Iowa Catholic bishops say immigration is ‘moral’ issue

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A federal judge has ordered the closure of the Trump Administration’s “Alligator Alcatraz” immigrant detention center within 60 days.

By F. Amanda Tugade, Des Moines Register

Four Iowa Catholic bishops have published another letter calling out the Trump administration’s recent crackdown down immigration and on individuals of faith to “welcome the stranger.”
In a 16-page letter, the small group of faith leaders — Archbishop Thomas Zinkula of Dubuque, Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines, Bishop Dennis Walsh of Davenport and Bishop John Keehner of Sioux City — spotlight changes to immigration policies that strike at the “fundamental dignity of the human person.”

They said policies that restrict humanitarian protections, expand detention measures or seek “open-ended deployment of military assets” to enforce immigration “undermine the moral fabric of a nation built on principles of justice and human rights.”

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“Law must never be misused to advance the predominance of the majority at the expense of the poor, the marginalized and vulnerable communities,” they wrote in the Friday, Aug. 22, letter also translated into Spanish.

Last November, weeks after Trump won a second term as president, Iowa bishops wrote a letter to the state’s migrant community offering a message of hope: “Your Church stands with you in solidarity.”

In their latest letter, bishops said they continue to align with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and believe immigrants, refugees and migrants deserve respect and the right to due process. The rhetoric, particularly on migrants, is dehumanizing, bishops wrote, echoing the conference’s concerns.

They argued immigration is not a “political or economic issue,” but rather a “deeply moral” one that “calls for a response rooted in faith, justice and mercy.”

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The bishops’ letter came just weeks after Gov. Kim Reynolds announced that 20 Iowa National Guard soldiers will be deployed to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in September.

Iowa’s troop is among the 1,700 tasked with logistics and processing people detained by ICE in and out of facilities.

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Protesters marched to the U.S. Courthouse demanding the return of Pascual Pedro and the release of Noel Lopez July 29, 2025 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen

Bishops, in the letter, often refer to the Catholic Church’s teachings on migration: People unable to provide for their families because of violence, persecution or extreme poverty have the right to seek a better life.

Nations have the right to regulate borders, not create “inhumane” or “arbitrary” policies, they said. They cited Scripture, pointing out a line in the Book of Exodus that reads: “You shall not oppress a stranger; you yourselves know how it feels to be a stranger, fo

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r you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

“In every migrant, we encounter Christ himself,” they wrote. “The Church’s mission is clear: to defend human dignity, advocate for justice and create a society where all are treated as beloved children of God.”

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