Bishop Cantu’s Pastoral Statement on Immigration Reform, Human Dignity, and the Family Unit

Jun 13, 2025

Spanish | Vietnamese

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

For decades Congress has failed to fix the broken immigration system of the United States. It seems that the only bipartisan agreement to be found on immigration is that the system does not work. Even the most recent legislative proposal – a rather restrictive, bipartisan, bill, which was far-reaching and promising – failed for partisan political reasons.

The Catholic bishops of the United States have advocated for decades for comprehensive immigration reform. The basic moral values for this reform are: 1) respect for the family unit, the basic cell of society which helps to form healthy communities; and 2) human dignity (a process that respects the basic dignity of every person no matter their race, language, or provenance). From these basic moral values derive other policy actions, such as: reducing family reunification waiting times; restoring due process rights; addressing root causes of migration (such as civil unrest, climate change, violence, and political persecution, lack of economic opportunity, etc., in countries of origin); appropriate recalibration of border enforcement; and earned legalization for foreign nationals of good moral character already contributing to society and the economy.

Responses to the needs of the broken immigration system have concentrated on an “enforcement only” model, which fails to address the needs of the U.S. economy in sectors such as technology, agriculture, construction, hospitality, food processing, etc., as well as the push factors in countries of origin, let alone family unity and human dignity.

What we have been witnessing recently in Los Angeles, and now across the U.S., is the result of Congress’s inability to fix a broken immigration system.

My heart is with the many families in our communities who are now living with renewed fear and anxiety as immigration enforcement actions unfold here in California and across the country.

Every immigrant, every family, every child is a beloved child of God, created in His image and worthy of dignity and protection. The family is the foundation of society and the domestic Church; it must not be torn apart.

While nations have the right to secure their borders and enforce laws, enforcement must always respect human dignity and protect family unity. Foreign nationals who have committed violent offenses should be prosecuted according to the law in order to maintain safety in our communities. However, raids conducted by masked federal agents, carried out sometimes without due process, separate parents and children, sow fear, and leave families in crisis and industries without needed workers. These actions do not make our communities safer; rather, they violate both justice and mercy. As Pope Francis reminds us: “Migrants are not a danger — they are in danger.”

For too long, our country has delayed comprehensive immigration reform. This failure has left millions of families vulnerable and living in fear. We continue to urge our leaders to enact policies that safeguard both the rule of law and the God-given dignity of those seeking a better life.

To our immigrant brothers and sisters: the Church walks with you. We pray for you, we advocate for you, and we entrust you to the care of the Holy Family, who themselves sought refuge in a foreign land to protect the Christ Child.

May our nation find a path forward that upholds both security and mercy, law and human dignity. May God’s peace reign in our hearts and our communities.

United with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,

+Oscar Cantú
Bishop of San José

Statement of Solidarity with the Jewish Community

Jun 5, 2025

With profound sorrow, I condemn the antisemitic attacks that have wounded our nation in recent weeks — the June 1 Molotov-cocktail attack on Jewish walkers in Boulder, Colorado, and the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy employees outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. These assaults on innocent lives spring from a hatred that goes against the tenants of all world religions. Antisemitism is a grave sin against God and humanity, and it has no place in the heart of a just society.

While many have legitimate concerns about the war in Gaza, targeting civilians with violence can never be justified. Pope Leo expressed his own heartfelt cry, “I am deeply hurt by what is happening in the Gaza Strip.”

I ask the faithful of the Diocese of San José and all people of goodwill to join me in fervent prayer for the healing of the injured, the consolation of grieving families, and the conversion of hearts, so that peace may be sought, beginning in our hearts, and the dignity of all humanity might be respected. May our voices and actions always stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters, witnessing to the dignity of every person of every religion and to the peace that God wills for the entire human family.

† Most Rev. Oscar Cantú
Bishop of San José