A nation that cannot control its borders is not a nation. That statement should not be controversial for Catholics. It is not a partisan slogan; it is a basic moral premise of political community. And yet, for years, many faithful Catholics have been left with the impression that the Church’s teaching on immigration begins and ends with a single imperative: “Welcome the stranger,” full stop. The Church has always insisted on the dignity of the person, including the migrant. But Catholic teaching also insists on something else that is routinely minimized in ecclesial messaging: Political authorities have the right and duty to regulate migration for the sake of the common good.
