Days after a meeting of Catholic bishops from both sides of the Texas-Mexico border, Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio discussed the current state of migration at the border and the effects of recent U.S. immigration policies.
Archbishop García-Siller described a significant shift in migration patterns, noting that movement is now occurring not only from south to north but also in reverse. He stated, “It’s very clear that for migrants from the south — from Mexico and other parts of Central America and South America — there have been very few crossings for weeks.” He added that some migrants who were previously accepted legally are now considered illegal under new policies: “They have gone from being legally processed as refugees and migrants, who have been legally here, to illegal, automatically from one day to the next. And they also have been labeled criminals.”
The archbishop expressed concern about long-term residents being detained: “Many of those that became ‘illegals’ and now ‘criminals’ are people who have been here in the United States for 10, 15, 20, even 30 years. And those are the ones who are detained.” He highlighted that most detainees do not fall into criminal categories: “Most of them, 70% or so, are not in the category of criminals.”
Discussing detention centers near San Antonio, Archbishop García-Siller noted an increase in facilities used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): “Here in San Antonio, we have three, and they (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) just acquired a large, large building near San Antonio. These are buildings not meant to hold people, but merchandise — not humans.”
He also addressed issues faced by deported migrants: “Those released from U.S. custody and sent back have no identification — they (U.S. immigration officials) took all the papers of identification that they have… So these people return with nothing proving their identity.” He said some individuals are returned to countries that are not their own.
According to García-Siller, inconsistencies exist among different detention facilities regarding procedures and conditions: “There are different organizations (and detention facilities), and they don’t have exactly the same procedures… And the detainees are moved around.” He recounted meeting a family whose parents had been transferred between seven centers over several months.
He stated his opposition to these practices: “We are totally opposed to it. In the Church, we are totally opposed to it. We proclaim human dignity.”
The archbishop linked detention practices to profit motives: “Because it’s a business… They cannot have empty beds… So they keep the detainees as much as they can.” He called this system “a really perverse, inhumane system of dealing with people.”
On broader political concerns, he suggested global conflicts may distract attention from migrant issues domestically: “When I think about the wars that are now taking place throughout the world — they are led by those who are autocrats… We are (here in the U.S.) trying to be peacemakers… It’s chaos.”
Regarding attitudes among American Catholics toward immigration policy changes over time, García-Siller observed limited shifts except when individuals were personally affected: “Sometimes it’s because some of them were affected because a neighbor, friends, parishioners were detained.” However, he noted political affiliation often outweighs religious values on this issue for many.
He concluded by reflecting on faith perspectives regarding migration: “Jesus experienced the most profound migration than any other human being in the world. He, as God, also became man.”
Gina Christian contributed reporting for OSV News.
