Archbishop Pérez, son of migrants, tells migrants: 'You are not alone'

(OSV News) -- "You are not alone," said Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia -- the son of Cuban exiles -- addressing migrants in a July 23 pastoral letter on immigration.

The archbishop assured migrants that "the Church is a community of faith, and the divine person of Christ, who was forced to flee his homeland as a child, holds you in his compassionate arms."

Archbishop Pérez's letter -- posted in both English and Spanish to CatholicPhilly.com, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's media outlet -- adds to a growing chorus from U.S. Catholic prelates who have expressed grave concerns over the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration to the U.S.

The archbishop's reflection follows a Jan. 30 statement in which he called for "serious and carefully thought out immigration policy reforms … that will blend dignity, mercy, and justice."
Following through on a campaign pledge, President Donald Trump has sought to purge the nation of what Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has called "criminal" and "illegal aliens."

Among the administration’s efforts are terminating protected status for migrants from several conflict-wrought nations; fully or partly banning travel to the U.S. from several nations; ordering Immigration and Customs Enforcement to meet daily arrest quotas of 3,000; halting visa interviews for foreign students; attempting to end birthright citizenship; and deporting individuals without permanent legal status in the U.S. to third countries in defiance of court orders.

While the administration claims to target criminal actors in its sweeps, several high-profile arrests and deportations have impacted individuals with no demonstrated criminal record. Some 71.5% (40,643) of the 56,813 held in ICE detention as of July 13 have no criminal conviction, other than entering the U.S. without permission, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. The TRAC team also noted that "many of those convicted committed only minor offenses, including traffic violations.

Among those who have so far spoken out against the Trump administration's iron-fisted approach are Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. military archdiocese, who is president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, who called for prayer and for restraint amid violent clashes in that city over immigration arrests; Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, whose archdiocese is home to large expatriate Haitian and Cuban communities and who recently led prayer outside the controversial Alligator Alcatraz migrant detention facility located in the Venice Diocese; and San Diego Bishop Michael M. Pham, who was born in Vietnam and fled to the U.S. as a 13-year-old refugee in 1980, along with his older sister and younger brother.

"Recent news reports detailing the arrest of immigrants throughout the country, including the Philadelphia region, have produced a great deal of fear and unleashed a broad range of other emotions. These events have impacted the migrant community in deeply troubling ways," said Archbishop Pérez in his July 23 letter.

"I am witnessing your sorrow with great sadness and concern as are people of goodwill from all walks of life," he said, adding, "As the son of immigrants, I have found recent events particularly heartbreaking."

The 64-year-old archbishop said in a February 2020 Spanish-language interview with Telemundo 62, "Yo digo que fui hecho en Cuba, pero desempaquetado en Miami" ("I was conceived in Cuba, but born (literally, 'unpacked') in Miami").

His parents, David and Emma Pérez, had fled Cuba, where in 1959 the dictatorship of President Fulgencio Batista fell to what would become the first communist regime in the Western hemisphere under Premier Fidel Castro. Shortly after their arrival in Miami, the Pérez family relocated to northern New Jersey, where the future archbishop, born in 1961, was raised.

In his July 23 letter, Archbishop Pérez highlighted Catholic social teaching on immigration, which seeks to balance three interrelated principles -- the right of people to migrate in order to sustain their lives and those of their families, the right of a country to regulate its borders and control immigration, and a nation's duty to regulate its borders with justice and mercy.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church also instructs that "the more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin" (Catechism, 2241).

"As Catholics, we believe our eternal homeland is heaven, and that as citizens of earth, the dignity of every person means everyone should have a safe place to live, with the opportunity to work for a just wage," said Archbishop Pérez in his pastoral letter. "Many of you came to the United States seeking new opportunities far away from oppressive regimes and endured difficult and dangerous circumstances to start life anew here."

He said, "Your presence and your contributions to society through hard work and upright living are a blessing to our country and to our Church."

"No one should be forced to live in fear of unjust persecution," he said.

"I encourage you to remain close with the members of your parish communities and the priests who provide you with pastoral care," said Archbishop Pérez.

That exhortation comes as at least two U.S. dioceses have publicly addressed fears of immigration arrests at parishes. Bishop Alberto Rojas of San Bernardino, California, issued a July 8 dispensation from the Sunday Mass obligation for those with a genuine fear of ICE raids. In May, the Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee, released a message, disseminated to diocesan parishes, reminding the faithful that according to the church’s own teaching and canon law, they are not required to attend Sunday Mass if they fear for their well-being.

"We recognize that our country is rightly safeguarded by law enforcement officials. They uphold the common good by protecting all of us from human trafficking, the exploitation of children, and any other criminal offense against human dignity," wrote Archbishop Pérez. "At the same time, we strongly advocate for immigration policies that guarantee the protection of life, liberty, and property of all those who call the United States of America home, natural born citizens and those working toward citizenship alike."

Noting that "there is no instant solution to the challenges pervading immigration policy," he said, "I urge everyone in parish communities to unite through prayer and social unity with the immigrant faithful under the leadership of parish pastors."

Archbishop Pérez concluded his letter with a prayer for migrants and for the nation as a whole.

"The Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph cared for the child Jesus in the mystery of the flight into Egypt and their intercession is with us today. I pray with you and for you that you experience the protection of God," he said. "May our Lord bless our country with peace and inspire comprehensive immigration reform that respects the law and provides meaningful opportunities for all those who wish to call the United States of America their home."