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Press Releases
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Informational Materials
NEW REPORT
One Part of the Body: The Potential Impact of Deportations on American Christian Families
This report addresses the profound impact that mass deportations could have on Christian families and congregations across the United States if carried out in the way some policymakers have proposed. It was jointly issued by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Department of Migration and Refugee Services, the National Association of Evangelicals, World Relief, and the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
ViewAbout the Office
The MRS Office of Policy and Advocacy assists the U.S. Catholic bishops—and the USCCB's Committee on Migration in particular—with the development and promotion of migration and refugee policy positions within the context of the Church's social and moral teaching and implements efforts that foster greater awareness, understanding, and support for the work of MRS and the vulnerable populations it serves. To achieve this, the office works closely with dioceses, parishes, service providers, individual Catholics, and many others throughout the United States and beyond. Key objectives for the office include the passage of meaningful immigration reform that advances the common good, the eradication of human trafficking, and providing reliable information to Catholics and others at the intersection of immigration law and the Church's migration-related teaching. The MRS Office of Policy and Advocacy also assists with carrying the voice of the bishops to Congress and the executive branch.
Issues Covered
Migration is a vast and complex area. However, some key issues of concern for the bishops include:
• Comprehensive immigration reform
• Access to refugee resettlement and asylum
• Safeguarding unaccompanied children
• Just immigration enforcement
• Family-based immigration and family unity
• Protections for immigrant workers
• Anti-human trafficking efforts
• Root causes of migration
Join Our Movement
In 2004, the bishops founded the Justice for Immigrants Campaign to mobilize Catholics and others of goodwill in support of meaningful immigration reform and to help promote a culture of welcome in which all newcomers are treated with the respect that their God-given dignity requires. This movement has endured for over 20 years, and it remains a vital part of the U.S. Catholic Church's efforts to further the common good.
Learn MoreUnited in Partnership
MRS Policy and Advocacy collaborates closely with other offices of the USCCB, especially the Office of Government Relations, the Office of General Counsel, and the Office of Public Affairs. Additionally, the office engages regularly with many external partners, including Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Relief Services, and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. These partnerships are an integral part of the office's work in service of the bishops and the wider Church.
"[E]ven as we work to ensure that in every case migration is the fruit of a free decision, we are called to show maximum respect for the dignity of each migrant; this entails accompanying and managing waves of migration as best we can, constructing bridges and not walls, expanding channels for a safe and regular migration."
POPE FRANCIS
Message for the 109th World Day of Migrants and Refugees
Get in Touch
You can reach the MRS Office of Policy and Advocacy using our online contact form or write to MRS.