Human Rights Office-Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph
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Immigrants & Refugees

The Catholic Church in the United States is an immigrant Church with a long history of embracing diverse newcomers and providing assistance and pastoral care to immigrants, migrants, refugees, and people on the move.  Our Church has responded to Christ’s call for us to “welcome the stranger among us,” for in this encounter with the immigrant, the migrant, and the refugee in our midst, we encounter Christ.

Facts & Figures
​
  • Current and Historical Numbers and Shares
  • Demographic, Educational, and Linguistic Characteristics
  • Immigrant Population Change Over Time: Top States
  • Health Insurance Coverage
  • Workforce Characteristics
  • Children with Immigrant Parents
  • Annual Flows
  • Unauthorized Immigrants
  • Naturalization Trends
  • Visa Backlogs
Research & Policy Organizations

  • Department of Homeland Security (DHS);   www.dhs.gov/data-statistics 
  • Migration Policy Institute (MPI);   www.migrationpolicy.org​

Church Teaching 

Three Basic Principles of Catholic Social Teaching on Immigration

​Although Catholic theology has always promoted human rights rooted in natural law and God's revelation, it was the encyclical Rerum Novarum (On the Condition of Capital and Labor) in 1891 that developed a systematic presentation of principles of the rights and responsibilities of people. Rerum Novarum commented on the situation of immigrants; in later documents, popes and bishops' conferences have synthesized the Catholic theological tradition to articulate three basic principles on immigration.
  1. People have the right to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families.                                             Every person has an equal right to receive from the earth what is necessary for life—food, clothing, shelter. Moreover, every person has the right to education, medical care, religion, and the expression of one's culture.
  2. A country has the right to regulate its borders and to control immigration; however, refugees and asylum seekers should always be afforded protection.                                                                                                                       Most people migrate because they are desperate and the opportunity for a safe and secure life does not exist in their own land. Although no country has the duty to receive so many immigrants that its own social and economic life are jeopardized, as Americans we should cherish and celebrate the contributions of immigrants and their cultures. However, we should also work to make it unnecessary for people to leave their own land.
  3. A country must regulate its borders with justice and mercy.                                                                                                   A sincere commitment to the needs of all must prevail.  Catholic social teaching must be understood in light of the absolute equality of all people and the commitment to the common good.
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

​Immigration
Refugees & Migrants
​
Church Documents
     
​
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB):
​
Welcoming the Stranger Among Us: Unity in Diversity
Welcoming Christ in the Migrant
Strangers No Longer Together on the Journey of Hope
Catholic Church's Position On Immigration Reform
The Catholic Church's Teaching on Immigration Enforcement
     
​ The Vatican:
​
What does Sacred Scripture say?
What does the Catechism of the Catholic Church say?
What do the Papal Encyclicals say?
Recommended Materials

Where Do We Go From Here?  Why We Cannot Wait For Immigration Reform-- Archbishop Jose H. Gomez, March 8, 2017

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Pastoral Care

Parish Ministry Toolkits
Priests & Pastoral Leaders
MCC Legislative Information

Related Educational Topics

Human Trafficking 

Resources & Referrals

Immigrants & Refugees
Emergency Planning

"As Catholics we are called to take concrete measures to overcome the misunderstanding, ignorance, competition, and fear that stand in the way of genuinely welcoming the stranger in our midst and enjoying the communion that is our destiny as Children of God."                                                  
                                                                                                                                                   Welcoming the Stranger Among Us: Unity in Diversity, A Statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops


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Human Rights Office ~ Diocese of Kansas City - St. Joseph  ~ 20 West Ninth Street ~ Kansas City, MO 64105 ~ ​(816) 756-1850
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  • HOME
    • Catholic News & Current Events
    • Share Your Gifts
    • About Us
  • PASTORAL CARE
    • BCIT (African-American Apostolate)
    • CRS - (Food Security & Global Trade) >
      • CRS Rice Bowl Campaign
      • CRS Emergency Response
      • CRS Ethical Trade
    • Faith in Action (KofC)
    • "MAX" -- (Prison & Jail)
    • "VIA" -- (Immigration & Refugee)
    • "Life & Justice" -- (Stewardship)
    • Pastoral Partners >
      • A Simple House -- (Poverty & Evangelization)
      • Catholic Charities - KC-StJ
      • Catholic Mobilizing Network (Death Penalty)
      • Cristo Rey High School -- (Student Internships)
      • F.I.R.E. -- (Catholic Education & Special Needs)
      • Franciscan Mission Warehouse -- (Global Health Care)
      • Holy Rosary Credit Union -- (Small Dollar Loans)
      • Jerusalem Farm -- (Sustainable Living & Home Repairs)
      • Knights of Columbus
      • Morning Glory Ministries -- (Serving the Homeless)
      • NWMEF (Rural Economic Development)
      • Unbound -- (Global Human Development)
  • EDUCATION
    • Death Penalty
    • Human Trafficking
    • Immigrants & Refugees
    • Racism
    • Rural Life & Stewardship of Creation
    • Papal Encyclicals & Church Documents
    • Additional CST Sites >
      • Acton Institute -- Learning
      • CAPP-USA -- Contemporary Issues
      • Society of Catholic Social Scientists (SCSS)
      • USCCB - Issues & Action
  • PARISH MINISTRIES
    • Committees & Toolkits >
      • Parish Coordinator Sign-Up
    • Priests & Pastoral Leaders
    • Prayer & Liturgy
  • PUBLIC POLICY
    • Contacting Elected Officials
    • Human Rights Advocacy Organizations
  • RESOURCES
    • Criminal & Restorative Justice
    • Death Penalty
    • Human Trafficking
    • Immigrants & Refugees >
      • Emergency Planning
    • Mental Illness
    • Racism
    • Religious Liberty & Conscience Protection >
      • USCCB Religious Freedom Week
    • Rural Life & Stewardship of Creation
  • CONTACT US