Alexandria, Va. — Sr. Donna Markham, OP, PhD, President and CEO of Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, auxiliary bishop of Washington and chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, and Anna Gallagher, executive director of CLINIC, issued the following statement in response to today’s Supreme Court decision in Biden v. Texas, finding that the termination of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) was lawful, and reiterated their fundamental concern that migrants be treated justly and humanely:
“Today’s decision recognizes and preserves the executive branch’s ability to reverse untenable, illegal and immoral policies, regardless of who is in office. The implementation of MPP has obstructed due process and subjected people to the very dangers that forced them to seek refuge in the United States in the first place. With this ruling, we welcome the end of MPP.
“Ours is both a nation of laws and a beacon of hope for many throughout the world. This should inspire us to work toward just and humane responses to forced migration, not embrace failed policies of the past. As Pope Francis has warned, we cannot limit ourselves to building ‘walls of fear’ and supporting ‘vetoes dictated by nationalist interests’ if we are to achieve meaningful progress in addressing these challenges.
“While this ruling helps pave the way forward, it does not resolve the ongoing challenges at our country’s southwest border. We remain committed to supporting immigration policies that produce more sustainable solutions, respect the God-given dignity of migrants and better reflect Christ’s call to welcome the stranger.”
On March 21, 2022, Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) filed an amicus curiae brief in Biden v. Texas, supporting the DHS Secretary’s decision to terminate the program. The brief argued that MPP is immoral because it disregards the God-given dignity of those enrolled, contrary to Catholic social teaching, and illegal because it violates the United States’ non-refoulement obligations under U.S. and international law. The widely accepted principle of non-refoulement prohibits the practice of returning refugees and asylum seekers to any territory where they are likely to face threats to their life or freedom based on certain characteristics.
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