Bishop says Catholic teaching does not support ‘open border policy’

Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington signaled Friday that Catholic teachings support President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement.

Pope Francis and several bishops have previously taken stances against the president, calling Trump’s mass deportation plans a “disgrace” and stating that Catholic teaching requires countries to be open to migrants. Burbidge stated that although Catholics should affirm the dignity of migrants, nations also have a duty to uphold the rule of law and common good for its citizens.

“As the United States government revises its immigration policies, and after prayerful discernment and consultation, I offer pastoral encouragement to President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, Congressional leaders, elected officials, and all Catholics and people of goodwill to consider the common good of our country with the light of faith,” Burbidge wrote. “The Church teaches, as does our Constitution, that a political community exists to protect the family and human dignity. We always defend and protect the most vulnerable, even as we defend the rights and duties of nations to govern themselves and to safeguard the common good.”

“As principles of Catholic social teaching, human dignity and the common good must not be brought into conflict,” Burbidge continued. “As Catholics, we understand the common good as inclusive of the individual good of each and every member of society. We also understand that the rule of law is to defend and promote the common good. For this reason, I have confidence that comprehensive immigration reform need not harm the dignity of any person. Even when immigration reform includes repatriation of those persons who have committed violent crimes, or who otherwise violate the terms of a right to remain, human dignity can be respected. We must not presume a conflict between human dignity and the rule of law.”

Pope Francis has frequently been at odds with Trump, reportedly appointing a liberal bishop to the Archdiocese of Washington as an intentional roadblock to the president after he appointed Brian Burch, president of the advocacy organization CatholicVote and avid supporter of Trump’s immigration policies, to the position of Vatican ambassador. Prior to the November election, the Pope implied that Trump’s stance on immigration was level with former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ limitless pro-abortion stance.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has also taken a stand against the president’s immigration policy, disagreeing that Church teachings support limits on immigration.

“The use of sweeping generalizations to denigrate any group, such as describing all undocumented immigrants as ‘criminals’ or ‘invaders,’ to deprive them of protection under the law, is an affront to God, who has created each of us in his own image,” USCCB wrote in a January memo. “Pope Francis has stated, ‘No one will ever openly deny that [migrants] are human beings, yet in practice, by our decisions and the way we treat them, we can show that we consider them less worthy, less important, less human. For Christians, this way of thinking and acting is unacceptable.’”

“As the Catechism of the Catholic Church emphasizes, Catholic teaching does not support an open border policy, but rather emphasizes a common sense approach where the duty to care for the stranger is practiced in harmony with the duty to care for the nation,” Burbidge concluded in his statement. “Therefore, I encourage President Trump and Congressional leaders to develop a national immigration policy that reflects the Catholic commitment to human dignity and the common good. Americans earnestly look to our elected officials for a humane and peaceful immigration policy that is just, compassionate, and restores confidence in the rule of law. American law must always include pathways for legal entry and as citizens we should always celebrate the contributions of immigrants, ensure the protection of the vulnerable, and uphold the common good which is the condition for ordered liberty and public safety.”

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