The Catholic Conference of Ohio is grateful for the February 2 ruling postponing the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians, originally set for February 3. Court appeals will likely continue to allow TPS to expire. Many Haitians who fled gang violence and instability have established homes and become an integral part of our Catholic parishes in Ohio. Families who have followed procedures and laws to work and live in peace should not have to live in constant uncertainty and be forced to make excruciating decisions to abandon their homes, employment, and schools while deplorable conditions persist in their home country. Less than six months ago, Pope Leo XIV expressed sorrow over the Haitian people “overwhelmed by despair” of the widespread violence and gang assaults in their country. We continue to pray for peace in Haiti and for peace in Ohio communities.

View USCCB's Call to Extend Protections for Haitians in the United States > 
View recent Statements from the Bishops of Ohio & Resources on Immigration and the Catholic Church >

The Catholic Bishops of Ohio have issued the following letter (available in English, Haitian Creole, Spanish, and French) expressing solidarity with and offering prayers for those displaced from their home countries who reside in Ohio, particularly those under Temporary Protected Status or on humanitarian parole.

View the letter and a new document on the Catholic Church's teachings regarding immigration and the various immigration statuses of Ohioans at: ohiocathconf.org/immigration  

As attention remains on Springfield and in preparation for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees on September 29, the Catholic bishops of Ohio issued the letter linked below.

In the letter, the bishops of Ohio state, “Today, our nation is divided by partisanship and ideology, which blind us to the image of God in our neighbor, especially the unborn, the poor, and the stranger. These negative sentiments are only exacerbated by gossip, which can spread quickly across social media with no concern for the truth or those involved.”

Read the full letter here: English | Spanish

For more information on World Day of Migrants and Refugees, celebrated on September 29, 2024, visit the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development website.

During the first week of Ohio’s lame duck period, the time after a general election and before a new General Assembly, the Catholic Conference of Ohio testified in support of two bills. HB 504 would specifically address penalties for disturbing a religious gathering. The bill was introduced in response to protestors disrupting the Diocese of Columbus’ Respect Life Mass and several gatherings of Ohio’s Jewish community. See the CCO’s testimony in support of HB 504 here. The Conference also testified in support of SB 46, which would create an office and commission on Eastern European affairs. The testimony noted the Church’s call to promote and integrate immigrants, and the vibrancy Ohioans of Eastern European origin bring to our Catholic churches.

During the first week of Ohio’s lame duck period, the time after a general election and before a new General Assembly, the Catholic Conference of Ohio testified in support of two bills. HB 504 would specifically address penalties for disturbing a religious gathering. The bill was introduced in response to protestors disrupting the Diocese of Columbus’ Respect Life Mass and several gatherings of Ohio’s Jewish community. The Conference also testified in support of SB 46, which would create an office and commission on Eastern European affairs. The testimony noted the Church’s call to promote and integrate immigrants, and the vibrancy Ohioans of Eastern European origin bring to our Catholic churches.

Today marks ten years since the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was created through executive action. DACA allows certain undocumented immigrants who entered the United States as children—commonly referred to as “Dreamers”—to remain in the country, subject to several requirements. DACA does not provide legal status, nor does it create a pathway to citizenship, but it does temporarily protect recipients from removal and make them eligible for work authorization, among other benefits. DACA was declared unlawful by a federal district court in July 2021, halting new applications and threatening protection for current beneficiaries of the program.

Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, auxiliary bishop of Washington and chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, issued the following statement in response to the Senate’s adoption of the budget resolution:

“While Catholic social teaching is implicated by many components of the budget resolution, we are pleased that the resolution sets up an opportunity for many undocumented persons to receive legal status. For decades, the bishops of the United States have been proponents of such reforms..."

TAKE ACTION! Contact Your Senators and Representative Today

Tell Congress NO MORE DELAY! Urge your senators and representative to support the enactment of immigration reform this year by completing these action alerts:

 SENATE action alert
 HOUSE action alert

Members of Congress have returned home for the August recess and are ready to hear what issues are the top priorities for their constituents. It is a critical time to make our voices heard on the issues that matter to vulnerable people in need. This year is particularly important because members of Congress are in the midst of crafting landmark legislation that will fund many key programs that impact Catholic Charities and the people they serve in areas such as housing and homelessness, health care, hunger, poverty alleviation and others.

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Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, auxiliary bishop of Washington and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Migration, issued the following statement in response to the court’s ruling:

“While we are disappointed with this ruling, we know that DACA was never meant to be a permanent solution for Dreamers. This ruling is simply the most recent development in a long list of events warranting action by Congress. The Senate currently has multiple bills before it that would grant permanent relief to Dreamers, including the American Dream and Promise Act passed by the House of Representatives in March...