By Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register
Des Moines, IA-Iowa’s four Catholic bishops have published a letter to the state’s migrant community telling them “your Church stands with you in solidarity.”
The letter, published Tuesday, comes two weeks after President-elect Donald Trump won election to a second term on a campaign platform promising mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.
On Monday, Trump reposted a comment on social media claiming he is “prepared to declare a national emergency and will use military assets to reverse the Biden invasion through a mass deportation program.”
“TRUE!!!” Trump wrote.
The letter, signed by Bishops Dennis Walsh of Davenport, William Joensen of Des Moines, Walter Nickless of Sioux City and Archbishop Thomas Zinkula of Dubuque, is addressed “to our dear migrant brothers and sisters in Christ.”
“We write to you with hearts full of compassion and a deep desire to express our solidarity with you during this stressful time,” the four bishops wrote. “We recognize the immense challenges you face as migrants, and we want to assure you that you are not alone.”
The bishops wrote that “we will advocate for your just treatment and dignity within the framework of the law.”
“The church will accompany and serve you at this time as much as we are able,” they write. “We assure you of our prayerful support and ask the state of Iowa to do the same. You are our brothers and sisters. Please know that you are not forgotten and that your church stands with you in solidarity.”
Earlier this year, Iowa passed a law creating a new crime of “illegal reentry” into the state for someone who has previously been deported or barred from entry into the United States.
A federal judge has blocked the law from being enforced, but the state is appealing.
The bishops cite comments by Pope Francis saying that “migrants and refugees are not pawns on the chessboard of humanity” and deserve to be treated with dignity. Before the election, the pope criticized both Trump over his deportation plan and Vice President Kamala Harris over her stance supporting abortion rights, telling U.S. Catholics to “choose the lesser evil.”
“Sacred Scripture provides us with countless examples of God’s love for the stranger and the sojourner,” the bishops write. “These words remind us that we are all pilgrims on this earth and will all stand before Jesus at our final judgment and be held accountable for how we have treated others, especially those most in need.”
Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.
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