American Catholics deserve moral clarity regarding the ongoing immigration crisis. Unfortunately, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ amicus brief in Trump v. Barbara this week failed to give them that. Their brief categorized ending birthright citizenship as an immoral attack on human dignity and so reduced a complicated moral and political issue to an incoherent emotional appeal. It also excluded or misinterpreted key Catholic teachings regarding the obligations of citizens, national leaders, and immigrants. The USCCB’s half-hearted attempt at virtue-signaling was unpardonable, and it damaged the bishops’ credibility.
