Prepare for Deportation

Many Catholics viewed Donald Trump’s campaign promise to deport millions of illegal immigrants with the same seriousness they have for Republicans stumping about abortion: big talk, little delivery. But something serious is in the air.

President-elect Donald Trump has selected Stephen Miller as his Deputy Chief of Staff, a known immigration stickler; and he has nominated former ICE Director Tom Homan, another hardliner, as his “border czar.” Rumor has it Trump will proclaim a national state of emergency to deploy the military, secure the southern border, and actually begin deporting the over 11 million undocumented migrants that live in this country.

By all appearances, Mr. Trump is prepared to deliver on deportation, and it’s causing a civil stir. It could even cause a civil war if the Democrats can get their crumbled platform back together again. Of course, there has been a haphazard handling of immigration by both parties for years, with Democrats happy to have cheap votes and Republicans happy to have cheap labor. But a mass deportation could spark mass unrest.

Catholics should be on the front lines of this humanitarian question. The law of God commands us to perform corporal works of mercy but also to obey the just laws of our land. And there is nothing unjust in having laws that govern the process of immigration—and Catholics should stand by those laws with confidence. Where there are lawbreakers, hard though it be, there should be repercussion.

There have always been undocumented residents in the United States: people who have entered the country without notifying the authorities, whose asylum claims have been rejected or who are waiting to have asylum claims processed, or who are under some temporary form of protection though still present illegally. The Pew Research Center recorded 3.5 million illegal aliens in 1990, which rose to 12.2 million in 2007, and then fell to 11 million in 2015. The pandemic saw a drop to 10.2 million before skyrocketing to 11.7 million with the Biden-Harris administration’s reversal of Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy.

Given their history, Americans have generally approved of immigration; and Democrats have campaigned successfully on liberal immigration policies for years. But public opinion is changing. Since 9/11, Gallup polling finds Americans are increasingly wary of immigration, with the matter swelling to a chief concern, with a majority now favoring the border wall and 47 percent supporting Trump’s proposal to deport illegal immigrants.

Catholic social teaching presents three principles regarding immigration. First, every person has the right to migrate to protect themselves and their family. Second, every country has the right to defend its borders and govern the immigration process in preserving the common welfare. Third, every government must regulate its immigration laws with justice and mercy, welcoming migrants to the greatest extent possible. It’s not just, merciful, or welcoming, however, to allow mass entry without the systems or resources required to support it, or without requiring that migrants are adequately prepared to succeed. Neither is it just or merciful to expect hardworking Americans and legal immigrants to shoulder burdens and foot bills at the expense of their livelihoods.

Furthermore, it’s not patriotic (troubled virtue that that is nowadays) to allow the country and the culture to risk a meltdown in the melting pot of multiculturalism. Though American culture may be a work in progress—or on life support or searching for itself—Americans still have a pious duty to love their land and defend its spirit and security. An open border fundamentally threatens that identity and autonomy. Too many immigrants results in cultural plurality. Unlike a multiethnic society, a multicultural society is not conducive to culture. Unchecked entry (or invasion) results in cultural division and an undermining of national character and strength. It’s not patriotic (troubled virtue that that is nowadays) to allow the country and the culture to risk a meltdown in the melting pot of multiculturalism.Tweet This

People make prosperity, however, and the United States was undoubtedly built on the brave backs of immigrants. Nevertheless, the current immigration problem is one our immigrant country feels with pointed concern. The way the neighborhoods are changing in America is striking, and it’s not a xenophobic observation. The in-pouring of foreigners is widely seen as unwieldy and disorienting. In keeping with their ethnic heritage, everyday Americans are practical people; and there is an impractical situation unfolding on their streets. 

While many newcomers are happy, honest people, it’s troubling that their prospects are hampered by policies that usher them in too quickly to prosper. Many can’t speak English, struggle to find decent work and affordable housing, fail to uphold their legal obligations, and seem easily caught up in dangerous criminal situations. Americans know the importance of immigration and that the opportunity this country affords is sacred. Therefore, it should be handled prudently and legally, despite the geopolitical instability in South America driving people in desperation to discover what’s left of the American Dream.

That desperation is a hang-up for many Catholics. How can anyone dedicated to loving their neighbor as themselves and to performing works of mercy knowingly go along with a plan to reject millions of people who are in trouble? The words of Isaiah ring with Christ’s: “share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh.”

Catholics are committed to the succor of those in need, but they shouldn’t be tolerant of lawlessness or chaos in that duty. The U.S. immigration laws are strict and complicated—and can prove a painful process for people down on their luck—but it is still a just and compassionate system. Instead of dismissing the opportunities established by legitimate authority, Catholics should stand by the law for the sake of those who have worked hard to respect it. The common good must be considered together with individual goods, and the laws guiding and governing immigration are designed to serve both.

The USCCB is signaling that they will object vociferously to any dramatic deportation action, as they fret over old horror stories of family separation and cling to the liberal position of open arms and open borders that created the problem Trump is preparing to correct. Typical—and a misrepresentation of what the Church values regarding “the fair and humane treatment” of migrants. The law can be obeyed without blocking, as their recent statement says, a “fair and generous pathway to full citizenship to immigrants living and working in our borders for many years.” While a case may be made for such, the law should still be enforced appropriately. The USCCB is signaling that they will object vociferously to any dramatic deportation action, as they cling to the liberal position of open arms and open borders that created the problem Trump is preparing to correct.Tweet This

The Church requires Catholics to obey laws of the land if they do not transgress the laws of God. There is nothing in Sacred Scripture or Church Doctrine that forbids reasonable or rigorous migration laws, so it is not a matter of doing right by God to go against the government in this. Neither are Catholics permitted to break the law if they perceive it as unjust. The law doesn’t have to be fair to be binding.

There are shades of natural law in this as well. Most immigrants come to the United States to find a better life, to feed their families and flee poverty and violence. While these are natural motivations, it isn’t always a human or moral right to break a law to achieve something good. Protection for the poor and the oppressed is a responsibility our Faith and humanity demands, but caring for the unfortunate doesn’t include flouting just laws. 

Enabling or encouraging illegal immigration is a violation of every Catholic American’s duty to honor the just laws of the United States. Those who enter or live in the United States illegally are breaking the law and should be required to abide by it and its allowances, even if that involves hardship. A difficult law is still a law, and we are a nation of laws.

For all that, the prospect of President Trump pulling this off is dubious. Mr. Vance has said they should start with deporting one million undocumented migrants. Mr. Homan has suggested a focus on immigrants with criminal records, which is eminently reasonable. The murder of 22-year-old Laken Riley in Georgia by an undocumented Venezuelan criminal is one of countless cases of violence that the immigration system is there to prevent—to say nothing of drugs, child trafficking, smuggling, and sex slavery, all rampant evils that prowl at the border. 

Mr. Trump’s team is citing possibilities afforded by the Insurrection Act of 1807—which would allow the military to secure the southern border with Congressional approval—and the war-time Alien Enemies Act of 1798—which would allow the unconditional deportation of non-citizens from “enemy nations.” Whatever happens, be it a rapid or a gradual ramp up, it will be disruptive and expensive, requiring infrastructure, court hearings, and the cooperation of local law enforcement in blue cities. Besides, there is already a deportation backlog of 1.3 million illegal immigrants.

Catholics should stand for the rule of law to serve its purpose at the border and beyond, even if it is a system that seems to bar out more than bring in. Criminal control is an important measure of cultural control, and there is nothing un-Catholic about robust border security and reasonable regulations to keep those who are not prepared or equipped to participate in the American project out of America. That is an act of mercy as well. While the next act of mercy should be the much-needed reform that would allow for a safe and sensible immigration process, in the meantime, prepare for deportation.

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