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US Bishops: Immigration enforcement must respect human life
In light of several recent immigration enforcement encounters resulting in the loss of life, US Bishops Daniel E. Garcia and Brendan J. Cahill issue a pastoral reflection calling for immigration enforcement that always respects the God-given dignity of every person and rejecting the dehumanization of immigrants.
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
“As Catholics, we believe that all persons are created in the image and likeness of God and, therefore, grieve all situations where human life is brought to an unnatural end.”
With these words, Bishop Daniel E. Garcia, chairman of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation, and Bishop Brendan J. Cahill, chairman of the Committee on Migration, begin the pastoral reflection they issued in light of several recent immigration enforcement encounters resulting in the loss of life in the United States.
The Bishops’ reflection, published on July 20, 2026, on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, expressed sorrow for the lives lost. While affirming the necessary work of civil authorities, it stressed that law enforcement must never compromise human dignity or human life.
‘Power of the state must be exercised within limits of the moral law’
In the statement, the Bishops reiterated, “We continue to affirm the legitimate role of civil authorities to implement the law in a humane manner and with respect for fundamental human rights, including the rights to life and due process.”
Bishop Garcia and Bishop Cahill insisted, “The power of the state must always be exercised within the limits of the moral law.”
“To that end,” they continued, “we call for accountability, transparency, and justice, which require that meaningful reforms be made to our immigration system.”
Concerns over racial profiling
Recalling the words of the US Bishops last November, they reiterated, “We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement.”
Racial profiling, they stated, “not only violates God-given dignity, but also inflicts profound harm on individuals, families, and communities by fostering fear, eroding trust, and increasing the risk of unjust and even tragic outcomes.”
The Bishops acknowledged that their pastoral concerns were distinct from what civil law itself may permit.
Diminishing or disregarding human dignity cannot be normalized
“Acts that diminish or disregard the dignity of any person or group of people,” Bishop Garcia and Bishop Cahill stressed, “should never be normalized in our society.”
They identified “the dehumanization of immigrants, regardless of their legal status” and “the vilification of law enforcement officers” as two examples of attitudes that should never be normalized.
Finally, they joined in praying for the souls of those killed, for their families, for the nation, and for all those entrusted with the duties of public service. They also prayed “for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric, racial prejudice, and violence and for a renewed commitment to recognizing the inherent dignity of every person as a child of God.”
“We plead,” they concluded, “for the intercession of Mary, Our Mother, who is the model of perfect faith in times of grief, hardship, and uncertainty.”
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