Faith

CNS photo/Tyler Orsburn

Extend TPS protections for Haitians

Friday, January 30, 2026Faith

Immigration today is a pervasive fact of life for states, countries, and their societies. This fact creates a political, legal, and moral challenge which must be addressed. In a distinctive way immigration creates a challenge for the Church in our country. It is a challenge we have the resources and the track record to address. Catholicism in the United States is tied to immigration because of our teaching, our history, and our institutions.
From the Sermon on the Mount to contemporary Catholic Social Teaching, we are instructed to welcome the stranger and to serve the vulnerable in our societies. Historically, we have been an immigrant Church reaching back since the 19th century. Socially, we have created the institutions where immigrants from multiple countries and cultures have found first a community of faith and worship, and then have found schools, social services and deep human ties.

Today, our Church and our country are being tested not only by the needs of immigrants, but by a national debate that is too often disparaging of their presence among us and divisive in our political system. To meet the test we face, we have been inspired by the continuing concern and messages of Pope Leo XIV. During his first year as the successor of St. Peter, the Holy Father has returned often to the suffering of immigrants, and, at times, to their situation in the United States. After the U.S. Bishops issued their "Special Message" on immigration from their annual meeting in November 2025, the Holy Father expressed his appreciation and support: "I would like to invite all Catholics -- and also people of good will -- to listen carefully to what they have said. I believe we must seek ways of treating people with humanity, with the dignity that is theirs."
In their "Special Message," the bishops voiced their pastoral concern about the suffering of immigrants: "We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement. We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of pastoral care."
In response to the climate of fear they have observed, the U.S. Bishops went on to oppose "the indiscriminate mass deportation of people," as well as to pledge and promise: "we stand with you in your suffering, since when one member suffers, all suffer." (I Cor. 12:26)
In the face of constantly changing federal policies toward immigrants, one immediate problem we all face is the removal of "Temporary Protected Status" (TPS) for the Haitian community in the United States.
What is "Protected Temporary Status?" It is a procedure granted by the Secretary of Homeland Security to persons already in the United States who are nationals of a country experiencing armed conflict, environmental disaster or other situations that make it difficult or impossible for them to return safely to their country. For those who qualify for TPS, the significance of this status is that it allows the recipient to remain in the United States and possibly to obtain work authorization for a designated time. TPS grants eligible recipients the ability to remain in the United States, but it is not equivalent to lawful admission to the United States.
Under existing policy, the Secretary of Homeland Security designates which citizens of countries qualify for TPS, and the Secretary can and does remove the protection granted by the procedure. It is the Secretary who must renew the status when necessary. The removal of TPS can be devastating to individuals and their families. Boston is the city with the third-largest Haitian population in the United States. The Secretary of Homeland Security has designated Feb. 3, 2026, as the date to terminate TPS for Haitians.
For those affected, the very fabric of their lives will be fundamentally changed. Moreover, the consequences of the removal of TPS will be felt immediately in the wider society precisely because Haitians are woven into the general life of our country.
While TPS is designed to provide a certain stability in the lives of immigrants who are not citizens, the constantly changing implementation of the program seriously erodes or eliminates the humane purpose this status could fulfill. The fact that TPS depends upon Executive Orders in any administration is itself a problem. Congressional action could enhance the status and stability of TPS, but so far, it has not been adequately addressed in legislation.
In his message of support for the U.S. Bishops, Pope Leo XIV reminded the world that immigrant enforcement must treat people with the dignity they possess. In Catholic teaching, that dignity is the basis of the human rights we all share. Respecting the unique dignity of each person and recognizing the moral demands of rights which flow from dignity for each person are prior principles to recognize before the necessary legal status of persons is determined in any society.
Many of the Haitian individuals and families now threatened with disruption are members of the Catholic community of the Archdiocese of Boston. In their name, the Catholic Church finds it imperative to oppose the imminent threat now facing individuals and families whom we know and serve through our pastoral care. In their name, the Church is called upon to seek relief and redress from the dangers now hanging over their heads.
The original reason Haitians were granted TPS was the chaotic, violent context that has prevailed in Haiti for years. That context has not changed. The original rationale for TPS by any standard still applies. Human decency is one reason to stand against removing basic protection from our neighbors and parishioners. Beyond decency, charity and a sense of social justice are reasons to speak for and stand with Haitians in the United States at this time. This nation's record on immigration is not perfect, but we have protected large numbers in the past, and we have the capacity to do so again.
The Haitian immigrants who now hold Temporary Protected Status entered the United States in good faith and received their status from the U.S. Government. To strip away that status with too little notice and while the need for refuge continues does an injustice to our vulnerable neighbors here in Boston and its surrounding communities. In accord with Catholic moral teaching, we respectfully ask the U.S. Government to extend this protected status for so many of our Haitian residents. And we wish to assure our neighbors that they are not alone and that we desire to stand with them in this moment of need.
The Church lives within and is grateful for the American legal system. Functioning within that legal system, we seek to provide the spiritual, sacramental, and social assistance Haitians now need. The danger to others is clear, so should our witness be clear. To the best of our ability, we seek to speak for and stand with the Haitian community. For them, we seek to provide hope. For them, our prayers will continue. For them, our advocacy will be sustained.

(MSGR.) J. BRYAN HEHIR IS SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.