We recently reported on a “pastoral note” released by Michigan bishops, including Gaylord Diocese Bishop Jeffrey Walsh, regarding the issue of immigration. The timing of the bulletin is related to the newly installed Trump administration and President Trump making good on a promise to fix the illegal immigration crisis. It also comes after Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic, called out the US bishops for their involvement in the illegal immigration crisis.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has received millions of US taxpayer dollars over the years related to immigration policy, including illegal immigration. Allegations of fraud have surfaced, and these allegations are not pretty. What is even worse is that the USCCB is undermining Church teaching by its involvement in what has been described and documented as inappropriate activities, including the possibility of child trafficking.
According to a recent article by the organization corpuschristiforunityandpeace.org (CUP), multiple Catholic organizations have received hundreds of millions of dollars to funnel unaccompanied minors into the United States. The article states that the USCCB and Catholic Charities received a whopping $449 million in total to shelter and transport unaccompanied migrant children. The article further states the following:
Here are the Gang of Four Catholic NGOs who “served” the unaccompanied children across the border (unaccompanied alien children “UAC):
- Catholic Charities USA: They provide immediate shelter, food, and long-term support like legal aid and health services, directly managing the day-to-day care for many unaccompanied minors.
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB): Acts as a coordinator for the UAC program, managing funds and programs, including shelter services and legal representation, often subcontracting to Catholic Charities.
- Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC): Focuses on legal aid, not shelter, offering support to unaccompanied children in navigating immigration laws.
- Catholic Relief Services (CRS): Engages in advocacy for migrant issues, including UAC, from a policy perspective.
The article goes on to note the following:
In CUP’s research we found there was a rising percentage of children who were placed with an unrelated adult for fiscal years 2021, 2022 and 2023. That percentage increased from 10% of placements to 13% with unrelated adults from 2021 to 2023.
This should raise significant concerns about the welfare and safety of these children. The fact that a notable percentage of unaccompanied children (UAC) are released to unrelated sponsors underscores the challenges with sponsors who are actually vetted. Even with background checks, the suitability of unrelated sponsors can be a point of contention, especially in terms of the long-term welfare of the child.
Catholic Charities and the USCCB should not have participated in the UAC program. Separating children from their nuclear families causes profound psychological and emotional harm. Rather than supporting the children, these Catholic NGOs worsened their trauma by perpetuating separation. Prioritizing family reunification or solutions that preserved family units would have been more humane than placing children in systems or with perpetrators, which was at best grossly negligent and at worst, criminal.
There are documented cases where children end up in exploitative or abusive situations when released to unvetted or unrelated sponsors. Testimonies, such as those by Tara Rodas, highlight these issues. It’s deeply disturbing that the USCCB and Catholic Charities should have known about these events and yet allowed them to happen. Here are the questions we should ask them:
- Why did you forsake proper vetting? Sponsors were often not met in person, and background checks were insufficient or ignored.
- Why did you continue to accept the unaccompanied migrant children when the volume was unmanageable? Concerns were raised about the sheer volume of children being processed, leading to shortcuts in safety protocols.
- Why did you not take action and stop participating in this process when you knew children were being harmed? There were reports of children ending up in forced labor, sex trafficking, or other forms of abuse due to inadequate sponsor vetting.
The gravity of this matter leads to scandal for the entire Church. We need answers and the USCCB and Catholic Charities should do everything in their power to help find the missing children and make restitutions.
It is clear that the Michigan bishops, along with their counterparts at the USCCB, are either grossly incompetent with regard to involvement of Catholic organizations in illegal immigration, or worse yet, they are intentionally complicit in their support of illegal immigration. The USCCB claims to be non-political, but the timing and degree to which the bishops are releasing anti-Trump memos under the guise of a “Pastoral Note” are concerning. Furthermore, the bishops, including the Michigan bishops, rarely if ever condemned the pro-abortion, pro-LGBQRSTUVWXYZ Joe Biden for the actions he took against Church teaching (including presiding over a “gay wedding”) all the while claiming he is a Catholic in good standing. This has not gone unnoticed by many a faithful Catholic. Is it because of the almighty dollar?
The good news is that this may be the start of a major purgation of the “rot from within” the Catholic Church. Could it be that perhaps this is the dawn of a new springtime of hope and purification of the Church to return to its roots? Some feel it may the case (https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/archbishop-vigano-trumps-victory-marks-beginning-of-counter-revolution-against-deep-state-deep-church/).
We must continue to pray for our country and our Church. We should also remain hopeful at all times.