For National Migration Week, bishops call for solidarity with immigrants amid 'fear, anxiety'

WASHINGTON (OSV News) -- Ahead of the U.S. Catholic Church's observance of its annual National Migration Week, taking place this year Sept. 22-28, the U.S. bishops reiterated their longstanding efforts to show solidarity with immigrants amid "fear and anxiety" prompted by current immigration enforcement efforts.

Catholic social teaching on immigration seeks to balance three interrelated principles -- the right of persons 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; but also a nation’s duty to regulate its borders with justice and mercy.

"The U.S. bishops have consistently expressed solidarity with immigrants amid the fear and anxiety prompted by current immigration enforcement efforts," said a statement issued Sept. 18 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"The bishops have called for, and continue to press for, 'a more humane system of immigration, one that protects our communities while safeguarding the dignity of all.' This includes encouraging bipartisan collaboration among policymakers," it said.

For 45 years, "the U.S. Catholic Church has celebrated National Migration Week by reflecting on its history as an immigrant Church and the ways in which the country has been enriched by generations of immigrants, including the many Catholics who have adopted this land as their own. It is also an opportunity to grow in appreciation of the challenges faced by migrants and refugees, both in the United States and beyond, and to express solidarity through prayer, accompaniment, and advocacy."

Typically, National Migration Week culminates in the World Day of Migrants and Refugees on the last Sunday in September, but this year the universal church will mark the World Day of Migrants and Refugees Oct. 4–5, to coincide with the Jubilee of Migrants.

In March, the late Pope Francis chose "Migrants, missionaries of hope" as the theme for the world day observance, linking it to the Jubilee message of hope, "underscoring a key hallmark of his pontificate and in recognition of the courage and resilience of migrants and refugees who bear daily witness to hope despite hardship," the USCCB statement said.

In his comments for World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Pope Leo XIV has continued to emphasize the dignity of migrants: “In a world darkened by war and injustice, even when all seems lost, migrants and refugees stand as messengers of hope. Their courage and tenacity bear heroic testimony to a faith that sees beyond what our eyes can see and gives them the strength to defy death on the various contemporary migration routes.”

"National Migration Week invites Catholics across the country to reflect on how hope can shape and inform our collective response to migration," the USCCB statement said. "Catholic dioceses, parishes, schools, and organizations nationwide are encouraged to mark this observance with prayer services, educational programs, community outreach, and support for migration-related ministries.

The Justice for Immigrants website offers a 2025 National Migration Week toolkit, including resources to help communities "prepare spiritually and pastorally."