The U.S. Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph, of which the Congregation of St. Joseph is a member, has issued the following public statement, calling for the protection of all immigrants:
We, the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, join with the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) in strongly opposing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s proposed changes to the public charge regulation. We view such changes as yet another attempt by the Trump administration to restrict immigration and punish immigrant families, to force parents to make impossible choices between the well-being of their families and the prospect of future citizenship.
The rule changes would dramatically increase the barriers to lawful status for low-income immigrants and their families. It could dissuade parents from obtaining benefits for which their children qualify out of fear that they may not be able to regularize their immigration status in the future. Lack of access to public-benefits programs will increase poverty, hunger, homelessness, and disease, as well as decrease children’s school attendance and general well-being.
This stark attempt to target the most vulnerable within the immigrant community violates the tenets of our faith and threatens the values of our nation. We are called by our faith to welcome the stranger and care for the most vulnerable and we are challenged by our national values to promote the welfare of our children and tend to the common good. If we want our communities to thrive, all families in those communities must have access to the care and services they need — and to which they are entitled as human beings. The Trump administration’s proposed changes to the public charge regulation threaten all of us.
As Sisters of St. Joseph, committed by our heritage to embrace the Gospel message of unity and reconciliation, we urge people of faith to call for the protection of immigrants, especially those who are most vulnerable, and to register their objections to this unreasonable and mean-spirited proposal during the 60-day comment period.
Actions You Can Take:
Speak Out: Against the proposed rule changes with statements, press releases, letters to the editor, and social media posts. Use hashtags like #ProtectFamilies, #MyImmigrantStory or #OurAmericanStory to draw more awareness to the issue. When the rule has been formally published and the public comment period opens, we will send out the link on where to comment.
Educate Yourself: Learn more about the public charge and the proposed rule changes. Visit websites like Catholic Legal Immigration Network; Interfaith Immigration Coalition; NETWORK Lobby; Protecting Immigrant Families for more information.
Vote: For candidates in the midterm elections who believe in the just and humane treatment of ALL immigrants.
You can read the original statement from the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph here.
The Congregation of St. Joseph is dedicated to love of the dear neighbor, without distinction. We believe that we are all one people, and we work to bring all people together in love of God and one another. Learn more about our immigration efforts here.
