Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
“[To] ‘make America great again’ we also need a comprehensive immigration reform that protects our borders and at the same time allows a path to citizenship for the millions who already live among us. If we need ‘walls,’ we need walls with ‘doors’ because some of our ‘greatest Americans’ have been immigrants or refugees … we won’t make America great again by making America mean.”
— Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski, November 14
Where to begin.
This is a column impossible to imagine just 10 days ago. Despite raising and spending vastly more money than Donald Trump, despite celebrity endorsements, despite the predictions of experts and pollsters, despite the vigorous support of a sitting president, and despite the thinly disguised loathing of her rival by much of the mass media, Hillary Clinton is not the president-elect. Donald Trump is.
Whatever else can be said about the 2016 campaign, Mr. Trump’s message clearly connected with massive numbers of ordinary Americans, and he won an open election fairly. He cannot be dismissed as a fluke. He deserves our prayers and an opportunity to serve the nation well without being deliberately undermined by his critics.
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As others have already noted, Mr. Trump is a pragmatist. After eight years of an ideologically zealous White House, that could be a good thing. But words and actions have consequences. The trademark Trump bluster on the campaign trail further divided a fractured nation and frightened millions of immigrants and members of ethnic and racial minorities. Media hostile to Mr. Trump have clearly made the problem worse. But the main author of the current ugliness is Trump himself. And only he can fix it with responsible language and behavior, and a willingness to listen to those who feel threatened by his victory.
Ensuring public safety, the solvency of our public institutions and the nation’s border security in an age of narco-syndicates and terrorism — Mr. Trump has voiced all these concerns, and they’re all legitimate goals. But the vast majority of undocumented persons in the United States are decent people. They pose no threat to anyone. They want a fruitful life, they work for a living, they raise families, and their children born here are American citizens.
In other words, they’re a vital resource for the future of our country, not a tumor to be cut out of the body. Sweeping talk of building a border wall and deporting millions of people is not just impractical and wrong-headed. It’s also dangerous. It fuels anti-immigrant resentment. And it feeds the anxiety now creating turmoil in immigrant and minority communities.
Over the past week I’ve heard from dozens of laypeople and pastors in our Latino and other minority communities. Many spoke of sleepless nights and “great concern and fear” among their people. Another wrote that his “community was very upset, and feeling numb and hopeless.” Another, who lives in Center City, said that someone threatened his foreign-born wife on the street and warned her to go back where she came from. These are not invented stories. They involve real people and real suffering.
One of our pastoral workers wrote of a young man we’ll call Eduardo:
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Eduardo’s younger sister is a citizen, but he is not. His mother is undocumented, living here, and his father was deported shortly after his asylum papers were denied. I’ve known Eduardo since he was a boy. Currently he volunteers his time to help others with computer, social media and young adult activities. Eduardo is now able to attend university, have a license, work and help support his family due to DACA [the Obama administration’s executive order Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration policy]. He had a very successful internship with a bank this past summer and was already offered a job upon graduation. All of this could be lost if President-elect Trump overturns DACA and decides to deport all the undocumented members of our society and Church. This will tear apart families and have terrible consequences for many of our American citizens and the very fiber of our communities.
Hate crimes, racist incidents and anti-immigrant prejudice all rose during the recent presidential campaign. For a nation where most people still describe themselves as Christians, these things are inexcusable. But we’d also be wise to remember that hate has not been a monopoly of the cultural right over the past 15 months. There have been numerous incidents of Trump supporters who have been beaten, threatened, spit on, verbally abused, their property damaged and their meetings disrupted. Along with many expressions of fear from the immigrant community last week, I also received this email from a committed Catholic woman friend:
Please keep my extended family in your prayers. My guess is you may be receiving this kind of request from many families across the country. There’s a rift growing day by day between Trump and Clinton voters. I must say it is mainly the Clinton voters who are attacking the Trump supporters. The worst is one of my sisters who read the riot act to another sister who happens to be 85 years old and a nun. She [the religious sister] was driven to tears all the while thinking she must defend her vote. This must stop. I am not sure even how to handle all of this. Please pray for us.
Mr. Trump’s election has drawn the contradictions in American public life to the surface; poisons that have been brewing on both the cultural left and cultural right for a very long time. As Catholics, we now get to choose whether we’re Christians first and consistently, or just the latest version of political animals in religious clothing. We need to help the president-elect do what’s right, support him when he does, and resist him — respectfully but firmly — when doesn’t.
We need to begin that work now. And decency to the strangers and immigrants among us is the right place to start.
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Editor’s Note: Columns by Archbishop Chaput will be published regularly on CatholicPhilly.com and can also be found at http://archphila.org/archbishop-chaput/statements/statements.php.
I’m stymied by those who insist upon using terms like ‘undocumented persons’ and ‘immigrants’ as synonyms for ‘illegal immigrants’. It seems very disingenuous, as does saying we need to support Mr. Trump when he does right and resist him when he doesn’t, which presupposes he has intentions of doing wrong. He has never – ever – spoken against immigrants. He has said there are many illegal immigrants who are good, hardworking people and we need to find a way to streamline our immigration policies so they can become citizens. Worst case scenario, if that involved actually physically deporting someone to their native country and having them get in line for their turn, it would result in a temporary upset for their family. And if things go as Mr. Trump plans, that temporary upset would be short termed. My goodness, we have men and women in the military who are separated from their families. Everyone survives. We have parents of beautiful, innocent children who break laws and are incarcerated. They survive. We have parents who die and leave widows and orphans. They survive. We cannot remove the consequences of every action. And how in the heck did babies in the womb, in danger of being aborted, take a back seat to illegal immigrants?
Give Trump a chance. He has a big ego. He will want to do the right thing.
It is unbelievable that after all the campaign in favor of Trump, without thinking of the immigrants, now he is trying to act as if he has nothing to do and it is in our favor…. (of immigrants)….
Clara, that is unfair statement. We must give M r. Trump a chance. I sincerely believe with God’s help & american citizens support he will do his very best to make America great again He has made some mistakes & we mist not forget he is human first. God bless him & his staff.
Well said Abp. Chaput. I might add that something else is urgently needed here: civic literacy. It is appalling to consider the vast number of US residents who know little of how government works, and why, for example (checks and balances), it is highly unlikely that Pres.-Elect Trump will be able to get a wall built or begin mass deportations. Our public schools have be negligent (to put it charitably) in educating the young in the very basics of our country’s political system.
You are believing a lot of MSM narrative and not is what actually going on.
-Often Trump mentioned having “a big beautiful gate.” He himself is married to a legal immigrant. More Hispanics voted for him than Romney. They don’t want illegal immigrants to ignore the borders either.
-This completely ignores the many MANY reports of violence and death threats against Trump supporters.
-I suggest you speak with the thousands of crime victims, surviving family members, and border ranchers/citizens about “feeling unsafe.”
-The government’s job is to protect the border. The Church’s job is to care for those who are poor or refugees. I suggest instead you press for more freedom for us to do so instead of needlessly stoking racial strife.
Although I appreciate what you said in this post, I’m stunned at what you did not say. You did not begin this critique with sound celebration of Mr. Trump’s pro-life, pro-religious liberty stance. Also his amazing business gifts that will help this once great economy heal from such lack of good leadership. Why do you refuse to acknowledge the great need for strong borders in this most dangerous time of hideous evil attacks? What a missed opportunity to help our nation be edified and healed.
I am a potential immigrant, legally residing in the United States. I do not think you understand the problems faced by us. I wanted Donald Trump to win this election. The reason – Comprehensive Immigration Reform must be stopped at all costs. Comprehensive Immigration Reform will be a slap in the face of people like me who want to legally immigrate to United States, and waiting in the line for years. There are also several businesses, hospitals, in dire need for highly skilled professionals. Immigration has to give justice for both – the businesses in dire need for workers, and those foreign nationals applying to take those jobs. Unfortunately, the current immigration laws of United States does not help anyone, except large corporations who can bear the enormous costs of bringing foreign labor. As these foreign nationals dependent on their job for legal status, the corporations also get to control their wages. Families like mine, depend on my employer extending the contract every one or two years, to stay together. We pay all the taxes from social security to medicaid, but receive little or no benefits.
Donald Trump, in many interviews, clearly stated his preference for legal, high skilled immigration, and wants to fix the problems it is causing in the labor market. He wants a United States, where foreign nationals who respect the government and the laws of this country, who take risks and works hard, to become naturalized. Why must people who break the law be even encouraged ? Illegal immigration is not immigration. It is an issue with the law enforcement and border control in this country.
You choose to focus your article on immigration and I agree that immigration is the key to our a successful and rewarding future of our nation. Immigrants bring a sense of enthusiasm and desire that helps feed the rest of our society. Immigrants or potential immigrant also need to respect the rule of law. By coming here illegally they made a choice to break our laws. I do understand there is a lot of desperation out there and our country provides a beacon of hope for them. Our focus has to be on security and policy, open borders and rewarding people for being disobedient is not going to cultivate a culture of love and compassion.
A second comment I have is what about those of us that felt threaten by Hilary and the Democrat party? The continuous and relentless attack on the unborn, the possibility of a “Catholic Springs” where the government has stood up groups specifically to target the Catholic Church and drive division? I am every bit as scared of my rights to practice my religion and homeschool my children as those illegal immigrants are about their deportation. Yet my religious leaders choose to publicly defend them and I am left out on my own.
I pray that our catholic bishops will see there many needs in our own house that need attention and many law abiding good catholics that also feel threatened.
God Bless
Homeschooling father of 8, Pro life catholic
I am conflicted over the immigration issue. Democrats have failed miserably in educating the public on the reasons why so many south of the border come to the US. If they are refugees, what is it that is causing them physical and mental harm? Is Mexico some kind of totalitarian regime that inhibits basic human rights? If we have never had open borders before and required a legal path to citizenship, why should we have open borders now and not demand that immigrants work toward citizenship as is the law? I do not believe in sanctuary cities because they protect the criminal elements within the immigrant population. They should be jailed like natives if they commit crimes, then deported after their punishments are served. I see at least three problems from a Catholic perspective that Catholic leaders, liberals, and media ignore. First, is the lack of serious scrutiny given to these foreign governments that is causing them to jettison their own citizens. Why should they not be held accountable for their failures? In effect we are an “off-line” budget source of expense savings for these countries. Second, the use of criminal elements within these countries using refugees to carry out their illegal activities in the US–meaning drug distribution to US natives that do not give a darn about immigrants as long as they get their drugs, and which results in more crime in the US and in border-towns on both sides of the border. Innocents are being killed and we stand by and do nothing. And third, the lack of a sound plan to integrate and assimilate illegals in this country, which is contrary to law, projects a sense of financial favoritism over hard-working and tax paying Americans, and builds resentment. Though it may not be so, it feels like one group is stealing from another group and not doing their fair share. It’s not only human nature to think so, but exacerbates the notion that we are further dividing into “mini-subcultures” that do not talk to each other. We see the reports out of Europe when vast numbers of unassimilated foreigners and cultures clash. The backlash reverts to strict controls, loss of freedoms, and police enforcement. We do not want that here, but it can only be avoided if we return to a rational, fair plan. I do not see it yet. Finally, I am opposed to a wall, because it reminds me of the Berlin Wall. However, I believe that immigration is a matter of national security and therefore favor augmenting border patrols with our military and drones in lieu of walls.
Thank you for this. My heart and prayers go out to those living in fear. My prayers also go to the Trump administration. I pray they do what is right and humane, not necessarily what is popular or demanded. This culture needs prayers. How can we find God when we can’t even love our neighbor and sometimes we even fail to love our family
Archbishop Chaput, I greatly appreciate what you have said here. It touches nerves that I know should not be allowed to remain static. However, there has also been anxiety and turmoil in non-immigrant and non-minority communities for quite some time now. And this anxiety and turmoil is only heightened when we are told by leaders, celebrities, newsmakers, talking heads, and our shepherds that it is simply irrational or a sign of anti-immigrant resentment.
I am not anti-immigrant; I am pro rule-of-law. I for certain want our immigration law to be compassionate, and intelligent, and for the dignity of persons first – but I want it to be LAW. What we have now is anarchy, with people in positions of power saying they will refuse to obey any immigration law, and saying it with impunity. We have groups of desperate people, desperate children, willing to risk lives in dangerous, foolish, and illegal ways because they see this lawlessness in our country. And we have groups of people who both take advantage of this desperation and seek to stoke it into flames of chaos because it serves their purposes — none of them noble.
I would also argue that this push for immigration anarchy changes the expectations of the immigrant communities. I would have guessed previously that realistic expectations would be along the lines of hope, determination, and gratitude. But all current citizens see are ever-expanding demands coupled with a distinct disgust toward the country to which these communities have chosen to immigrate. Not to mention the outright collusion of foreign governments in adding to this rancor.
The work you call for is work in which I want to take part. I guess I would just argue that that work must also include the recognition that it’s not unreasonable – or anti-immigrant, or a sign of resentment, or irrational – to believe that one’s government’s first priority is the safety and prosperity of its own citizens.
God bless you, and thank you for hearing.
If we are to be completely honest about all this, much of the blame can be squarely placed on the left wing liberal press followed by the liberal professors and teachers who are extreme progressives and I have seen it in my family with grandchildren who come home with horror stories that were taught in the public school system with much of this fueled by Soros and the Democrats and after what they tired to do to the Church according to the wiki leaks of Podesta, it shocked me to see Cd Dolan yukking it up with a profound and proud promoter of abortion and even partial birth abortion without even so much as an apology proving once again, the means justifies the end. Again, if we are to be completely honest the Catholic Church is at fault in this situation as well in that they have encouraged and in some cases even protected illegal immigrants without distinguishing the felons and drug lords from the people who came here for economic reasons. Some, not all of these left wing liberal self serving bishops have actually reprimanded priests for giving sermons and putting up a sign informing Catholics they must vote pro-life and not involve themselves in politics while they themselves travel to Wash. D.C. to side with the Obama administration in a Supreme Court suit to prevent Ariz. from enforcing immigration laws to protect their citizens from coyotes (smugglers), drug gangs and felons. Pres.-Elect Trump has said recently since elected that his first priority for deportation are the felons, criminals, drug gangs and those who break our laws and should not be here. He will secure the border as any country has a right to do and after that he will deal with those who are hard working, been here for sometime and stay out of trouble. The Church should not engage in the fear tactics of the liberal press and Democrats which is I know, hard for them since they have been so devoted to them since the Kennedys in the sixties when social justice issues which now includes illegal immigration took precedence over abortion, but should instead instruct them to stay out of trouble and continue on and remain faithful to the Church fas there will be a path at some point in the future according to Pres.-Elect Trump and those are his words, not mine or the left wing hate filled media, after all we know where fear comes from.
There is nothing un-Catholic about building a wall to protect the border, especially in the wake of 9/11 where the majority of the hijackers came up through the southern border. Trump has repeatedly mentioned that he planned to deport the criminals and there was room for those who weren’t criminals to be naturalized. So, I don’t see where the conflict is with Catholic doctrine. Your emotional story about “Eduardo” only furthers the reason why illegal immigration has gotten out of control. Eduardo is able to attend a university and have an internship as an illegal immigrant and he’s more than likely had reduced and even in-state tuition rates, the likes no veteran had who hadn’t applied to an in-state school. Furthermore, no other American child would have that luxury. Perhaps Eduardo shouldn’t be deported but he most definitely doesn’t have priority to an American education and occupation before other qualified Americans.
Forgive me but it seems as though the tone of your article is projecting the cause of bigotry onto Donald Trump as that is the title liberals in this country give to conservatives and those who want border security in an effort to shore up votes. Furthermore, I personally detest the word “hate crime” because I’m not sure there’s any violent crime committed out of compassion.
I don’t know what “poisons” you’re referring to on the cultural right but again it seems as though this is pointed at those who want America to be for Americans first. Lastly, how would you know building a border wall is impractical? Have you crunched the numbers, looked at the bill of materials (BOM), reviewed the amount of labor necessary, etc? I would venture not. There are many countries with border walls currently in place and my guess is that if those countries could pull it off, there’s no reason why the wealthiest, most industrialized country in the world couldn’t pull it off. I reject the notion that I’m wrong-headed for thinking a wall should be built. There’s no basis for you labeling those who have thought a great deal about this particular topic, whatsoever.
Nicely said
For a variety of reasons over the past 160 or so years the United States (Caesar) has put immigration laws on the books. For the most part they were followed all that time, until recently. Obeying those laws is rendering unto Caesar, disobeying them is not. Legal immigrants are the backbone of the country, illegal ones thumb their noses at those who rendered unto Caesar. Would Jesus approve of those flouting the law?
Excellency,
“Where to begin?”
Why is it that you never advised “ordinary Americans” that President Obama was not only fairly elected but also fairly re-elected, and that he was not “a fluke”? Did he not also deserve “an opportunity to serve the nation well without being deliberately undermined by his critics”?
Mr. Trump was not only a critic, disdaining President Obama’s performance; he also groundlessly challenged the validity of the President’s citizenship and religion. Is that the message that “clearly connected with massive numbers of Americans”?
A few weeks ago, you said that you would begin by offering us your personal views of the presidential candidates. I don’t know if your personal views influenced the majority of Catholics who voted for Trump, but his election has thwarted the way forward by stoking nostalgia for “the good old days and that old time religion,” promising to “make America (and God) great again,” just not telling us how.
With all due respect, Excellency, It is no longer a question of where to begin. It is now a plea from “the least,” the minorities who are on the peripheries: “…to whom shall we go?” (Jn. 7:68) Mr. Trump has called them “losers.”
Respectfully and with an aching heart,
Rolando Rodriguez, OSF.
Please don’t forget all of the disparaging and disrespectful remakes towards women. You mention minorities and immigrants but neglected to mention Mr Trump’s vial remarks and attitude towards women.
We, although americans, lived in Mexico twice. We had to obey Mexican immigration law or be deported. I do feel it would be just to keep the people brought here as children, along with their parents. But criminals should be deported and a wall built along the border. Plus mayors need to hold people here illegally who break the law for federal deportation
What a thoughtful and inspiring reflection on the state of things in our country
Thank you, Archbishop for another well thought out article. As always, there is good reason for prayer. Among the many, many immigrants in our country there are those who make positive contributions that fit in with the American way of life. Their actions often go unnoticed because the hand fits the glove. These people are far from being deplorable.