Denver, Colo., Oct 29, 2018 / 23:00 pm
As a caravan of thousands of migrants from Central America continues its trek north to the United States, the U.S. bishops' conference and leaders of Catholic aid agencies have urged government officials to treat migrants compassionately.
Signers of the joint statement, released on Monday, included Bishop Joe Vásquez of Austin, chairman of the U.S. Bishop's committee on migration, Sean Callahan, President and CEO of Catholic Relief Services, and Sr. Donna Markham OP, President and CEO of Catholic Charities USA.
"We affirm that seeking asylum is not a crime," they said in their statement.
"We urge all governments to abide by international law and existing domestic laws that protect those seeking safe haven and ensure that all those who are returned to their home country are protected and repatriated safely," they said.