Catholic advocates raise alarm at Trump’s call to ‘pause’ migration from ‘Third World Countries’
Donald Trump stated he would 'permanently pause' immigration from 'Third World Countries' in a series of social media posts on Thanksgiving Day. Catholic immigration advocates expressed concern over Trump's comments. The comments followed a shooting in Washington, D.C., involving an Afghan national suspect. The State Department halted the issuance of U.S. visas for all Afghan nationals following the shooting. Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc. (CLINIC) rejected the call to 'permanently pause migration'.
14 days ago
On November 26, 2025, two West Virginia National Guard members were shot in Washington, D.C., resulting in the death of 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and serious injuries to 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe.1 The suspect, identified as Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, prompted heightened security measures.1
President Donald Trump announced on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 2025, plans to "permanently pause" all immigration from "Third World Countries" via social media posts.1 He framed the policy as reducing "illegal and disruptive populations," linking it directly to the recent shooting.1
The State Department halted U.S. visa issuances for Afghan nationals on November 27, citing national security and public safety concerns.1
Catholic immigration advocates expressed strong opposition to Trump's proposal.1 Anna Gallagher, executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc. (CLINIC), rejected any permanent pause on migration in a December 1 statement.1
Gallagher invoked Advent and the Holy Family's migrant experience, stressing that Catholic social teaching upholds the inherent dignity of those fleeing danger.1 She argued the policy contradicts U.S. moral values and refugee commitments.1
J. Kevin Appleby, senior fellow at the Center for Migration Studies of New York and former migration policy director for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, called the move a political exploitation of the tragedy.1 He described it as an "anti-immigrant agenda" using a nativist playbook to impose collective guilt on entire groups.1
Appleby noted that blaming half the world for one individual's actions violates American justice principles and Catholic moral teaching.1
Catholic doctrine on immigration emphasizes three principles: individuals' rights to migrate for survival, nations' rights to control borders, and the duty to do so with justice and mercy.1 Advocates highlighted how Trump's pause undermines the merciful aspect, prioritizing security over humanitarian needs.1
This response underscores ongoing tensions between U.S. policy and faith-based calls for compassionate border regulation.1
Evaluate Catholic teachings on immigration amid political pauses
Catholic social teaching on immigration is rooted in the Gospel's call to welcome the stranger, as exemplified in Matthew 25:35, where Jesus identifies himself with the migrant: "I was a stranger and you welcomed me." This imperative underscores the inherent dignity of every person, created in God's image, and demands a compassionate response to those fleeing peril or seeking better lives. Yet, this duty is not absolute; it must be balanced with a nation's right to regulate its borders for the common good. In the context of "political pauses"—temporary halts or restrictions on immigration flows, such as pauses in refugee processing or asylum screenings—the Church evaluates policies through the lens of justice, mercy, and proportionality. Such pauses, often enacted amid political pressures like security concerns or resource strains, must not devolve into blanket rejections that endanger lives or violate human rights. Instead, they should be humane, temporary measures that prioritize protection for the vulnerable while pursuing long-term solutions like comprehensive reform.
At the heart of Catholic teaching is the recognition of a natural right to migrate when necessary for survival and family sustenance. The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms that "the more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security of which he has been deprived" (CCC 2241). This stems from the principle of solidarity, which views humanity as one family, transcending national boundaries. Pope Francis, in Fratelli Tutti, elaborates that until conditions in origin countries allow for dignified lives, nations are obliged to respect individuals' rights to seek basic needs and fulfillment. He summarizes the Church's response in four verbs: welcome, protect, promote, and integrate migrants, fostering fraternity rather than isolation.
This teaching draws from scriptural archetypes, such as the Holy Family's flight to Egypt (Mt 2:13-15), portraying Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as models for all refugees. Pope Pius XII's Exsul Familia (1952) explicitly names them as "protectors of every migrant, alien and refugee," compelled by fear or want to leave their homeland. More recently, Strangers No Longer (2003), the joint pastoral letter of the U.S. and Mexican bishops, derives five principles from Catholic doctrine: the right not to migrate if homeland conditions permit a full life; the right to migrate for sustenance; the duty to receive migrants humanely; the right to control borders; and the priority of family unity. These principles reject "open borders" as contrary to the common good but insist that border controls yield when lives are at stake, particularly for refugees and asylum seekers facing persecution.
In practice, this means Catholic organizations, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), serve migrants—authorized or not—through shelters, legal aid, and family reunification efforts, viewing such charity as a sign of God's mercy. Pope John Paul II reinforced this in Redemptoris Missio, calling the Church to extend apostolic concern to millions of refugees fleeing oppression, famine, or misery, integrating them into Christian communities as brothers and sisters.
While welcoming is mandatory, Catholic teaching equally upholds a nation's sovereign right to control immigration for the common good, including economic stability, security, and cultural integration. The Catechism states that political authorities "may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions," such as immigrants' duties to respect host countries' laws and heritage (CCC 2241). Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship echoes this, affirming that nations have the "right and responsibility... to control their borders and to maintain the rule of law," but these must be "pursued in a just and humane manner." Detention, for instance, should protect public safety, not serve as deterrence or punishment; alternatives like community programs are preferred.
"Political pauses" fit within this framework if they are proportionate and respect human rights. However, the Church cautions against measures that prioritize enforcement over humanity, such as expansive walls or indefinite halts that block asylum access. Pope Francis warns that fear of migrants, often "fomented and exploited for political purposes," can breed xenophobia, treating newcomers as threats rather than bearers of dignity. In Fratelli Tutti, he critiques narrow nationalism that closes doors, seeing immigrants not as "usurpers" but as enrichers of society through cultural exchange and human development. Such pauses risk violating the "supreme law of fraternal love" if they undermine due process or family unity.
The USCCB has consistently opposed policies that erode humanitarian protections, as seen in comments on proposed asylum rules that raise barriers to credible fear screenings, calling them "unlawful" and contrary to the Gospel's image of Christ as the stranger. In a 2023 letter to Congress, the bishops rejected conditioning funding on bills like the Secure the Border Act (H.R. 2), which would weaken asylum and protections, arguing that while borders must be secure, this cannot come at the expense of life's sanctity. Pope Paul VI's Populorum Progressio adds that hospitality shields migrants from despair and corrupting influences, urging families and institutions to open doors warmly, especially to youth.
Catholic teaching on immigration extends beyond immediate responses to systemic solutions. Unnecessary migration should be avoided by addressing root causes like poverty, conflict, and persecution in origin countries—through development aid, peacebuilding, and fair trade. Fratelli Tutti calls for global governance on migration, including humanitarian corridors, simplified visas, family reunification, and integration programs, as no nation can solve this alone.
The USCCB's legislative priorities emphasize fixing the "broken immigration system" via paths to citizenship, worker protections, expanded legal pathways, and asylum preservation. This includes support for bills like the Farm Workforce Modernization Act and Afghan Adjustment Act, balancing enforcement with integration. In Forming Consciences, the bishops advocate comprehensive reform incorporating legalization, family policies, and root-cause interventions, while eradicating human trafficking—a "crime against humanity." Politically motivated pauses often sidestep these reforms, exacerbating crises rather than resolving them, as noted in USCCB advocacy for Dreamers and unaccompanied children, who must not be pawns in partisan debates.
Immigration remains divisive, with tensions between security and compassion. Where sources align, as in affirming both rights to migrate and control borders, the Church prioritizes the vulnerable—refugees, families, and trafficking victims—over ideological extremes. Recent teachings, like Pope Francis's, take precedence, emphasizing fraternity amid global mobility. If pauses protect against irregular flows without harming the persecuted, they may align with doctrine; but if they foster hostility or deny dignity, they contradict it. The USCCB's 2023 priorities highlight ongoing border strains, urging infrastructure for humane processing rather than punitive halts. On ethics, nuance is key: policies must uphold life (Evangelium Vitae, no. 101) and avoid family separation, a grave evil.
In conclusion, Catholic teachings evaluate immigration pauses by their fidelity to human dignity and justice. While allowing for necessary regulations, the Church condemns any that build walls of exclusion over bridges of solidarity. Amid political debates, Catholics are called to advocate for reforms that welcome Christ in the stranger, promote integral development, and foster a world where migration is a choice, not a desperation. This vision, drawn from Gospel mercy and social doctrine, challenges nations to act with charity, ensuring no one is left as a "stranger" in God's family.