Cardinal DiNardo’s Thanksgiving Message Calls for Protection of Immigrant and Refugee Families
WASHINGTON— (Nov. 20, 2017) – Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has offered a Thanksgiving Day message to the nation, expressing special gratitude for the gift of immigrants and refugees while calling for an end to policies that threaten their families.
A Thanksgiving Reflection on the Vulnerable
As we pause this Thursday to thank God for our many blessings, my brother bishops and I are especially attentive to those often excluded from this great abundance—the poor, the sick, the addicted, the unborn, the unemployed, and especially migrants and refugees.
An Urgent Call to Address ‘Unthinkable’ Policies
My brothers have expressed a shared and ever-greater sense of alarm—and urgency to act—in the face of policies that seemed unthinkable only a short time ago. These include:
- The deportation of Dreamers, young hard-working people who should be the lowest priority for deportation.
- The anxiety and uncertainty for those with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from countries like Haiti, El Salvador, and Honduras, which remain ill-equipped to humanely receive them.
- An unprecedented reduction in the number of refugees we will welcome this year who seek refuge from war and religious persecution.
One common feature of all these developments is their tendency to tear apart the family, the fundamental building block of our society. These threats to so many vulnerable immigrant and refugee families must end now.
A Two-Fold Call to Congress
1. Immediate Legislation: My brothers have urged me to speak out on their behalf to urge the immediate passage—and signature—of legislation that would alleviate these immediate threats to these families.
2. Comprehensive Reform: These policies are symptoms of an immigration system that is profoundly broken and requires comprehensive reform. This is a longer-term goal, one that the bishops have advocated for decades to achieve. Only by complete reform will we have the hope of achieving the common goals of welcoming the most vulnerable, ensuring due process and humane treatment, protecting national security, and respecting the rule of law.
A Thanksgiving Prayer
So this year, I give thanks for the gift and contributions of immigrants and refugees to our great nation. I also pray that next year, families now under threat will not be broken and dispersed, but instead will be united in joy around their tables, giving thanks for all the blessings our nation has to offer.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving all!