MADISON, Wisconsin (LifeSiteNews) — The Catholic bishops of Wisconsin released a pastoral letter on immigration Tuesday affirming that Catholic teaching “opposes completely open borders” and upholds the right of nations to regulate migration.
“When the Church supports immigrants, she is not doing so to impede the lawful enforcement of immigration laws, nor to encourage illegal entry,” the bishops stated. “Rather, without contradiction, the Church instructs everyone to follow the law and to uphold fundamental human rights.”
The Catholic Bishops of Wisconsin have released a pastoral letter on immigration. Please see the images in this post to read the letter in English. Visit https://t.co/K1uNrVEYhS for PDFs of the press release and of the letter in both English and Spanish. pic.twitter.com/igAdyPm6t5
— Diocese of Madison (@MadisonDiocese) February 11, 2025
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“Nations have sovereign rights to control their borders. Indeed, safe and secure borders help everyone,” the letter continues.
“The Church opposes both completely open borders and completely closed borders,” it adds.
“Distinctions must be made between immigrants who present genuine risks and dangers to society and therefore may be lawfully expelled, and those who have been here for years, have no criminal record, and have lived peacefully and contributed to the common good,” the bishops further said.
As the bishops note, the Catechism of the Catholic Church 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, especially with regard to the immigrants’ duties toward their country of adoption.”
“Immigrants are obliged 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,” the Catechism states.
The Wisconsin bishops’ letter is one of several recent statements from U.S. bishops affirming the right of nations to secure their borders as the Trump administration pursues conservative immigration policies criticized by Pope Francis.