide ashes and Communion for detainees on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18.

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Archbishop Alexander Sample issued a statement stressing the Church’s duty to safeguard detainees’ access to the sacraments.

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U.S. Religious Liberty commissioner booted from post #Catholic Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced that Carrie Prejean Boller has been removed from President Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission.“No member of the commission has the right to hijack a hearing for their own personal and political agenda on any issue,” said Patrick, who serves as chair of the commission, in a post on X. “This is clearly, without question, what happened Monday in our hearing on antisemitism in America.”“This was my decision,” he added.Boller, a Catholic who is former Miss California USA, sparked a debate Feb. 9 among fellow commissioners and panelists at a hearing focused on the topic of on antisemitism when she said her Catholic faith prevents her from embracing Zionism and repeatedly pressed Jewish panelists on whether her views made her an antisemite.The Church recognizes Israel’s fundamental right to exist and universally condemns antisemitism. Catholic teaching does not explicitly oppose Zionism, the movement supporting Jewish self‑determination in a homeland in Israel. Israel is seen as God’s chosen people through whom God revealed himself and prepared the way for the coming of Jesus Christ.TweetPatrick praised the work of the commission, which has held five hearings and has two more scheduled. He described testimonies that have been shared with the commission as “both illuminating and heartbreaking.”He said: “This spring, the commission will deliver one of the most important reports in American history directly to the president.”The commission is a federal advisory panel created in May 2025 under the Trump administration to provide guidance to the White House on protecting religious freedom in the United States. Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, are members. Former Miss California USA, Carrie Prejean Boller, attends a press conference at Trump Tower on May 12, 2009. Boller was removed from President Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission Feb. 11, 2026. | Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images Boller told EWTN News after the hearing that members of the commission asked her to resign a few months ago but that she refused. She also said several members asked to meet with her before the Feb. 9 hearing to discourage her from making her planned remarks. “They were seeing what I was going to say in the hearing, trying to silence me,” she said. “I told them I won’t be silenced.”Boller did not immediately respond to a request for comment about her removal from the panel.
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U.S. Religious Liberty commissioner booted from post #Catholic Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced that Carrie Prejean Boller has been removed from President Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission.“No member of the commission has the right to hijack a hearing for their own personal and political agenda on any issue,” said Patrick, who serves as chair of the commission, in a post on X. “This is clearly, without question, what happened Monday in our hearing on antisemitism in America.”“This was my decision,” he added.Boller, a Catholic who is former Miss California USA, sparked a debate Feb. 9 among fellow commissioners and panelists at a hearing focused on the topic of on antisemitism when she said her Catholic faith prevents her from embracing Zionism and repeatedly pressed Jewish panelists on whether her views made her an antisemite.The Church recognizes Israel’s fundamental right to exist and universally condemns antisemitism. Catholic teaching does not explicitly oppose Zionism, the movement supporting Jewish self‑determination in a homeland in Israel. Israel is seen as God’s chosen people through whom God revealed himself and prepared the way for the coming of Jesus Christ.TweetPatrick praised the work of the commission, which has held five hearings and has two more scheduled. He described testimonies that have been shared with the commission as “both illuminating and heartbreaking.”He said: “This spring, the commission will deliver one of the most important reports in American history directly to the president.”The commission is a federal advisory panel created in May 2025 under the Trump administration to provide guidance to the White House on protecting religious freedom in the United States. Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, are members. Former Miss California USA, Carrie Prejean Boller, attends a press conference at Trump Tower on May 12, 2009. Boller was removed from President Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission Feb. 11, 2026. | Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images Boller told EWTN News after the hearing that members of the commission asked her to resign a few months ago but that she refused. She also said several members asked to meet with her before the Feb. 9 hearing to discourage her from making her planned remarks. “They were seeing what I was going to say in the hearing, trying to silence me,” she said. “I told them I won’t be silenced.”Boller did not immediately respond to a request for comment about her removal from the panel.

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Former Miss California Carrie Prejean Boller has been removed from President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission.

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Democratic lawmaker asks ICE director if he’s ‘going to hell’ in fiery hearing #Catholic A Democratic lawmaker asked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons whether he believes he is “going to hell” in a contentious hearing with the House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday, Feb. 10.Lyons — along with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow and Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott — testified before the committee as Congress negotiates potential reforms and funding for the agencies.On Feb. 3, Congress voted to extend funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which operates the three agencies, until Feb. 13 to end a four-day partial government shutdown. A deal has not yet been reached to extend funding further.At the hearing, Democratic lawmakers accused ICE of terrorizing the streets, using excessive force, and lacking accountability. Republicans defended ICE and rebuked Democratic officials in certain states for refusing to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.One of the fiercest exchanges came from Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-New Jersey, who praised protesters for “peacefully rejecting your cruel agenda in the streets.” She said ICE believes it is “the highest power who decides which people deserve dignity, protection, and due process” and said “you are wrong [and] we are here for answers.”“How do you think judgment day will work for you, with so much blood on your hands?” McIver asked Lyons, to which he responded that he would not entertain the question.“Do you think you’re going to hell?” she followed up, before being chastised by Committee Chair Andrew Garbarino, R-New York, who told her to avoid personal attacks on witnesses and maintain decorum.McIver said “you guys are always talking about religion here, and the Bible.” She changed the subject slightly and asked Lyons whether he could name agencies that “routinely kill American citizens and still get funding,” which he also said was a question he was “not going to entertain.”“Once again, questions that you cannot answer and that is exactly why … we should not be funding this agency,” McIver said. “The people are watching you; they are watching you. And this is why we need to abolish ICE.”Lawmakers debate ICE operations, future of agencyThe killings of two American citizens at ICE protests — Renée Good and Alex Pretti — were a focal point of the hearing, and two examples that Democrats used to accuse ICE of excessive force and lacking accountability.Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-California, referenced both killings and criticized DHS Secretary Kristi Noem for referring to those who died as “domestic terrorists.” He asked Lyons whether he would apologize to the families or reject that characterization.Lyons said he would not comment on an ongoing investigation but would welcome a private conversation with the families.Democrats are split on whether to reform ICE or abolish it altogether.Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-Rhode Island, brought up instances in which he believes ICE used excessive force and suggested reforms are necessary before Congress awards funding.“It’s not just the actions of the agents in the field,” he said. “It is the lack of accountability from the top that has caused public trust to erode, and there needs to be major reforms before we vote to give any of you any more funding.”Alternatively, Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Illinois, called for abolishing ICE and the entire DHS, which Congress formed to address terrorism threats after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Ramirez said DHS was created to “violate our rights under the pretense of securing our safety.”“I’m going to say it loud and clear and I’m proud to stand by what I say,” she said. “DHS cannot be reformed. It must be dismantled and something new must take its place.”Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, commented during the hearing that Democratic lawmakers “have called to abolish ICE [and] now they’re trying to shut it down” amid the negotiations and discussion during the hearing.He criticized the lack of coordination from Democratic-led “sanctuary” states and cities, which do not cooperate with ICE, saying the policies in Minneapolis “created a perfect storm for our officers being thrown into this situation.”Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, similarly expressed concern about ICE funding moving forward, based on the debates between the two parties.“It seems like one side of the aisle is in favor of open borders and wants to abolish ICE … and the other side of the aisle wants to enforce laws that are on the books,” he said.During the question and answer, Lyons expressed worry about the rhetoric from Democrats and noted that threats and assaults against ICE agents are on the rise. He said agents are trying to “keep America safe, restore order to our communities, [and] return the rule of law to this country.”“Those who illegally enter our country must be held accountable,” he said.Scott also showed concerns about the ongoing debate and expressed hope that DHS could receive support from both Republicans and Democrats.“I believe consistency and seeing support from the leadership on both sides of this building and the president is very important for our security,” he said. “I think the rhetoric and the … politicizing of law enforcement in general detracts from the general morale of our personnel.”Andrew Arthur, a resident fellow in law and policy at the Center for Immigration Studies, told “EWTN News Nightly” that he sees “much of [the Democratic threats to halt funding] as political theater,” noting that ICE will continue to operate regardless of whether Congress passes the funding bill.He said Democrats hope to take away an issue that made Trump popular during the 2024 election “and turn it into a bad issue for Republicans” in the midterms.Arthur said there may be some shifts in ICE’s approach in Minneapolis now that Border Czar Tom Homan is involved in seeking the “cooperation of state and city governments” that have been “reluctant, if not hostile” to immigration enforcement over the past year.The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in November 2025 approved a special message with a 216-5 vote that declared opposition to “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.”Late last month, about 300 Catholic leaders — including 15 bishops — asked Congress to reject ICE funding if the legislation fails to include reforms that have protections for migrants.
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Democratic lawmaker asks ICE director if he’s ‘going to hell’ in fiery hearing #Catholic A Democratic lawmaker asked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons whether he believes he is “going to hell” in a contentious hearing with the House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday, Feb. 10.Lyons — along with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow and Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott — testified before the committee as Congress negotiates potential reforms and funding for the agencies.On Feb. 3, Congress voted to extend funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which operates the three agencies, until Feb. 13 to end a four-day partial government shutdown. A deal has not yet been reached to extend funding further.At the hearing, Democratic lawmakers accused ICE of terrorizing the streets, using excessive force, and lacking accountability. Republicans defended ICE and rebuked Democratic officials in certain states for refusing to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.One of the fiercest exchanges came from Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-New Jersey, who praised protesters for “peacefully rejecting your cruel agenda in the streets.” She said ICE believes it is “the highest power who decides which people deserve dignity, protection, and due process” and said “you are wrong [and] we are here for answers.”“How do you think judgment day will work for you, with so much blood on your hands?” McIver asked Lyons, to which he responded that he would not entertain the question.“Do you think you’re going to hell?” she followed up, before being chastised by Committee Chair Andrew Garbarino, R-New York, who told her to avoid personal attacks on witnesses and maintain decorum.McIver said “you guys are always talking about religion here, and the Bible.” She changed the subject slightly and asked Lyons whether he could name agencies that “routinely kill American citizens and still get funding,” which he also said was a question he was “not going to entertain.”“Once again, questions that you cannot answer and that is exactly why … we should not be funding this agency,” McIver said. “The people are watching you; they are watching you. And this is why we need to abolish ICE.”Lawmakers debate ICE operations, future of agencyThe killings of two American citizens at ICE protests — Renée Good and Alex Pretti — were a focal point of the hearing, and two examples that Democrats used to accuse ICE of excessive force and lacking accountability.Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-California, referenced both killings and criticized DHS Secretary Kristi Noem for referring to those who died as “domestic terrorists.” He asked Lyons whether he would apologize to the families or reject that characterization.Lyons said he would not comment on an ongoing investigation but would welcome a private conversation with the families.Democrats are split on whether to reform ICE or abolish it altogether.Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-Rhode Island, brought up instances in which he believes ICE used excessive force and suggested reforms are necessary before Congress awards funding.“It’s not just the actions of the agents in the field,” he said. “It is the lack of accountability from the top that has caused public trust to erode, and there needs to be major reforms before we vote to give any of you any more funding.”Alternatively, Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Illinois, called for abolishing ICE and the entire DHS, which Congress formed to address terrorism threats after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Ramirez said DHS was created to “violate our rights under the pretense of securing our safety.”“I’m going to say it loud and clear and I’m proud to stand by what I say,” she said. “DHS cannot be reformed. It must be dismantled and something new must take its place.”Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, commented during the hearing that Democratic lawmakers “have called to abolish ICE [and] now they’re trying to shut it down” amid the negotiations and discussion during the hearing.He criticized the lack of coordination from Democratic-led “sanctuary” states and cities, which do not cooperate with ICE, saying the policies in Minneapolis “created a perfect storm for our officers being thrown into this situation.”Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, similarly expressed concern about ICE funding moving forward, based on the debates between the two parties.“It seems like one side of the aisle is in favor of open borders and wants to abolish ICE … and the other side of the aisle wants to enforce laws that are on the books,” he said.During the question and answer, Lyons expressed worry about the rhetoric from Democrats and noted that threats and assaults against ICE agents are on the rise. He said agents are trying to “keep America safe, restore order to our communities, [and] return the rule of law to this country.”“Those who illegally enter our country must be held accountable,” he said.Scott also showed concerns about the ongoing debate and expressed hope that DHS could receive support from both Republicans and Democrats.“I believe consistency and seeing support from the leadership on both sides of this building and the president is very important for our security,” he said. “I think the rhetoric and the … politicizing of law enforcement in general detracts from the general morale of our personnel.”Andrew Arthur, a resident fellow in law and policy at the Center for Immigration Studies, told “EWTN News Nightly” that he sees “much of [the Democratic threats to halt funding] as political theater,” noting that ICE will continue to operate regardless of whether Congress passes the funding bill.He said Democrats hope to take away an issue that made Trump popular during the 2024 election “and turn it into a bad issue for Republicans” in the midterms.Arthur said there may be some shifts in ICE’s approach in Minneapolis now that Border Czar Tom Homan is involved in seeking the “cooperation of state and city governments” that have been “reluctant, if not hostile” to immigration enforcement over the past year.The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in November 2025 approved a special message with a 216-5 vote that declared opposition to “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.”Late last month, about 300 Catholic leaders — including 15 bishops — asked Congress to reject ICE funding if the legislation fails to include reforms that have protections for migrants.

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Top U.S. immigration officials defended their policies during a contentious hearing as lawmakers continue to negotiate potential ICE funding and reforms.

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Catholic digital assets company about to mint its first stablecoin #Catholic On March 15, a Catholic digital assets company known as Crescite Innovation Corporation will mint its first stablecoin, called Catholic USD.Stablecoins such as Catholic USD are a type of digital asset that is backed by and will have a 1-to-1 value equivalence with the U.S. dollar (and are not to be confused with cryptocurrencies like bitcoin).Catholic USDs can be used to make purchases from or donations to Catholic organizations the same way they would with any other payment method stored in smartphone wallets.Donations and other financial transactions can take place all over the world and will be nearly instantaneous, fee-free, and secure, thanks to blockchain technology, Eddie Cullen, co-founder of Crescite, told EWTN News.With blockchain technology, which has enabled the development of unregulated cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and regulated digital assets such as stablecoins, traditional banks are no longer required to transfer or store money because all transactions are transparent and verifiable through the blockchain, which securely links together “blocks” of digital records.“Traditional banks are like Blockbuster video, and digital assets are like the streaming services we all use today,” Cullen said.“People will no longer need traditional banks, thanks to this new technology,” he continued.Cullen and his co-founder, Karl Kilb III, started Crescite “because we love the Church,” Cullen said. “We want Catholics to be at the forefront of this new technology, and we’re using it to enable greater access to resources for people and to do good.”“The only difference between us and banks is that they take your money and leverage it to make a profit,” Cullen said. “What we’re doing is we’re taking that leverage, and we’re giving it away to Catholic institutions and causes.”“We created Crescite to be at the intersection of faith and technology, using innovation to help those in need, and society as a whole,” Kilb said. “The Catholic community is global, with numerous organizations, projects, and causes that need sustainable, transparent funding, and we are leveraging blockchain technology to build such an ecosystem.”When a person buys Catholic USD, Crescite will invest that money in vehicles including U.S. Treasury bonds and will put 100% of that yield into a charity fund known as the Catholic Global Mercy Trust.The trust will fund Catholic poverty relief efforts, hospitals, schools, and other causes all over the world.“When we look at our work, it’s really a Catholic digital asset ecosystem,” Cullen said. “We have our stablecoin, and we are going to build upon that.”The money Crescite takes in through the sale of Catholic USD will be custodied, or held, in a digital wallet by a financial technology company known as BitGo, which in January completed its initial public offering (IPO) and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange. It is also chartered under U.S. law and authorized by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. BitGo is “the platform that’s issuing the stablecoin,” Cullen said. It and Crescite will have no intermingled investments.The funds Crescite holds are also insured.“Crescite” means to increase or grow in Latin. Cullen said he and Kilb, who co-own the company and founded it together in 2021, chose the name after reflecting on the effects of God’s touch on man-made things, as portrayed in the image of God’s hand touching Adam’s in Michaelangelo’s famous painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.Cullen said the name also refers to Genesis 1:28, when God tells Adam to “Be fruitful (increase) and multiply.”Bitcoin, the first cryptocurrencyThe first cryptocurrency, which is very different from the stablecoin Crescite is issuing, was bitcoin, which came out in 2009 and whose inventor or inventors, known as Satoshi Nakamoto, is/are still unknown.Bitcoin emerged as “pushback” to the 2008 financial crisis, according to The Catholic University of America Busch School of Business Professor Kevin May, who told EWTN News that consumers wanted something more “sound and reliable” than our current financial system after the crisis.Bitcoin is decentralized and is the only true “open source” cryptocurrency, according to May.Bitcoin’s inventors no longer had “trust in the current financial system,” where “the banks and bankers took bets; when they were right they privatized all the gains, and when they were wrong, they got bailed out and rebought their own shares,” May said. “Hardly any of them got in trouble” while the financial markets and consumers paid for their actions.The value of bitcoin has gone from several pennies at its initial launch to a high of 6,000 in October 2025. Currently, one bitcoin is valued at about ,000.Exchanges now exist where people can buy and sell bitcoin. There are even bitcoin-linked credit cards.Bitcoin, however, is a true cryptocurrency in that it is not insured or backed by any currency, and it is not regulated by the federal government, meaning it could collapse at any moment and investors could lose their money.A benefit of a cryptocurrency like bitcoin, according to May, is that it can “bank the unbanked, especially in societies where you cannot trust the leadership.”He used the example of a coffee farmer in Uganda who could trade in bitcoin and essentially have “his own bank on his cellphone,” without having to deal with a corrupt or inefficient system.The difference between ‘cryptocurrency’ and ‘digital assets’Digital assets like Catholic USD and cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin are alternatives to traditional financial institutions and government-backed currency made possible by blockchain technology.However, the terms “digital assets” and “cryptocurrency” mean different things: Digital assets refer to stablecoins as well as tokenized securities, commodities, and other digital representations of real-world assets that do not imply the unregulated, speculative trading or volatility inherent with bitcoin.Cullen explained that this is a major difference between bitcoin and stablecoins such as Catholic USD, which is actually backed by the U.S. dollar and will be regulated by the recently passed GENIUS Act, which is expected to increase the growth of and trust in stablecoins through clear regulatory rules.Other existing stablecoins include USD1, which, like Catholic USD, is also a U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin (designed to maintain a 1-to-1 value with the U.S. dollar).USD1 was launched in March 2025 by World Liberty Financial, a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform and cryptocurrency venture closely associated with President Donald Trump and his family, though disclaimers emphasize that the Trump family are not officers or directors and that the cryptocurrency is not politically affiliated or endorsed.A company called Tether Unlimited issued a stablecoin, USDT, which is the longest-running and largest U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin, launched in 2014 and with a market cap around 4 billion (as of early 2026). It holds roughly 60%-70% of the total stablecoin market share with 534 million users as of early this year.The GENIUS ActPassed with bipartisan support and signed into law by Trump in July 2025, the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act establishes a clear, regulatory framework that legitimizes payment stablecoins and digital asset infrastructure.It aims to preserve U.S. dollar leadership globally while allowing responsible private-sector innovation under defined guardrails.Under the act, qualified nonbank entities may issue payment stablecoins under federal or state supervision, while banks and affiliates may also participate. This dual pathway is intended to foster competition, reduce concentration risk, and avoid stifling innovation.Critics note the GENIUS Act does not fully address illicit finance risks in decentralized systems such as bitcoin, however.
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Catholic digital assets company about to mint its first stablecoin #Catholic On March 15, a Catholic digital assets company known as Crescite Innovation Corporation will mint its first stablecoin, called Catholic USD.Stablecoins such as Catholic USD are a type of digital asset that is backed by and will have a 1-to-1 value equivalence with the U.S. dollar (and are not to be confused with cryptocurrencies like bitcoin).Catholic USDs can be used to make purchases from or donations to Catholic organizations the same way they would with any other payment method stored in smartphone wallets.Donations and other financial transactions can take place all over the world and will be nearly instantaneous, fee-free, and secure, thanks to blockchain technology, Eddie Cullen, co-founder of Crescite, told EWTN News.With blockchain technology, which has enabled the development of unregulated cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and regulated digital assets such as stablecoins, traditional banks are no longer required to transfer or store money because all transactions are transparent and verifiable through the blockchain, which securely links together “blocks” of digital records.“Traditional banks are like Blockbuster video, and digital assets are like the streaming services we all use today,” Cullen said.“People will no longer need traditional banks, thanks to this new technology,” he continued.Cullen and his co-founder, Karl Kilb III, started Crescite “because we love the Church,” Cullen said. “We want Catholics to be at the forefront of this new technology, and we’re using it to enable greater access to resources for people and to do good.”“The only difference between us and banks is that they take your money and leverage it to make a profit,” Cullen said. “What we’re doing is we’re taking that leverage, and we’re giving it away to Catholic institutions and causes.”“We created Crescite to be at the intersection of faith and technology, using innovation to help those in need, and society as a whole,” Kilb said. “The Catholic community is global, with numerous organizations, projects, and causes that need sustainable, transparent funding, and we are leveraging blockchain technology to build such an ecosystem.”When a person buys Catholic USD, Crescite will invest that money in vehicles including U.S. Treasury bonds and will put 100% of that yield into a charity fund known as the Catholic Global Mercy Trust.The trust will fund Catholic poverty relief efforts, hospitals, schools, and other causes all over the world.“When we look at our work, it’s really a Catholic digital asset ecosystem,” Cullen said. “We have our stablecoin, and we are going to build upon that.”The money Crescite takes in through the sale of Catholic USD will be custodied, or held, in a digital wallet by a financial technology company known as BitGo, which in January completed its initial public offering (IPO) and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange. It is also chartered under U.S. law and authorized by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. BitGo is “the platform that’s issuing the stablecoin,” Cullen said. It and Crescite will have no intermingled investments.The funds Crescite holds are also insured.“Crescite” means to increase or grow in Latin. Cullen said he and Kilb, who co-own the company and founded it together in 2021, chose the name after reflecting on the effects of God’s touch on man-made things, as portrayed in the image of God’s hand touching Adam’s in Michaelangelo’s famous painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.Cullen said the name also refers to Genesis 1:28, when God tells Adam to “Be fruitful (increase) and multiply.”Bitcoin, the first cryptocurrencyThe first cryptocurrency, which is very different from the stablecoin Crescite is issuing, was bitcoin, which came out in 2009 and whose inventor or inventors, known as Satoshi Nakamoto, is/are still unknown.Bitcoin emerged as “pushback” to the 2008 financial crisis, according to The Catholic University of America Busch School of Business Professor Kevin May, who told EWTN News that consumers wanted something more “sound and reliable” than our current financial system after the crisis.Bitcoin is decentralized and is the only true “open source” cryptocurrency, according to May.Bitcoin’s inventors no longer had “trust in the current financial system,” where “the banks and bankers took bets; when they were right they privatized all the gains, and when they were wrong, they got bailed out and rebought their own shares,” May said. “Hardly any of them got in trouble” while the financial markets and consumers paid for their actions.The value of bitcoin has gone from several pennies at its initial launch to a high of $126,000 in October 2025. Currently, one bitcoin is valued at about $70,000.Exchanges now exist where people can buy and sell bitcoin. There are even bitcoin-linked credit cards.Bitcoin, however, is a true cryptocurrency in that it is not insured or backed by any currency, and it is not regulated by the federal government, meaning it could collapse at any moment and investors could lose their money.A benefit of a cryptocurrency like bitcoin, according to May, is that it can “bank the unbanked, especially in societies where you cannot trust the leadership.”He used the example of a coffee farmer in Uganda who could trade in bitcoin and essentially have “his own bank on his cellphone,” without having to deal with a corrupt or inefficient system.The difference between ‘cryptocurrency’ and ‘digital assets’Digital assets like Catholic USD and cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin are alternatives to traditional financial institutions and government-backed currency made possible by blockchain technology.However, the terms “digital assets” and “cryptocurrency” mean different things: Digital assets refer to stablecoins as well as tokenized securities, commodities, and other digital representations of real-world assets that do not imply the unregulated, speculative trading or volatility inherent with bitcoin.Cullen explained that this is a major difference between bitcoin and stablecoins such as Catholic USD, which is actually backed by the U.S. dollar and will be regulated by the recently passed GENIUS Act, which is expected to increase the growth of and trust in stablecoins through clear regulatory rules.Other existing stablecoins include USD1, which, like Catholic USD, is also a U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin (designed to maintain a 1-to-1 value with the U.S. dollar).USD1 was launched in March 2025 by World Liberty Financial, a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform and cryptocurrency venture closely associated with President Donald Trump and his family, though disclaimers emphasize that the Trump family are not officers or directors and that the cryptocurrency is not politically affiliated or endorsed.A company called Tether Unlimited issued a stablecoin, USDT, which is the longest-running and largest U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin, launched in 2014 and with a market cap around $184 billion (as of early 2026). It holds roughly 60%-70% of the total stablecoin market share with 534 million users as of early this year.The GENIUS ActPassed with bipartisan support and signed into law by Trump in July 2025, the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act establishes a clear, regulatory framework that legitimizes payment stablecoins and digital asset infrastructure.It aims to preserve U.S. dollar leadership globally while allowing responsible private-sector innovation under defined guardrails.Under the act, qualified nonbank entities may issue payment stablecoins under federal or state supervision, while banks and affiliates may also participate. This dual pathway is intended to foster competition, reduce concentration risk, and avoid stifling innovation.Critics note the GENIUS Act does not fully address illicit finance risks in decentralized systems such as bitcoin, however.

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Catholic entrepreneurs Eddie Cullen and Karl Kilb want to use new financial technologies to benefit the Catholic Church and its charitable work.

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U.S., Hungarian thought leaders share ethical concerns over mass migration #Catholic “The Crisis of Migration for Families and Nations” was the subject of a Feb. 4 symposium that brought together American and Hungarian thought leaders who share concerns about the phenomenon of mass migration and its impact on the common good of their respective nations. The event coincided with the release of a new paper titled “Migration and Ethics: The Axioms of a Christian Migration Policy” by the Budapest-based Axioma Center, a Christian think tank. The Catholic University of America’s Chad Pecknold (left) endorses the Hungarian think tank’s approach to Christian migration policy. | Credit: Ken Oliver-Méndez/EWTN News The paper, which was endorsed by Chad Pecknold, associate professor of systematic theology at The Catholic University of America, notes that “the Christian perspective on immigration has historically emphasized compassion and solidarity with refugees, along with a welcoming attitude towards foreigners.”However, the paper continues, the Christian perspective on immigration “also calls for a prudent balance between these values and the legitimate responsibility of rulers to protect their people.” In this context, the paper explains, “national security, cultural and moral traditions, the rule of law, public order, and social cohesion are all essential components of what constitutes the common good.” In the face of illegal immigration, the authors assert that “mass deportations may be a legitimate response to mass migration.”At the event, Samuel Samson, a senior adviser at the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, said he does not see large-scale migration as a “moral necessity” but rather the opposite.“It is actually fundamentally disordered and impacts the well-being and the common good of society,” he said. Samson said the Trump administration has sought to “shift the general narrative” about migration to bring this awareness to the fore.In the United States, more than 14% of the population was born outside the country. In the European Union (EU), nearly 10% of the population was born in a country that is not an EU member. The panel was moderated by the America First Policy Institute’s Kristen Ziccarelli (left) and included the participation of Center for Immigration Studies Executive Director Mark Krikorian (right). | Credit: Ken Oliver-Méndez/EWTN News For his part, Heritage Foundation Vice President for Economic and Domestic Policy Roger Severino contended that the United States is not essentially a “nation of immigrants” but “a country of pioneers who took on immigrants who bought into the ethos of the United States.”Addressing the issue of the assimilation of immigrants, Severino, who is Catholic and the son of Colombian immigrants, lamented that the “salad bowl” (as opposed to “melting pot”) concept of immigration encourages “separate independent cultures that, in practice, don’t even end up talking to each other.”Severino also faulted the largesse and abuses of the modern welfare state for not serving the interests of either the nation or immigrants.In his remarks, Pecknold reflected on the corrosion of the understanding of the family and the understanding of the nation. “A nation comes from a commonwealth of families that bring life,” he said.Pecknold said the wealth of nations is not simply the GDP but rather, in Christian terms, has been “providentially given” by God and said the erosion of borders, heritage, language, customs, and religion is an “attempt to deconstruct the very belief of God as the providential provider” of families and nations.Pecknold also contended that mass migration has negative impacts on family for both the immigrants and the native-born population.For migrants, he said “it almost inevitably breaks up the family,” with some leaving their home country and others staying behind or sometimes trying to enter illegally. He said it also hurts the American family by filling the workforce with cheap labor, saying: “You actually are taking jobs away from … young Americans who deserve those jobs.”Pecknold encouraged Christians to take into account the faith’s long tradition on the subject of immigration, citing St. Thomas Aquinas as a prime example. In the Summa Theologiae, Aquinas speaks about the need for assimilation and that danger could otherwise arise if someone who does “not yet having the common good firmly at heart” is given full citizenship.“Christians have to take some of these principles and think outside of the bounds of liberalism,” he said.USCCB approachThe United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has recently raised concerns on immigration that markedly differ from those presented at the Hungarian embassy symposium, particularly when it comes to the Trump administration’s mass deportation program.In November 2025, the bishops voted 216-5 to issue a special message rejecting “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.” It noted that Scripture commands Christians to care for vulnerable people, including “the stranger,” and said Catholic teaching instructs nations “to recognize the fundamental dignity of all persons, including immigrants.”The Catechism of the Catholic Church instructs prosperous nations “to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner.” It also instructs immigrants “to respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country that receives them, to obey its laws and to assist in carrying civic burdens.”According to the catechism, political authorities can regulate immigration “for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible.”
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U.S., Hungarian thought leaders share ethical concerns over mass migration #Catholic “The Crisis of Migration for Families and Nations” was the subject of a Feb. 4 symposium that brought together American and Hungarian thought leaders who share concerns about the phenomenon of mass migration and its impact on the common good of their respective nations. The event coincided with the release of a new paper titled “Migration and Ethics: The Axioms of a Christian Migration Policy” by the Budapest-based Axioma Center, a Christian think tank. The Catholic University of America’s Chad Pecknold (left) endorses the Hungarian think tank’s approach to Christian migration policy. | Credit: Ken Oliver-Méndez/EWTN News The paper, which was endorsed by Chad Pecknold, associate professor of systematic theology at The Catholic University of America, notes that “the Christian perspective on immigration has historically emphasized compassion and solidarity with refugees, along with a welcoming attitude towards foreigners.”However, the paper continues, the Christian perspective on immigration “also calls for a prudent balance between these values and the legitimate responsibility of rulers to protect their people.” In this context, the paper explains, “national security, cultural and moral traditions, the rule of law, public order, and social cohesion are all essential components of what constitutes the common good.” In the face of illegal immigration, the authors assert that “mass deportations may be a legitimate response to mass migration.”At the event, Samuel Samson, a senior adviser at the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, said he does not see large-scale migration as a “moral necessity” but rather the opposite.“It is actually fundamentally disordered and impacts the well-being and the common good of society,” he said. Samson said the Trump administration has sought to “shift the general narrative” about migration to bring this awareness to the fore.In the United States, more than 14% of the population was born outside the country. In the European Union (EU), nearly 10% of the population was born in a country that is not an EU member. The panel was moderated by the America First Policy Institute’s Kristen Ziccarelli (left) and included the participation of Center for Immigration Studies Executive Director Mark Krikorian (right). | Credit: Ken Oliver-Méndez/EWTN News For his part, Heritage Foundation Vice President for Economic and Domestic Policy Roger Severino contended that the United States is not essentially a “nation of immigrants” but “a country of pioneers who took on immigrants who bought into the ethos of the United States.”Addressing the issue of the assimilation of immigrants, Severino, who is Catholic and the son of Colombian immigrants, lamented that the “salad bowl” (as opposed to “melting pot”) concept of immigration encourages “separate independent cultures that, in practice, don’t even end up talking to each other.”Severino also faulted the largesse and abuses of the modern welfare state for not serving the interests of either the nation or immigrants.In his remarks, Pecknold reflected on the corrosion of the understanding of the family and the understanding of the nation. “A nation comes from a commonwealth of families that bring life,” he said.Pecknold said the wealth of nations is not simply the GDP but rather, in Christian terms, has been “providentially given” by God and said the erosion of borders, heritage, language, customs, and religion is an “attempt to deconstruct the very belief of God as the providential provider” of families and nations.Pecknold also contended that mass migration has negative impacts on family for both the immigrants and the native-born population.For migrants, he said “it almost inevitably breaks up the family,” with some leaving their home country and others staying behind or sometimes trying to enter illegally. He said it also hurts the American family by filling the workforce with cheap labor, saying: “You actually are taking jobs away from … young Americans who deserve those jobs.”Pecknold encouraged Christians to take into account the faith’s long tradition on the subject of immigration, citing St. Thomas Aquinas as a prime example. In the Summa Theologiae, Aquinas speaks about the need for assimilation and that danger could otherwise arise if someone who does “not yet having the common good firmly at heart” is given full citizenship.“Christians have to take some of these principles and think outside of the bounds of liberalism,” he said.USCCB approachThe United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has recently raised concerns on immigration that markedly differ from those presented at the Hungarian embassy symposium, particularly when it comes to the Trump administration’s mass deportation program.In November 2025, the bishops voted 216-5 to issue a special message rejecting “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.” It noted that Scripture commands Christians to care for vulnerable people, including “the stranger,” and said Catholic teaching instructs nations “to recognize the fundamental dignity of all persons, including immigrants.”The Catechism of the Catholic Church instructs prosperous nations “to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner.” It also instructs immigrants “to respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country that receives them, to obey its laws and to assist in carrying civic burdens.”According to the catechism, political authorities can regulate immigration “for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible.”

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A Hungarian think tank’s new paper “Migration and Ethics: The Axioms of a Christian Migration Policy” prompts a meeting of the minds.

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U.S. government reminds public schools to allow prayer #Catholic Public schools in the United States are required by the U.S. Constitution to allow students and staff to pray, the government said this week, with the Trump administration reminding educators that they must neither impose nor generally forbid prayer in school facilities. The government issued the guidance on Feb. 5, with U.S. Department of Education Office of the Secretary Chief Counsel Josh Kleinfeld writing that schools in general should “allow the individuals who make up a public school community to act and speak in accordance with their faith.”Schools must adopt a “stance of neutrality” regarding faith, the guidance says, with educators required to allow personal religious conduct so long as it does not infringe upon the rights of other students and the school itself does not show favoritism to one religion or another.U.S. President Donald Trump announced the guidance ahead of its release on Feb. 5, telling attendees at the 2026 National Prayer Breakfast that he expected the document to incur lawsuits. “We’ll win it,” Trump anticipated. Students, employees allowed to express religious beliefsDetailing a history of Supreme Court decisions involving free speech and religious expression in schools, the guidance offers “concrete scenarios” in which schools are required to accommodate religious expression.Among them include instances where students “pray privately and quietly by themselves” and cases where students “dress in accordance with their religious faith,” such as wearing crosses, yarmulkes, or headscarfs. Support for religious student groupsSchools are also required to support religious student groups “on the same terms” they support nonreligious groups. Public schools “may not sponsor or organize compulsory prayer” at school functions, the guidance notes, but schools are also required to allow participants to engage in prayer at such events provided they do not coerce other attendees or “speak on behalf of the school.” Teachers and staff themselves, meanwhile, “do not forfeit their First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse gate and need not pray behind closed doors.” School employees “must be permitted to pray while at work on the same terms as students.”The guidance distances itself from what it described as the “legally unsound” principle of a “wall of separation” between church and state.Rather, it advances what it says is “a stance of neutrality among and accommodation toward all faiths, and hostility toward none,” which it describes as “deeply rooted in our nation’s history, traditions, and constitutional law.”Though the guidance itself is ultimately reflective of years of settled court precedent, it offers another indication of the Trump administration’s proactive support for religious liberty and practice in the U.S.At the 2026 National Prayer Breakfast, Trump announced that the government will hold an event, titled “Rededicate 250,” on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on May 17 “to rededicate America as one nation under God.”“We’re inviting Americans from all across the country to come together on our National Mall to pray, to give thanks,” he said.In May 2025 the president established the Religious Liberty Commission, which has held hearings on religious liberty in education and the military.In December 2025, meanwhile, Trump became the first president in U.S. history to officially recognize the feast of the Immaculate Conception, acknowledging it as a “holy day honoring the faith, humility, and love of Mary, mother of Jesus and one of the greatest figures in the Bible.”
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U.S. government reminds public schools to allow prayer #Catholic Public schools in the United States are required by the U.S. Constitution to allow students and staff to pray, the government said this week, with the Trump administration reminding educators that they must neither impose nor generally forbid prayer in school facilities. The government issued the guidance on Feb. 5, with U.S. Department of Education Office of the Secretary Chief Counsel Josh Kleinfeld writing that schools in general should “allow the individuals who make up a public school community to act and speak in accordance with their faith.”Schools must adopt a “stance of neutrality” regarding faith, the guidance says, with educators required to allow personal religious conduct so long as it does not infringe upon the rights of other students and the school itself does not show favoritism to one religion or another.U.S. President Donald Trump announced the guidance ahead of its release on Feb. 5, telling attendees at the 2026 National Prayer Breakfast that he expected the document to incur lawsuits. “We’ll win it,” Trump anticipated. Students, employees allowed to express religious beliefsDetailing a history of Supreme Court decisions involving free speech and religious expression in schools, the guidance offers “concrete scenarios” in which schools are required to accommodate religious expression.Among them include instances where students “pray privately and quietly by themselves” and cases where students “dress in accordance with their religious faith,” such as wearing crosses, yarmulkes, or headscarfs. Support for religious student groupsSchools are also required to support religious student groups “on the same terms” they support nonreligious groups. Public schools “may not sponsor or organize compulsory prayer” at school functions, the guidance notes, but schools are also required to allow participants to engage in prayer at such events provided they do not coerce other attendees or “speak on behalf of the school.” Teachers and staff themselves, meanwhile, “do not forfeit their First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse gate and need not pray behind closed doors.” School employees “must be permitted to pray while at work on the same terms as students.”The guidance distances itself from what it described as the “legally unsound” principle of a “wall of separation” between church and state.Rather, it advances what it says is “a stance of neutrality among and accommodation toward all faiths, and hostility toward none,” which it describes as “deeply rooted in our nation’s history, traditions, and constitutional law.”Though the guidance itself is ultimately reflective of years of settled court precedent, it offers another indication of the Trump administration’s proactive support for religious liberty and practice in the U.S.At the 2026 National Prayer Breakfast, Trump announced that the government will hold an event, titled “Rededicate 250,” on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on May 17 “to rededicate America as one nation under God.”“We’re inviting Americans from all across the country to come together on our National Mall to pray, to give thanks,” he said.In May 2025 the president established the Religious Liberty Commission, which has held hearings on religious liberty in education and the military.In December 2025, meanwhile, Trump became the first president in U.S. history to officially recognize the feast of the Immaculate Conception, acknowledging it as a “holy day honoring the faith, humility, and love of Mary, mother of Jesus and one of the greatest figures in the Bible.”

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Public schools in the United States are required by the U.S. Constitution to allow students and staff to pray, the government said this week.

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‘My Catholic faith guides me’: HHS assistant secretary speaks on policy, saints #Catholic Adm. Brian Christine, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and a practicing Catholic, talked about the state of the pro-life movement as well as his own faith in an interview on “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” on Wednesday.Christine, a practicing Catholic, said the HHS values religious freedom.“We are not going to allow health care practitioners to be disparaged or be discriminated against because of their faith,” he told host Abigail Galvan. “We faithful don’t have to check our faith at the door to practice medicine or science.”For his part, Christine said his faith and the example of the saints guides him.“My Catholic faith guides me,” he said. “Every decision that I make — I don’t set my faith aside at the door.”When asked if he had a particular devotion, Christine said he takes inspiration from many saints.“I don’t have a patron saint — I have a whole cloud of witnesses,” he said. “I have a whole cloud of saints because I need them. I’m really devoted to St. Peter the Apostle — I’ve made so many mistakes in my life. I’ve fallen so many times. But you get back up and St. Peter could deny the Lord, and yet there he is, the rock of the Church, the first pontiff, the first Holy Father.”“St. Thomas More, who really stood strong to serve in government and yet ultimately did what was right, and he paid the ultimate price,” Christine said.Christine said he also looks to a more recent blessed, Blessed Clemens August Graf von Galen, the archbishop of Münster in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s, and how he spoke out against euthanasia in his time.“He was known as the Lion of Münster because [of] his homilies against the Nazi T4 program, which was the euthanasia of those the Nazis considered undesirable for life or unworthy of life,” Christine said. “He preached such strong homilies against the T4 program that the Nazis ultimately stopped that program.”Abortion pillChemical abortions make up nearly two-thirds of U.S. abortions and are being mailed across state lines, even to states where unborn children are protected throughout pregnancy. Due to easy access to the abortion drug, mifepristone, abortion rates are climbing, making it a key issue in the pro-life movement.But action against chemical abortions has stalled in the Trump administration, which promised an investigation into the safety concerns for women surrounding the abortion pills. Adm. Brian Christine, a practicing Catholic who serves as the assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, speaks with Abigail Galvan on “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” on Feb. 4, 2026. | Credit: “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” screenshot When asked about this, Christine said that “data is being collected” and a review is “ongoing,” saying “the commissioner of the FDA [Food and Drug Administration], Dr. Marty Makary, has certainly committed to doing a review of the safety of mifepristone.”“That review is ongoing because we want to make sure we have the best data about the potential harm of mifepristone so that women can make truly informed-consent decisions,” Christine continued. “If women are considering using that drug, they need to understand what the implications may be.”Compassionate mental health careFor the HHS, “compassionate mental health care” for minors suffering from gender dysphoria “is incredibly important to the country,” Christine said.“It’s incredibly important to those most vulnerable, these minors who suffer from gender dysphoria, because gender dysphoria is a real condition, a mental health condition,” Christine said.Referring to an HHS study, Christine said that “using castrating chemicals — that is not the way to treat these vulnerable children.”“If you use the mental health support, the vast majority of these children are going to be very happy in their own skin,” he continued. “We don’t need to be cutting off body parts.”“We don’t need to be giving them chemicals that are going to cause irreversible harm for the rest of their life,” Christine said. “We have been very strong about this in the Trump administration. We have been led by [HHS] Secretary [Robert] Kennedy, and we’re never going to back away from these things.”
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‘My Catholic faith guides me’: HHS assistant secretary speaks on policy, saints #Catholic Adm. Brian Christine, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and a practicing Catholic, talked about the state of the pro-life movement as well as his own faith in an interview on “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” on Wednesday.Christine, a practicing Catholic, said the HHS values religious freedom.“We are not going to allow health care practitioners to be disparaged or be discriminated against because of their faith,” he told host Abigail Galvan. “We faithful don’t have to check our faith at the door to practice medicine or science.”For his part, Christine said his faith and the example of the saints guides him.“My Catholic faith guides me,” he said. “Every decision that I make — I don’t set my faith aside at the door.”When asked if he had a particular devotion, Christine said he takes inspiration from many saints.“I don’t have a patron saint — I have a whole cloud of witnesses,” he said. “I have a whole cloud of saints because I need them. I’m really devoted to St. Peter the Apostle — I’ve made so many mistakes in my life. I’ve fallen so many times. But you get back up and St. Peter could deny the Lord, and yet there he is, the rock of the Church, the first pontiff, the first Holy Father.”“St. Thomas More, who really stood strong to serve in government and yet ultimately did what was right, and he paid the ultimate price,” Christine said.Christine said he also looks to a more recent blessed, Blessed Clemens August Graf von Galen, the archbishop of Münster in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s, and how he spoke out against euthanasia in his time.“He was known as the Lion of Münster because [of] his homilies against the Nazi T4 program, which was the euthanasia of those the Nazis considered undesirable for life or unworthy of life,” Christine said. “He preached such strong homilies against the T4 program that the Nazis ultimately stopped that program.”Abortion pillChemical abortions make up nearly two-thirds of U.S. abortions and are being mailed across state lines, even to states where unborn children are protected throughout pregnancy. Due to easy access to the abortion drug, mifepristone, abortion rates are climbing, making it a key issue in the pro-life movement.But action against chemical abortions has stalled in the Trump administration, which promised an investigation into the safety concerns for women surrounding the abortion pills. Adm. Brian Christine, a practicing Catholic who serves as the assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, speaks with Abigail Galvan on “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” on Feb. 4, 2026. | Credit: “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” screenshot When asked about this, Christine said that “data is being collected” and a review is “ongoing,” saying “the commissioner of the FDA [Food and Drug Administration], Dr. Marty Makary, has certainly committed to doing a review of the safety of mifepristone.”“That review is ongoing because we want to make sure we have the best data about the potential harm of mifepristone so that women can make truly informed-consent decisions,” Christine continued. “If women are considering using that drug, they need to understand what the implications may be.”Compassionate mental health careFor the HHS, “compassionate mental health care” for minors suffering from gender dysphoria “is incredibly important to the country,” Christine said.“It’s incredibly important to those most vulnerable, these minors who suffer from gender dysphoria, because gender dysphoria is a real condition, a mental health condition,” Christine said.Referring to an HHS study, Christine said that “using castrating chemicals — that is not the way to treat these vulnerable children.”“If you use the mental health support, the vast majority of these children are going to be very happy in their own skin,” he continued. “We don’t need to be cutting off body parts.”“We don’t need to be giving them chemicals that are going to cause irreversible harm for the rest of their life,” Christine said. “We have been very strong about this in the Trump administration. We have been led by [HHS] Secretary [Robert] Kennedy, and we’re never going to back away from these things.”

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Adm. Brian Christine, a practicing Catholic, talked about the state of the pro-life movement and how his faith guides him.

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Archbishop Wenski makes case for ‘permanent’ solution for Haitian refugees in U.S. #Catholic Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami is calling on Congress to find a “permanent” solution for Haitian refugees in the United States.On Feb. 2 a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of Haitian immigrants that was given in 2010. TPS provides eligible Haitians in the U.S. with protection from deportation and work authorization, due to ongoing safety concerns in Haiti.As Florida has the largest Haitian population in the country, Wenski said there is “relief” after the judge blocked the order. Ending TPS “would affect possibly 300,000 Haitians, not only here in South Florida but throughout the United States,” he said in an interview with “EWTN News Nightly.”“It’s not the final solution … because the administration, I think, has the intention of making an appeal, and what is given could be quickly taken away as well. While the Haitians are breathing a sigh of relief, at the same time, we realize that it’s a temporary relief.”Now, Wenski said, it is up to Congress “to step up to the plate and provide a more permanent solution to the plight of these Haitians.” The administration “is applying the laws as they understand them, but it is Congress that makes the laws.”“If the laws are unfair, unjust, or inadequate to the real needs of our country, then they should be changed, and that’s a prerogative of Congress. So I would urge Congress to step up to provide a solution, because the Haitians being forced back to Haiti with very perilous, dangerous conditions right now … puts their lives in danger.”The Haitians “leaving South Florida and other places in the United States so abruptly would cause great economic damage to the United States,” Wenski said. He detailed that Haitians in the U.S. with TPS are working gainfully, paying taxes, and participating in the economy.“It is also important to remember, these people have temporary protective status, which also grants them a work permit. They are not illegals. They’re not violating any law because they have been given a status by the government,” Wenski said.TPS status does put them “in limbo,” Wenski said. It “doesn’t provide any path to permanent residency. If they would leave the country, they would not be able to return.”Concerns in HaitiAs the U.S. State Department tells Americans not to travel to Haiti, when “the Trump administration puts a travel ban, trying to stop people from Haiti,” it “shows the perilousness of the country conditions,” Wenski said.“For instance, the capital city, where there’s about 3 million people residing, is in the hands of gangs,” he said. “Here’s a country that has its school system in disarray because gangs make it impossible for kids to go to school.”Wenski also highlighted the issue of “almost nonexistent health care” as “doctors have been forced to flee and hospitals have been closed” in the country.“It is a place where there is no rule of law, no government, where these gangs and other criminals operate with impunity. For many people, the only lifeline that they have that allows them to survive is the remittances, small as they might be, that the Haitians in the United States are sending home to support families,” Wenski said.“It’s a real problem, not only in Haiti, but the Caribbean region,” Wenski said. He specifically noted Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador.“We see the drugs that are being transported into Europe from Asia and also Africa. It is a worldwide problem. What I think we have to recognize is that the poorest people are not the ones that are driving the problem. They are the victims of the problem.”The Haitians in the U.S. seeking refuge and protection “did not create the problems, but they were the ones that have been victimized by the problems,” Wenski said. “We have to be careful that we don’t blame the victims because it’s easier to do that sometimes because they don’t have the strength to oppose us,” Wenski said.
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Archbishop Wenski makes case for ‘permanent’ solution for Haitian refugees in U.S. #Catholic Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami is calling on Congress to find a “permanent” solution for Haitian refugees in the United States.On Feb. 2 a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of Haitian immigrants that was given in 2010. TPS provides eligible Haitians in the U.S. with protection from deportation and work authorization, due to ongoing safety concerns in Haiti.As Florida has the largest Haitian population in the country, Wenski said there is “relief” after the judge blocked the order. Ending TPS “would affect possibly 300,000 Haitians, not only here in South Florida but throughout the United States,” he said in an interview with “EWTN News Nightly.”“It’s not the final solution … because the administration, I think, has the intention of making an appeal, and what is given could be quickly taken away as well. While the Haitians are breathing a sigh of relief, at the same time, we realize that it’s a temporary relief.”Now, Wenski said, it is up to Congress “to step up to the plate and provide a more permanent solution to the plight of these Haitians.” The administration “is applying the laws as they understand them, but it is Congress that makes the laws.”“If the laws are unfair, unjust, or inadequate to the real needs of our country, then they should be changed, and that’s a prerogative of Congress. So I would urge Congress to step up to provide a solution, because the Haitians being forced back to Haiti with very perilous, dangerous conditions right now … puts their lives in danger.”The Haitians “leaving South Florida and other places in the United States so abruptly would cause great economic damage to the United States,” Wenski said. He detailed that Haitians in the U.S. with TPS are working gainfully, paying taxes, and participating in the economy.“It is also important to remember, these people have temporary protective status, which also grants them a work permit. They are not illegals. They’re not violating any law because they have been given a status by the government,” Wenski said.TPS status does put them “in limbo,” Wenski said. It “doesn’t provide any path to permanent residency. If they would leave the country, they would not be able to return.”Concerns in HaitiAs the U.S. State Department tells Americans not to travel to Haiti, when “the Trump administration puts a travel ban, trying to stop people from Haiti,” it “shows the perilousness of the country conditions,” Wenski said.“For instance, the capital city, where there’s about 3 million people residing, is in the hands of gangs,” he said. “Here’s a country that has its school system in disarray because gangs make it impossible for kids to go to school.”Wenski also highlighted the issue of “almost nonexistent health care” as “doctors have been forced to flee and hospitals have been closed” in the country.“It is a place where there is no rule of law, no government, where these gangs and other criminals operate with impunity. For many people, the only lifeline that they have that allows them to survive is the remittances, small as they might be, that the Haitians in the United States are sending home to support families,” Wenski said.“It’s a real problem, not only in Haiti, but the Caribbean region,” Wenski said. He specifically noted Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador.“We see the drugs that are being transported into Europe from Asia and also Africa. It is a worldwide problem. What I think we have to recognize is that the poorest people are not the ones that are driving the problem. They are the victims of the problem.”The Haitians in the U.S. seeking refuge and protection “did not create the problems, but they were the ones that have been victimized by the problems,” Wenski said. “We have to be careful that we don’t blame the victims because it’s easier to do that sometimes because they don’t have the strength to oppose us,” Wenski said.

unitedyam

The Haitians “leaving South Florida and other places in the United States so abruptly would cause great economic damage to the United States,” Archbishop Thomas Wenski said.

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