US Bishops Assure They Will Keep Supporting Refugees During Trump Presidency

Auxiliary Bishop Eusebio Elizondo of Seattle, chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Migration, congratulated U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on the outcome of the elections but also reiterated the Church’s continued support and solidarity to migrant and refugee families.

The statement notes the bishops will keep supporting all efforts to uphold refugees’ rights and dignity and in doing so, Bishop Elizondo urged the family unit to be protected and kept together as “the cornerstone of society”.

“Behind every ‘statistic’ is a person who is a mother, father, son, daughter, sister or brother and has dignity as a child of God. We pray that as the new administration begins its role leading our country, it will recognize the contributions of refugees and immigrants to the overall prosperity and well-being of our nation,” Bishop Elizondo stated.

Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, asked fellow bishops to support Bishop Elizondo’s statement, reiterating the message ‘We are with You’ to refugees and migrants and urging American elected officials to cooperate to open doors to them without jeopardizing American core values and national security.

• Read Bishop Elizondo’s original statement on USCCB’s website.