From OSV News:
Immigrant priests, seminarians and religious in the U.S. are among those impacted by immigration enforcement policy, advocates and analysts told OSV News.
Bishop Joseph J. Tyson of the Diocese of Yakima in central Washington wrote in a recent newsletter that several seminarians in the diocese were among them, including one who was born in the U.S. but left to be with his parents, who had self-deported to Mexico.
In an interview with OSV News, Bishop Tyson said many of the priests and seminarians in his diocese come from immigrant backgrounds.
“I know how hard it is to keep my priests and my seminarians in status,” he said. “I can only imagine what it’s like for parishioners who don’t have a fleet of lawyers.”
Bishop Tyson cited a joint report released earlier this year by the National Association of Evangelicals, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops‘ Migration and Refugee Services, the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and World Relief, which found many of those vulnerable to deportation themselves — or those who have a family member vulnerable to deportation — are Christians.
More than 10 million Christians living in the U.S. would be vulnerable to deportation under Trump administration policies implemented in 2025, the report said. Christians account for approximately 80% of all those at risk of deportation, it added, and the Christians most at risk of deportation were Catholics, 61% of the total. The report found one in six Catholics (18%) are either vulnerable to deportation or live with someone who is.
In the Diocese of Yakima, the bishop said, that number is probably higher.
The National Study of Catholic Priests — released in 2022 by The Catholic University of America’s Catholic Project — indicated 24% of priests serving in the U.S. are foreign-born, but the study didn’t record visa or green card status.
Of these priests, 15% were ordained outside the U.S., while others are foreign-born priests who came to the U.S. as seminarians, were ordained in the U.S. and are also subject to visa renewals, it said.
The consequence of immigration enforcement to the maximum degree, Bishop Tyson said, would mean “we have parishes without priests immediately.”
There is also this story from last month, about a deacon who announced his plans to self-deport after his residency status was revoked. Further details about his situation haven’t been reported.
