The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will advocate for “just immigration policies” with the successor to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
President Donald Trump said Noem would become special envoy for a security initiative called “The Shield of the Americas” the day after a tense hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 4. Trump said he will nominate Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, to replace her. The position requires Senate confirmation, a process requiring a simple majority (51 votes) for approval.
Following the announcement, USCCB Committee on Migration Chair Bishop Brendan J. Cahill said in a statement to EWTN News that the bishops will advocate for just immigration policies with Noem’s successor, focused on the dignity of the human person.
“Without commenting on the qualifications of any specific individual, my brother bishops and I remain committed to dialoguing with all leaders in every administration, as well as Congress, in support of just immigration policies that recognize the God-given dignity of all involved,” Cahill said.
“We will continue to urge an approach to immigration enforcement that is targeted, proportionate, and humane, always respecting each person’s inherent dignity, the sanctity of families, and religious liberty,” he added.
“At the same time, we will continue to call on Congress to undertake a meaningful reform of our immigration system to rectify the ways our current laws lead to unjust consequences for families and communities,” Cahill said.
During her tenure, Noem has overseen the president’s mass deportation initiative, which faced criticism from the bishops. DHS oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
In November, the USCCB approved a special message with a 216-5 vote to oppose “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.” The bishops also objected to “dehumanizing rhetoric and violence” directed at immigrants and law enforcement and expressed concern about family separation.
Impact of leadership shake-up
It’s unclear whether the shake-up will lead to any significant policy changes, considering that Mullin has strongly supported the administration’s strict enforcement of immigration laws, such as mass deportations, policy scholars said.
The Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), which works closely with the bishops, is following the shift, with a spokesperson telling EWTN News that the organization hopes the incoming secretary “will recognize the inherent dignity of immigrants and refugees and uphold policies that protect those seeking safety and opportunity.”
“Mullin has a past record of recognizing the importance of providing refuge to Afghans who assisted the United States, and we hope that same understanding of our nation’s moral responsibility will be applied more broadly to people around the world seeking safety and security,” the spokesperson said.
Kevin Appleby, senior fellow for policy and communications for the Center for Migration Studies and former director of migration policy for the USCCB, told EWTN News he sees the change as “an opportunity to get the administration and the [DHS] to change course.”
However, he said the mass deportation policy “will remain in place until President Trump and his advisers decide that it’s the wrong approach [and] that an immigration reform package is in the best interest of the country, and I don’t see that happening in the near future.”
“Until the president takes a different approach, just because you change someone at the top, you won’t change the fundamental policy and what’s happening,” he said.
Appleby said he does not think the leadership change will alleviate the bishops’ concerns because the Church is “opposed to the basic policy” of mass deportations.
Andrew Arthur, resident fellow in law and policy at the Center for Immigration Studies, told EWTN News that he also doubts the bishops’ concerns will be alleviated, saying: “I don’t believe that his appointment is going to change the president’s immigration policies.”
He said there may be some differences between Noem and Mullin, such as “a continuation of the Tom Homan vision of enforcement — more targeted enforcement,” referring to the border czar. He said there may be a stronger focus on those who have committed additional crimes and more worksite enforcement.
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