Foreign Affairs

Catholic Leaders Denounce Trump’s Asylum, Family Separation Policies

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The head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on Wednesday denounced the Trump administration’s recent immigration policy decisions, saying that tough enforcement measures could cause “irreparable harm and trauma” to children and families.

The statement by USCCB president Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, the archbishop of the Galveston-Houston archdiocese, condemns two Justice Department policies: tightening asylum standards to exclude most domestic violence victims and separating migrant families while prosecuting adults for illegal entry.

Known as a “presidential statement,” the document received the support of USCCB’s full body of bishops, according to Crux, a news site that covers the Catholic Church. It comes as the USCCB begins its annual general assembly in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Wednesday.

“At its core, asylum is an instrument to preserve the right to life,” DiNardo said in the statement. “The Attorney General’s recent decision elicits deep concern because it potentially strips asylum from many women who lack adequate protection.”

DiNardo was referring to a legal opinion released by Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday that said fear of domestic abuse alone is not enough to qualify for asylum, a ruling that could affect thousands of migrants from Central American countries. Sessions’ ruling overturned a recent precedent that abused women could be considered part of a “particular social group” facing persecution, and therefore qualify for asylum protection under U.S. law.

“Unless overturned, the decision will erode the capacity of asylum to save lives, particularly in cases that involve asylum seekers who are persecuted by private actors,” DiNardo said. “We urge courts and policy makers to respect and enhance, not erode, the potential of our asylum system to preserve and protect the right to life.”

The USCCB statement went on to condemn what is perhaps the administration’s most controversial immigration policy — separating migrant children from their parents while the adults are prosecuted for unlawful entry.

In an April order, Sessions called for a “zero tolerance” policy on illegal border crossings and instructed U.S. attorneys to charge as many unlawful entry cases as possible. Since migrant children cannot legally be held in federal criminal detention facilities, they must be separated from their parents while the adults are prosecuted.

The Trump administration argues prosecuting migrant parents traveling with children is a needed deterrent to further illegal immigration, but the USCCB says any policy that results in the separation of migrant families is “immoral.”

“Families are the foundational element of our society and they must be able to stay together,” DiNardo wrote. “While protecting our borders is important, we can and must do better as a government, and as a society, to find other ways to ensure that safety.”

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