President Joe Biden Meets with Catholic Bishop Mark Seitz at US-Mexico Border, who Asked Biden to Treat Migrants with Dignity



President Joe Biden visited the US-Mexico border on January 8th and he met with Bishop Mark Seitz of the Diocese of El Paso, Texas. They spoke about the Biden administration’s limiting plans on immigration.
According to a Tweet shared by Bishop Seitz, "When President Biden arrived to El Paso, he took @BishopSeitz in the presidential limousine for a private ride and chat. The bishop delivered a homily in a holy card, written by a young migrant child waiting at the border - ‘Lord, I want to be with my mom and sister soon’."
SEE ALSO: US Bishops’ Migration Chairman Dismayed by Biden Administration  https://www.catholicnewsworld.com/2023/01/us-bishops-migration-chairman-dismayed.html

 The Biden Administration announced the expanded use of the pandemic-era policy known as “Title 42,” which circumvents normal immigration procedures along the U.S.-Mexico border and prevents vulnerable migrants from seeking asylum in the United States. Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, chairman of the US Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Migration, wrote:

“We welcome the announcement of new legal pathways to the United States, but it is difficult for us to consider this progress when these same pathways are contingent on preventing those forced to flee their native land from availing themselves of the right to seek asylum at our border. Under this approach, many of the most vulnerable will be excluded from relief and subjected to dangerous circumstances, contravening U.S. and international refugee law, as well as Catholic social teaching.

“It simply defies reason and lived realities to require those facing persecution, trafficking, and torture to only pursue protection from within those potentially life-threatening situations. This is a drastic departure from the Administration’s promise to create a ‘fair, orderly, and humane’ immigration system and will only exacerbate challenges on both sides of our border. Even for those who are permitted to enter the United States, we continue to be concerned about their access to housing, work authorization, legal services, and other pressing needs.

“The Catholic bishops of the United States are among those religious leaders referenced by the President who have consistently called for a comprehensive reform of our immigration system, and we share the President’s disappointment regarding a lack of bipartisan cooperation in Congress on this issue. We also wholeheartedly agree that to truly address the irregular movement of people in our hemisphere, we must tackle the root causes of forced migration, promoting integral human development in sending countries so people may flourish there.

“We urge the Administration to reverse its present course in favor of humane solutions that recognize the God-given dignity of migrants and provide equitable access to immigration and humanitarian pathways.”

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