Bishops’ migration committee urges Trump to let Haitian, Syrian migrants stay
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Migration is pleading with President Donald Trump to allow Haitian and Syrian migrants to remain in the United States following a Supreme Court ruling that paved the way for possible deportations.
Bishop Brendan J. Cahill, who chairs the committee, asked Trump to refrain from deporting the migrants and for Congress to take action that would allow them to remain.
“Revoking the legal status of hundreds of thousands of people residing in our country creates a moral crisis when returning to their country of origin is not a safe or reasonable option,” Cahill said in a statement.
“If we are truly to affirm the God-given dignity of every human person, we as a nation cannot turn a blind eye to such an injustice and the impossible choices it will create for families and communities,” he said.
The Supreme Court on June 25 ruled in favor of the Department of Homeland Security ending the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) of Haitian and Syrian migrants, finding the law provides the executive branch with broad discretion in making those determinations.
Without TPS status, more than 300,000 Haitians and more than 6,000 Syrians have lost legal protections that prevent them from being deported.
“Even if the administration determines TPS is no longer warranted, deferred enforced departure remains a tool available to the president, and we urge him to exercise right judgement in this way,” Cahill said.
“Forcibly sending families to dire conditions is a legacy all leaders should seek to avoid,” the bishop said. “To that end, my brother bishops and I also continue to call upon Congress to act — to meet this moment with the moral fortitude that is so desperately needed.”
Pope Leo XIV defends synodal consistory as path to ‘grow in communion’
Pope Leo XIV opened his second extraordinary consistory of cardinals on June 26 by defending his decision to conduct the gathering in a synodal format, acknowledging that the approach is unusual, but insisting that the Lord is leading the Church along this path so that she can “grow in communion.”
Addressing 178 cardinals in the Paul VI Hall on the first of two days of discussions, Leo encouraged them to “engage wholeheartedly” in a synodal, working group structure, adding that he was “well aware that, for many of us, this is not the usual way of conducting a consistory.”
Yet, he said this form is now part of “the journey along which the Lord is leading us,” encouraging the cardinals to participate actively while assuring them that they can still make “personal contributions” and send him “any confidential observations or reflections.”
“Enter into this ecclesial exercise with confidence,” he said, adding that synodality is learned “by practising it” and that “we learn together to grow in communion.”
The pope’s comments came after some cardinals had expressed apprehensions about the consistory using a “synodal” round-table format for a second time — a structure they felt was “very controlled” when used at the first consistory last January, and left them with a sense that key decisions and framing had been set in advance.
Efforts made to address those concerns at this meeting include the introduction of a “free dialogue” session at the end of the meeting and a dedicated email address where cardinals can write directly to the pope to share their advice and concerns.
In his opening address, Pope Leo summarized the four themes the cardinals are to discuss. First, they were invited to contemplate the world “through the eyes of faith,” listening and walking with others amid contemporary challenges. Secondly, they were asked to reflect on a “civilization of love” in a time of conflict, oppression and division, drawing on his social encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, which explores human dignity and the common good. Thirdly, they are to explore that encyclical in greater depth by examining how the Church can build the common good through shared responsibility and adopting a “synodal style.” Finally, they are to consider how to implement the Synod on Synodality “in the face of the world’s wounds.”
Synodality, a recurring theme in both his opening address and homily at the opening Mass, “points to a way forward: listening, discerning and jointly assuming responsibility,” Leo said. It is not simply a set of procedures, he insisted, but “an attitude, an openness, a willingness to understand.” Nor does it entail a “diminishment of authority;” rather it serves to “safeguard communion” while fostering the participation of all and helping pastors exercise authority more evangelically.
The pope underlined that the consistory is not meant merely to address the internal life of the Church but to shape “our view of the world, peace, the common good, synodality,” so that the Gospel may be proclaimed with greater fidelity and credibility. The goal, he said, is to improve the Church’s witness and to become better heralds of the Gospel, which requires listening and the sharing of responsibilities.
“For this reason I wish to ask for your help,” he continued. “I need your support: strong, explicit and public. I need to feel supported by you as by brothers.” He urged the cardinals to accompany him in his service, to listen to what is emerging in local churches, to recognize signs of hope, but not ignore “struggles, misunderstandings and resistance.”
Leo said he was convinced the Lord is “teaching us a more evangelical way of living out together the responsibility he has entrusted to us,” and that the credibility of their witness and fruitfulness in mission depend on this.
The pope decided to reinstate extraordinary consistories after Pope Francis had suspended them in 2014, a generally unpopular move with many cardinals who, ahead of the conclave last year, voiced a need for the Holy Father to consult them more frequently.
In contrast to the approach of Francis, who rarely consulted his porporati except for a select few and his council of nine cardinals who advised him on Church governance, Pope Leo was emphatic on Friday about how much he valued their input, saying “sincere advice is always an act of communion” and that he needed their freedom, frankness and loyalty.
He thanked them for attending, saying their presence showed their “concern for the whole Church,” and stressing that their dialogue with him, to assist him in the service and mission of the Church, is one of the cardinals’ “most important responsibilities.”
Leo underlined that they are to be builders of “Christ’s communion” which, he said, “takes shape in a synodal Church in which everyone cooperates in the same mission, each according to their own charism and ministry.”
“We are not guardians of particular interests,” he reminded them, “but disciples and witnesses of the Kingdom of God, called to be, in Christ, the leaven of universal brotherhood,” echoing remarks he had made to the Roman Curia last December.
Opening homily
In his homily at the opening Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Friday morning, Pope Leo said synodality and collegiality are “forms of Christian fraternity,” which enables all the baptized to participate in the unity of the People of God.
Noting that the meeting is taking place just ahead of the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, he urged the cardinals to follow the apostles’ example of sharing the faith in freedom, to ask for the gift of peace and unity, and to “savor harmony through obedience.”
The implementation of the synod, “to which we are committed, invites everyone to move forward in unity of faith, promoting peace, and in obedience to Jesus, the living Word,” he said. As ideologies fade away, the Holy Spirit makes fraternal harmony, charity, and missionary zeal “flourish in the Church.”
“Our working together in a collegial way embodies the synodality in which all the baptized participate in the unity of the People of God,” he continued. “Synodality and collegiality are, in fact, forms of Christian fraternity, which binds us together as the baptized and as bishops.”
Appearing to recast the way in which Petrine ministry is exercised, he closed by saying that in helping him in that task, “you will find in me one who asks, not commands.”
“Moreover, the authority of primacy belongs to the one who listens and only then leads, to the one who learns and only then teaches, always following the one and only Teacher,” he said. “May the intercession of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul accompany us on this enthralling journey.”
Michigan report cites abuse claims against 37 priests, 1 deacon in Saginaw
The Michigan government this week released its sixth report of diocesan abuse allegations in the state, revealing abuse claims against more than three dozen priests and one deacon in the Diocese of Saginaw.
The state attorney general’s report is the second-to-last of a total of seven investigations into clergy and Church abuse in Michigan. Prior to the Saginaw investigation, Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office released a report in December 2025 regarding the Diocese of Grand Rapids.
On June 25, the state published its investigation into the Saginaw Diocese, revealing what it said were allegations against “37 priests and one deacon.” The allegations date as far back as the 1950s.
Thirty of the alleged abusers are “known or presumed to be dead,” while of the eight living priests, “none is in active ministry,” according to the report.
The majority of incidents involve alleged abuse of underage minors, though four priests were the subject of allegations involving adults, according to the report.
The attorney general’s investigation was launched in part to examine whether criminal charges could be filed against any of the accused. In its press release announcing the report, the attorney general’s office indicated that it had not filed any criminal charges against priests from the Saginaw Diocese.
Nessel said in a press release the investigation was “only possible because of the bravery of so many, from young children to the elderly, coming forward over decades to share their suffering.”
”Accountability comes in many forms, and by publishing these accounts we hope to foster acknowledgment for these survivors and safer communities today,” she said.
In a June 25 letter, Saginaw Bishop Robert Gruss acknowledged the release of the report and affirmed that the diocese had “fully cooperated” with the government in its investigation.
“As Bishop of the Diocese of Saginaw, I want to express my deepest sorrows to those who have been victims of abuse by members of the clergy,” the prelate said. “Please accept my sincere apology for the pain and suffering you have experienced by those who were entrusted with your care.”
The bishop noted that the “vast majority” of abuse allegations in the diocese were “very old,” with most occurring decades ago, in the 1970s and 1980s.
“Itʼs clear that the Catholic Church in the United States has made significant progress over the last 20-plus years in putting safeguards in place to protect children, young people, and vulnerable adults,” he said.
“Clearly, we are a different Church today because of those who have and continue to courageously share their stories, so that the sins and crimes which damaged the Body of Christ could be addressed,” he wrote.
Following the Saginaw report, the state government is expected to release one more investigation regarding allegations in the Archdiocese of Detroit. Nessel in the press release said the Detroit investigation would be released “later this year.”
Pope Leo XIV meets with Synod on Synodality teams ahead of 2028 assembly
Pope Leo XIV met privately with members of the Synod on Synodality’s continental bodies at the Vatican on June 25, as they concluded a recent conference to reflect on the synod’s implementation ahead of the ecclesial assembly in October 2028.
Held on the eve of the two-day extraordinary consistory of cardinals, which began at the Vatican on June 26, the pontiff’s meeting with the synod members concluded a three-day gathering to discuss the document “Towards the Assemblies 2027-2028: Stages, Criteria and Tools for Preparation,” published by the synod in May.
The final session of the extraordinary consistory of cardinals will feature a discussion on the document and implementing the synod before 2028.
The synod meeting included discussions regarding synod teams at the diocesan and national levels, current progress and challenges in implementing synodality, and the synod’s final document, published in 2025 under Pope Francis.
Synod Secretary General Cardinal Mario Grech said in a press release that, “The meeting with the Holy Father was for all the participants a powerful sign of support and encouragement as they continue their work for the Churchʼs synodal conversion.”
The synod’s implementation path before the ecclesial assembly in 2028 will proceed through four stages: “Recollecting” in the first half of 2027; “Interpreting” in the second half of 2027; “Orienting” in the first four months of 2028; and “Celebrating” in October 2028.
In May, the synod featured the testimonies of two men in civil marriages with other men. It formed part of the synod’s Executive Summary of the Final Report of Study Group 9, which analyzed the experience and pastoral care of LGBTQ+ Catholics.
Indian government tightens foreign donations law amid Church protest plans
As the Catholic Church in India prepares for nationwide prayers on Sunday, June 28, to voice its concerns over legislation affecting Church ministries, the federal government has issued tougher rules under the country’s existing law on foreign donations.
“This is totally unnecessary,” Father Mathew Koyickal, deputy secretary general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), told EWTN News June 26.
Koyickal was summing up the Church’s concerns, which were laid out at a June 24 news conference at the CBCI Centre in New Delhi, after the government imposed harsher rules to enforce the existing provisions of the FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act).
The new rules, issued on June 22, require action groups and charities that receive foreign funds to specify their activities by category and geographical area, disclose their social media accounts, websites, and publications, and pay a separate fee for each category and area in which they operate. Political content is barred, and the rules impose high penalties for each infringement.
Describing the rules as “alarming,” Koyickal said: “We feel at this moment, it was unnecessary because already there is a new amendment bill happening, and we have already shared our concern with regard to the proposed amendment.”
Koyickal declined to comment when EWTN News asked whether the government’s move was a “tit-for-tat” response to the pressure the Church has placed on the government through its June 28 nationwide call for prayers and protests.
“The proposed legislation (FCRA amendment) has generated concerns regarding its potential impact on the charitable, educational, healthcare, and social ministries undertaken by Churches and Christian institutions throughout the country,” said Cardinal Anthony Poola, CBCI president and Archbishop of Hyderabad, in his June 17 appeal.
Recalling the Church’s longstanding commitment to serving the poor, marginalized, and vulnerable sections of society, Poola emphasized that these ministries are a concrete expression of the Gospel values of love, justice, and compassion and “invited the faithful to unite in prayer for the nation, for public authorities, and for the continued freedom of the Church to carry out its mission of service.”
“A draconian law has been already proposed. So, we have been trying to appeal to the government. We hope that the government will come up with a law that could help the NGOs to work for the development of our country,” Koyickal told the news conference.
Though the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government had announced the harsher amendment to the FCRA and planned to pass it in Parliament on April 1, vociferous opposition inside Parliament and public opposition, including from Catholic Church leadership, forced the government to delay the bill to the monsoon session in July.
The new rules also drew opposition from outside the Church. KC Venugopal, general secretary of the opposition Congress party, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 25 urging their immediate withdrawal, saying they were “designed not to regulate, but to strangle” the country’s nongovernmental organizations.
The FCRA rules have been changed nine times since the BJP came to power in 2014. The government’s FCRA Online dashboard shows that fewer than 15,000 of about 52,000 FCRA accounts are active.
The 37,000 FCRA licenses that have been canceled or not renewed include those of church charities and Christian social action groups, along with those of secular advocacy networks, including international organizations such as Amnesty International, Bread for the World, Compassion International, and Greenpeace.
‘Total restriction of all sorts’
“These norms amount to emasculating the work of the Church,” said John Dayal, a Catholic journalist who was among the first to publicize the new FCRA rules.
“The fresh curbs,” Dayal said, “amounts to total restriction of all sorts and silences the right to speak out on issues of truth and justice.”
Church charities that receive foreign donations, Dayal said, will be “reduced to silent spectators in India: forced to pray behind closed walls, run schools and hospitals with their mouth shut to intervene or speak out on social concerns.”
Christian communities in Middle East face mounting pressure, bishop says
Bishop Iyad Akram Twal, auxiliary bishop of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, said Christians face an increasingly precarious situation in the Middle East.
War, economic instability, and continued emigration are placing increasing pressure on the Christian presence in the region, driving a significant decline in communities across the Holy Land and neighboring countries, Twal said in an interview that aired June 25 with Veronica Dudo of EWTN News Nightly.
Reflecting on Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa’s June 22 visit to Gaza alongside Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III, Twal said the trip was a powerful sign of Christian unity and solidarity with those suffering amid the ongoing conflict.
“It is very important because it shows that Catholics and Orthodox are working together for peace and justice,” Twal said. “It is very important for our people in Gaza to see that we are united together. We care for them, we follow them, and we are close to them.”
The cardinal’s presence, he said, reassured local Christians that Church leaders remain committed to accompanying them through the hardships of war. “It is our duty to be close always to our people in the parishes, in the church in Gaza,” he added.
The bishop emphasized that the Middle East cannot be viewed as a single reality. Conditions vary greatly among countries such as Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, and the Palestinian territories, each facing its own unique challenges. Yet one concern unites them all: the steady decline of the Christian population.
“Generally speaking, Christianity in the Middle East is shrinking, and our numbers are decreasing,” Twal said. He attributed the decline to “the instability of the political situation, of wars, of conflicts.”
He noted that Christians in the Palestinian territories number about 4,000, while the Catholic parish in Gaza has dwindled to roughly 700 members. Conflict and political instability continue to drive many families to leave in search of safety and opportunity elsewhere, Twal said.
Despite these hardships, he stressed that the Catholic Church’s presence remains vital. Through its parishes, schools, hospitals, and charitable ministries, the Church provides stability and hope for vulnerable communities, serving both Christians and Muslims.
Asked whether peace is possible in the region, Twal responded emphatically: “Of course, peace is possible because we believe in it and we work for it.”
He added that peace requires daily commitment and practical action. “Peace is not only a principle that we just think about or believe in. Peace is a daily work. It is our responsibility, even with small gestures and activities,” he said.
The bishop pointed to the Church’s educational, medical, and humanitarian efforts as concrete ways it promotes peace and serves local communities. “Through our schools, our parishes, our hospitals, the services we offer to everyone, Christians and Muslims, we are building peace,” he said.
Twal also praised Pope Leo XIV for his continued calls for prayer and solidarity with those suffering throughout the region, noting that “the Holy Father is always asking to pray for us and encouraging people to be close to us.”
Calling on Christians worldwide to support the Church in the Holy Land, Bishop Twal encouraged pilgrims to visit.
“Come and visit us,” he said. “Coming to us, visiting us, it’s a sign of solidarity and support and knowing better. So stay close, either by knowing our situation or by coming and visiting us.”
Pope Leo XIV sends 100K euros to Venezuela for humanitarian aid after major earthquakes
Pope Leo XIV has sent 100,000 euros (about $114,000) in humanitarian aid to Venezuela following two devastating earthquakes that hit the country on June 24.
The Holy Father sent the funds in order to express his closeness to the Venezuelan people through a donation made via the papal almoner, the pope’s charitable office, according to Vatican News.
The financial aid has been sent to Church leaders in the country, and the amount was agreed upon after consultations with the apostolic nuncio to Venezuela, Archbishop Alberto Ortega Martín, and the archbishop of Caracas, Archbishop Raúl Biord Castillo.
The earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, struck Venezuela after 6:00 p.m. local time, with particular intensity in La Guaira and Caracas, where, according to Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, “there are several complicated areas,” in which a number of buildings have collapsed.
Although it is still too early to determine the full extent of the tragedy, the provisional toll stands at at least 164 dead and nearly 1,000 injured. Rescue teams continue working around the clock to locate and save people trapped under the rubble.
The Catholic Church mobilized from the very first moments after the devastating quakes. The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need has launched initiatives to support those affected.
For its part, Caritas Internationalis has allocated 100,000 euros for emergency relief, in coordination with Caritas Venezuela, which has a network of nearly 30,000 volunteers deployed throughout the country.
Archbishop Biord of Caracas lamented the “serious structural damage” suffered by numerous parishes, as well as damage recorded in the cathedral and in 12 other churches.
He noted, however, that the number of victims could have been significantly higher had it not been a holiday. “Thank God it was a holiday. If it had been a working day, with schools, offices, and businesses open, the number of victims would have been much higher,” he said.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, EWTN News’ Spanish-language sister service. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Choir sets the Parable of the Prodigal Son to Gregorian chant
The parable of the prodigal son has been depicted many times in art. Recently, the choir Harpa Dei, made up of three siblings, released a Gregorian chant video that tells this story of “the Father’s mercy and his great longing for lost children to return home.”
“Over the past few weeks, we have been working on a project that sets many of the words spoken by Jesus himself during his public ministry to Gregorian chant,” siblings Nikolai, Lucía, and Mirjana Gerstner told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, on June 24.
“These are very ancient chants that have evolved since the early centuries within the context of the liturgy, both in Holy Mass and in the breviary,” they said.
Why the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Latin?
While they sing in other languages as well, the siblings said that “our focus and home as Roman Catholics is Gregorian chant. One of its fundamental characteristics is that its texts are exclusively in Latin.”
After highlighting that Latin serves “for the worship of God and, therefore, easily lifts us from the profane to the transcendent,” Harpa Dei said it hopes this chant will help “the faithful rediscover the beauty of Gregorian chant and the value of a sacred language as great treasures of the Church.”
The Gerstner siblings also noted that “the words of Jesus, who is the Word made flesh, possess great power and efficacy. They offer comfort, guidance, and strength; they invite conversion and reveal the Father to us just as he truly is.”
They said Gregorian chant makes it possible to “penetrate the soul deeply and gently, and to become imprinted upon the memory and the heart.”
The Prodigal Son video
They also said they hope to help “the ‘prodigal’ sons and daughters of this world realize that God, our Heavenly Father, is waiting for them, and that his great desire is for them to return to him, to their true home.”
The siblings said they filmed the video in the Danube Valley and at Lake Constance in southern Germany. “Throughout the filming process, we could clearly recognize God’s guidance in finding the right locations and managing all the logistics,” they said.
Since 2011, following a peace initiative, the siblings have felt called to evangelize through sacred music. Their mission has taken them to many countries around the world, such as Mexico, Israel, Germany, Russia, Ecuador, Lithuania, and the United States, among others.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Supreme Court rules in favor of Trump’s asylum policies that bishops opposed
The U.S. Supreme Court on June 25 ruled in favor of President Donald Trump’s restrictive asylum policies that faced strong opposition from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and some other Catholic advocacy groups.
One ruling allows the Department of Homeland Security to end “temporary protected status” for Haitians and Syrians, who can now be deported. The other allows the government to turn away asylum seekers at the southern border by limiting the number of claims they will process each day.
Both cases were decided 6-3. All of the justices who sided with the majority were appointed by Republican presidents and each dissenting justice was appointed by Democratic presidents.
Anna Gallagher, the executive director of Catholic Legal Immigration Network, said in a statement to EWTN News that both decisions are “devastating for our clients, and for those of us who accompany vulnerable immigrants through the legal system.”
“As Catholics, we believe in a God who weeps for our suffering, who is concerned for the fall of the sparrow, for the least of these,” she said.
“And so we, too, weep for our clients whose asylum rights are restricted or who fear return to immediate life-threatening conditions because of this court decision.”
“We walk with them as legal advocates, seeing the injustice of our laws play out firsthand. We know that today is a dark day for many people we have come to know and care for — including legal residents of this country, beloved members of our community.”
Protections for Haitians, Syrians gone
The Supreme Court decision in Mullin v. Doe and Trump v. Miot, which were consolidated into one case, ensures that the government’s decision to terminate temporary protected status for Haitians and Syrians will be in effect. The ruling strips them of legal protections for work authorization and prevention from deportation.
Justice Samuel Alito, who wrote the opinion, said that the law itself generally gives the government broad discretion in determining whether to approve, extend, or terminate protected status for a given country. The ruling found that all non-constitutional claims are not subject to judicial review.
Haitians protected under the protected status argued that the policy terminations discriminated against people based on race. In its ruling the Supreme Court stated that both the protected designations and the terminations come from a racially diverse collection of countries.
“They claim that TPS has not been terminated for any predominantly white nation, and they therefore infer that the reason for the termination of the TPS designation for Haiti was having a predominantly nonwhite population,” the opinion stated.
The plaintiffs’ “definition of a predominantly non-white nation is broad, apparently encompassing major European countries,” the ruling said.
“It may be that only the termination of a TPS designation for a Nordic or Germanic country would be sufficient in their judgment to show that the Secretary’s unbroken record of TPS terminations was race-neutral,” the decision added.
Justice Elena Kagan, in her dissenting opinion, said she believes the court erred in ruling that all non-constitutional claims are barred from judicial review, arguing that the court should be able to determine whether the secretary followed the proper procedures in deciding to terminate protected status.
She also argued that Trump’s comments show that race played a role in the decision to end the Haitian protected status designation.
“The majority briefly replies that [his] remarks are not ‘overtly racial,’ … but it is hard to know what that means,” Kagan wrote. “Haitians are Black. …The references — of filth, disease, and primitiveness — are shot through with racial stereotypes and tropes.”
Andrew Arthur, a resident fellow in law and policy at the Center for Immigration Studies and a former immigration judge, told “EWTN News Nightly” on June 25 that the ruling essentially solidifies that “no one has the ability to sue when the government decides it’s going to terminate TPS status.”
He said the protected status is meant to provide temporary legal status for someone escaping a danger in their country. He said some protected designations “have been in place … for more than a quarter of a century,” even for “events that occurred decades ago” and are no longer impacting the country.
The U.S. bishops had urged the government to extend protected status, including for Haitians, who are a majority Catholic community.
“We are deeply concerned about the plight of our Haitian brothers and sisters living in the United States,” Bishop Brendan J. Cahill, chair of the bishops’ committee on migration, and Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chair of the committee on international justice and peace, said in a joint statement in February.
“There is simply no realistic opportunity for the safe and orderly return of people to Haiti at this time,” they said.
Asylum seekers at the border
The decision in Mullin v. Al Otro Lado dealt with the “metering” policy that started under former President Barack Obama and is being enforced by Trump, which the court ruled is a lawful policy.
Under the policy, the government can limit the number of asylum claims it chooses to process in a day and can turn people away from entry into the country when they approach the southern border.
The case centered on an asylum seeker’s right to apply for asylum when he or she “arrives in the United States.” The ruling, also authored by Alito, states that the right only applies when the person has already entered the country and it does not give legal protections for someone who is seeking entry into the country but has not yet been allowed in.
“We begin by considering what the phrase ‘arrives in the United States’ means when used in everyday speech,” the ruling states. “That meaning is clear. A person arrives in a geographic location only when he enters it.”
The ruling states that if Congress wanted to extend that right to anyone who approaches the border or seeks entry into the country, it would have written the law to clearly state that.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote the dissent, arguing that the ruling allows the executive branch to “circumvent … mandatory procedures by having U. S. immigration officers stand at the border and physically block noncitizens from setting a foot onto U. S. soil.”
“Words … must be read in context and with attention to how they fit into the statute as a whole,” Sotomayor wrote.
“The majority ignores the statutory context and history, not to mention the longstanding position of the Executive Branch, all of which show that any noncitizen arriving at our doorstep and seeking admission must be inspected and allowed to apply for asylum, regardless of whether her foot has crossed the threshold,” she said.
Arthur told “EWTN News Nightly” that the decision essentially “narrows the ability of people who havenʼt actually entered the country … to apply for asylum.”
“You’re not subject to United States law … until you’ve actually crossed into this country,” he said.
The U.S. bishops petitioned the Supreme Court to rule against the policy and require the government to process all asylum claims.
“The turnback policy is not just a flawed piece of statutory interpretation but an historical aberration — one that, during the period it was enforced, left vulnerable asylum seekers stranded in encampments on the border while lawfully trying to seek asylum at a port of entry,” the bishops wrote.
The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the most significant immigration case before it, Trump v. Barbara, which will decide the extent of birthright citizenship in the United States.
This story was updated at 1:50 p.m. ET on June 25, 2026 with further analysis and expert comment.
Franciscan University professors urge SSPX to desist from schism
More than 20 professors at the Franciscan University of Steubenville are calling on the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) to not proceed with its planned consecration of bishops on July 1.
“We write not as adversaries, but as fellow Christians who love the Church, which is built on Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, and who, like you, long for the salvation of souls,” the professors wrote in an open letter to the SSPX, noting that if the group moves forward with the illicit consecrations, “it would cement and deepen the already existing separation between the Society and the See of Peter.”
“Whatever legitimate questions or grievances may exist, they are no excuse to create a schism,” the letter’s signatories assert. The letter is signed by 26 faculty and staff, with university professors of theology constituting the majority of the signatories.
“The treasures of Catholic Tradition do not belong outside communion with Peter; they belong at the heart of the Church,” the letter continues. “A new episcopal ordination outside the ecclesial hierarchy without the Apostolic mandate would create a new wound in the Body of Christ and place the gifts that God has entrusted to the Society, which belong to the Church and are ordered towards unity with her (Lumen Gentium 8), outside of her maternal embrace.”
“Please don’t do this,” the letter said. “Please don’t create this wound! Please, re-enter into dialogue with the Holy See and into full communion with the Church.”
The letter comes after the SSPX announced it plans to consecrate four new bishops at its seminary in Écône, Switzerland, prompting Pope Leo XIV and the Vatican to warn that doing do without a papal mandate would constitute “a schismatic act” and carry the penalty of excommunication.
“We have invited them, and I am still considering making another appeal, to say: ‘Do not do this. Let us try to live communion in the Church.’ But it is their choice. They must understand what it means for them and for the Church,” the pope said, responding to journalists’ questions outside Villa Barberini in Castel Gandolfo on June 16.
Courage International priest says Pride Month events ‘inappropriate’ at Catholic colleges
Courage International Associate Director Father Colin Blatchford has spoken out against Catholic colleges holding Pride Month events.
In an interview with the Cardinal Newman Society, Blatchford said “it causes scandal” when a Catholic college encourages students to participate in events celebrating Pride Month in June.
Courage International is a Catholic apostolate that ministers to individuals experiencing same-sex attraction and gender confusion.
“When a Catholic college picks and chooses the theological or philosophical teachings of the Church that it will abide, it undermines that process,” Blatchford said. “Indeed, it hollows it out and provides merely an empty emotional shell where there should be a full abiding relationship with God.”
“The anthropological underpinnings of ‘Pride Month’ include a dualistic view of the person and radical autonomy,” he said. “Each of the last four popes has spoken about the necessity of recognizing the dignity of the human person and that no one thing here on this earth can sufficiently define who we are, beyond ‘beloved child of God.’”
Blatchford encouraged Catholic colleges to remember three things when encountering individuals with same-sex attraction: “First, communicate that they are loved. Second, let them know that even if it does not seem so now, God has a unique plan for their life. And finally, ask if they would be willing to share their story.”
“We don’t have to agree on everything or approve of every action, but we walk together towards God. We are a group of imperfect people striving to grow closer to God, by means of His grace,” he said.