The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is voicing opposition to proposed regulatory changes that would impose stricter immigration rules for housing and employment.
A housing rule proposed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) could cause families to lose federal housing assistance if some family members lack legal immigration status. Current rules allow families to receive assistance at a prorated rate, with money adjusted based on how many family members are in the country lawfully.
An employment rule proposed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would establish a one-year waiting period for asylum seekers to receive work authorization and create stricter eligibility requirements. It also would pause new applications.
Both rules proposed by the Trump administration underwent the required 60-day comment period.
Housing rule
The bishops warned the proposed housing changes could lead to family separation by driving away family members who are in the country unlawfully, fearing the family’s housing assistance would otherwise be lost.
“The proposed rule would require these families to make a heartbreaking choice — endure family separation so that eligible members could continue to qualify for critical subsidized housing programs or stay together and forfeit any housing assistance,” the USCCB public comment states.
“This is a choice no family should be forced to make,” it adds.
For families who do stay together, the bishops warn the rule risks them all losing affordable housing and could drive up homelessness. They also fear unintended consequences, with eligible families being kicked off if they do not have the necessary documents to prove their citizenship or legal status.
“Denying subsidies to eligible individuals because of their membership in a mixed-status family is morally wrong, concerning from a fiscal perspective, and is in conflict with the underlying law,” the statement adds.
“The rule would have grave consequences for families, vulnerable communities, and the organizations that serve them,” it continues. “It will lead to family separation and create unnecessary housing instability amongst eligible applicants and their families.”
The bishops were joined by other Catholic organizations in objecting to the housing rule: the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Catholic Charities USA, the Catholic Health Association of the United States, and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
Employment rule
The bishops argued the proposed employment rule violates the law as written and raises both economic and moral consequences.
“Catholic social teaching affirms the inherent dignity of every human person and the right of individuals to support themselves and their families through work,” the bishops said.
“Policies that deny asylum seekers the ability to meet their basic needs while pursuing protection effectively force individuals into destitution, exploitation, or abandonment of lawful claims,” they said. “Such outcomes are incompatible with the Gospel’s call to welcome the stranger and with long-standing principles of solidarity and the preferential option for the poor.”
The bishops warned the change would negatively impact a vulnerable population that is fleeing hardship and has limited resources. They said asylum seekers are often not eligible for government assistance and must work to provide for themselves.
“The changes … would undermine the common good by disregarding the dignity of work as well as the right of noncitizens to provide for themselves and for their families in a dignified way, subjecting them to an increased risk of exploitation,” they said. “They would also limit asylum seekers’ ability to contribute their God-given gifts and talents for the benefit of the community as a whole.”
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