DETROIT (Michigan News Source) – Michigan’s Catholic bishops have issued a pastoral note making one thing abundantly clear: when it comes to immigration, legal status is irrelevant – their support is unwavering. Citing scripture and moral obligation, ten bishops of the Michigan Catholic Conference including the Archbishop of Detroit, pledged “unyielding support” for all illegal immigrants, no matter how or when they arrived in the United States.

In their pastoral note to migrants released in English and Spanish at the beginning of the week, they said, “We hear and empathize with families across the state who express anxiety and fear over mass deportations and harmful rhetoric that broadly demeans our immigrant brothers and sisters. As shepherds of our flocks, we pledge amid such uncertainty to promote through the Michigan Catholic Conference and in our respective dioceses unyielding support and respect for the human dignity of all migrant people in our midst.”

Michigan Bishops invoke scripture to support immigrants.

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The bishops, including Archbishop Allen Vigneron of Detroit, framed their argument in religious terms, quoting Matthew 25:35,40: “I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me… Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”

Catholics make up the largest religious group in Michigan, with nearly 1.5 million statewide. In the six counties of the Archdiocese of Detroit alone, there are approximately 900,000 Catholics.

Bishops push pathway to citizenship.

While the bishops insist they aren’t advocating for open borders, their call for a “fair pathway to citizenship” sounds an awful lot like a demand for blanket amnesty. And when they urge lawmakers to keep immigrant families “safe and united,” it raises an inconvenient question: What about the families of Americans affected by the crimes of illegal immigrants? Those issues aren’t raised in the pastoral note.

While Michigan’s Catholic bishops frame their stance as a moral obligation, their unwavering support for illegal immigrants raises significant questions about priorities, policy, and financial motivations. With hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds flowing to church-affiliated organizations all over the country and a growing divide over immigration’s impact on American communities, their current advocacy, especially amidst Trump’s mass deportation of criminal illegal immigrants, is bound to face scrutiny.

Federal funds and faithful convictions.

Naturally, critics, including Catholic conservative Vice President J.D. Vance, have pointed out the financial incentives at play in all of this. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has received over $100 million in federal funding to aid immigrant resettlement, which raises eyebrows about whether their support of immigrants is about charity or just good business. In a statement about working with the governement, the USCCB said “Faithful to the teaching of Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church has a long history of serving refugees.” They also add, “In our agreements with the

government, the USCCB receives funds to do this work; however, these funds are not sufficient to cover the entire cost of these programs. Nonetheless, this remains a work of mercy and ministry of the Church.”

Catholics helping illegal immigrants circumvent ICE.

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However, a recent video from Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee’s Refugee & Immigration Services Program has ignited controversy around the country. In the video, immigration attorney Barbara Graham provides guidance to undocumented migrants on how to handle encounters with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during workplace investigations. She advises individuals to remain calm, inquire if they are free to leave, exercise their right to remain silent, and decline to show identification or sign documents without legal counsel present.

According to a report from the New York Post, she also advises illegal immigrants to obstruct authorities by refusing to disclose details such as their birthplace or how they entered the U.S. A ProPublica audit of Virginia-based Catholic Charities USA’s finances revealed that the 114-year-old organization received nearly $2 million in federal grants in 2021. Back in 2010, the group’s numerous local affiliates were collectively pulling in close to $2.9 billion annually from the government – accounting for roughly 62% of its $4.67 billion yearly revenue, according to the New York Times. The organization reported that 638,000 individuals have received immigration assistance through its network of 119 affiliates.

Ultimately, the Michigan bishops’ stance on illegal immigration highlights a growing divide between faith-based advocacy, national immigration policy and public sentiment on Trump’s mass deportation plans. While they frame their support as a moral imperative rooted in scripture, the financial entanglements and broader societal impacts cannot be ignored.