Nebraska Catholic Conference


Focus on public policy from a Gospel mandate, from the Catholic Church's moral and social teaching and from Her concern for the common good.

Immigration: A Call to Be Patient, Hospitable and Active for Reform

A Statement from the Catholic Bishops of Nebraska

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With humility and great trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we write jointly as Bishops of the Church and pastors of all Catholic Nebraskans on the topic of immigration, a pressing human reality that seeks a response. We acknowledge the breadth and depth of this topic as we issue these comments as concerned teachers and pastors.

Immigration is at once local and global, personal and social. It is multidimensional and complex, encompassing an array of economic, political, legal, cultural and moral issues. A source of profound challenges, immigration is often identified with unauthorized entry into or presence in the United States—commonly referred to as illegal immigration. It is a subject of intensely felt concern and frustration.

At the same time, the topic of immigration presents opportunities: for expanded understanding and personal growth, for communication and dialogue, for outreach, charity and hospitality, and for spiritual enrichment and a strengthening of faith in God’s divine plan for all humanity. As Catholics, we are called to embrace these opportunities.

Nebraska Experiences

We are mindful of relatively recent events in Nebraska that received considerable public attention and caused strong reactions. These include, but certainly are not limited to, a major workplace enforcement raid in Grand Island, statewide policy debates and intensifying interest on the part of the State Legislature, and an ongoing, much-publicized local policy and political debate in Fremont. Nebraska is by no means immune from the realities and challenges of both legal and illegal immigration. In fact, Nebraska has been identified as a “new destination state,â€