As the debate over immigration continues to intensify nationwide, the Indiana Catholic Conference (ICC) and the state’s bishops are urging Indiana lawmakers to seek solutions that are rooted in empathy and respect for human dignity.
At the heart of the discussion is Senate Bill 76, the centerpiece of immigration legislation in this short session of the Indiana General Assembly. The measure aims to tighten the enforcement of federal immigration laws at the local level in Indiana, mandating cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by state and local law enforcement, government bodies, employers, colleges and other entities.
Concerns over the measure, which passed the Indiana Senate in late January and at press time was advancing through the House, prompted the ICC to submit a letter to lawmakers calling for a balanced approach.
The ICC – the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Indiana – urged caution with “continued legislative efforts to amplify indiscriminate immigration enforcement” without also seeking to “protect legal and unauthorized immigrants from unjust discrimination and unnecessary deportation, preserve family unity, and promote humane legislative solutions.”
“In Indiana, we cannot justify a one-sided approach to immigration policy that is only focused on enforcement,” said Alexander Mingus, executive director of the ICC, in his letter to members of the Indiana House. “Immigration enforcement is not intrinsically unjust, but we argue against its indiscriminate application.”
The letter notes that Indiana is home to 137,000 unauthorized immigrants, citing data from the Washington, D.C.-based Migration Policy Institute. More than 60 percent have lived in the state at least a decade, and nearly 40 percent have called Indiana home for more than 20 years.
“The Indiana Catholic Conference argues that the humane solution for many of these longtime residents is not deportation but, rather, earned pathways to citizenship,” the letter states. “This is not an endorsement of open borders or illegal entry, but rather, a prudential moral judgment applied to the challenges of today.”
The national discussion over immigration has escalated dramatically in recent weeks, as unrest in Minneapolis and the killing of two anti-ICE protesters there have sparked widespread outrage and backlash. Now, in Indianapolis, Senate Bill 76 has generated fierce debate at the Statehouse.
Its author, Catholic lawmaker Sen. Liz Brown (R-Fort Wayne), has emphasized that the bill – which has the backing of the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association – will ensure proper training for local law enforcement officers in helping to carry out federal immigration policies. This is training for which they have “repeatedly asked,” she told her fellow lawmakers during a Feb. 2 hearing on the measure in the House Judiciary Committee.
Dozens of people – most opposing the bill – waited for hours to testify on the measure. Fueling the debate was an amendment that had just been added to the bill by its House sponsor, Rep. J.D. Prescott (R-Union City), which introduced language from a similar bill he had authored in the House that failed to get a hearing.
Rep. Prescott’s House Bill 1039, dubbed the FAIRNESS Act, was a stronger anti-sanctuary measure that White House Border Czar Tom Homan called the “gold standard” for state-level immigration action. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita lauded the addition of the amendment, which further aligns Senate Bill 76 with the immigration policies of President Donald Trump.
Following five hours of emotional debate, the amended Senate Bill 76 passed the House Judiciary Committee on a 9-4 vote.
Days after the hearing, the committee’s ranking minority member, Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn (D-Fishers), reflected on the implications of the measure moving forward at the Statehouse. The Catholic lawmaker, who was among those voting no on the bill, said that “President Trump has even called into question” some of the tactics that are reflected in this type of legislation.
“(The president) has admitted that perhaps as a country we have been too aggressive over the last two months in how we are pursuing those whose legal status in this country is questionable,” Rep. Garcia Wilburn said. “The stories that have come out of states where this has been implemented have been difficult to watch, irrespective of what side of the aisle you land on.
“I want to encourage all of our fellow Catholics to seek the heart of Jesus during this time, which can be so divisive, and to relentlessly pursue unity.”
In recent months, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and several of Indiana’s bishops have addressed the growing concern and unrest over the country’s immigration policies and practices.
“The recent shootings of protesters, attacks on government officials, and continued indiscriminate deportations of so many of our neighbors have sparked outrage and grave concern about the integrity of our nation,” wrote Archbishop Charles C. Thompson of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in a Jan. 29 statement. “Have we lost our moral compass? Have we sacrificed our sense of human decency for unbridled freedom without obligations or restrictions?”
Archbishop Thompson noted that “the path to lasting peace and unity, Pope Leo XIV reminds us, is predicated on the building of bridges rather than walls.”
“Given the escalating violence of both rhetoric and brutality in our society, it seems that both humility and empathy are gravely lacking among us as the growing lack of civility continues to spiral out of control,” Archbishop Thompson continued. “Rather than recognizing one another as brothers and sisters, members of the same human race or family, the extremes of polarization are causing us to hold one another in suspicion as some type of threat or enemy.”
In the ICC’s recent letter to lawmakers in the Indiana House, Mingus echoed many of the sentiments expressed by Archbishop Thompson and his brother bishops. He noted that the USCCB has offered the perspective of the Catholic Church on immigration matters for decades, and that Catholic social teaching is particularly relevant given today’s challenges.
“Sacred Scripture emphasizes ‘welcoming the stranger,’ while Catholic social doctrine also acknowledges the responsibility of sovereign nations to justly regulate national borders and flows of immigration,” Mingus wrote. “These principles are not mutually exclusive. We should acknowledge that immigration enforcement does achieve beneficial outcomes: Violent criminals and drug dealers have been deported, and child trafficking rings have been discovered and broken up. However, these good outcomes must be pursued in a way that is just, prudent and proportionate.”
In a recent ICC podcast, Mingus further discussed what he termed as a “very complex situation.” He said that the Catholic Church agrees with “the importance of immigration enforcement that helps to protect public safety, preserve the common good, and that is a just use of federal resources.”
“The pressure point comes down to when that net is cast so broadly over a problem that has been decades in the making,” Mingus said during the podcast, which he co-hosts with Roarke LaCoursiere, the ICC’s associate director.
The ICC’s leaders call on the Catholic faithful to remain engaged on these issues at this pivotal time.
“We really hope that you stay updated, and that you take some time to read and reflect on what our bishops have said on these important matters,” Mingus said. “And we hope that you pray for our state and our country as we above all try to move toward peace and unity.”
To follow priority legislation of the ICC, visit www.indianacc.org. This website includes access to ICAN, the Indiana Catholic Action Network, which offers the Church’s position on key issues. Those who sign up for ICAN receive alerts on legislation moving forward and ways to contact their elected representatives.
