The Archbishop of Portland (Oregon), Alexander K. Sample, has stated that the U.S. immigration system “is not working” and has called for a “more just and humane” solution, while emphasizing the need to ensure the Church’s access to detention centers to provide sacraments and pastoral care. The statements were made in an interview granted to Catholic News Service (CNS).
The prelate focused much of his intervention on what he considers a matter of religious freedom: the possibility for priests and pastoral agents to provide spiritual assistance to people detained in immigration facilities.
Religious Freedom and Spiritual Care
Sample pointed out that one of the aspects that concerns him most is the Church’s access to some detention centers in the United States. In his view, it must be ensured that migrants deprived of their liberty can receive the sacraments and pastoral assistance.
“In terms of religious freedom, the most concerning issue would be the Church’s access to bring the sacraments and pastoral care into some detention centers,” the archbishop stated.
The approach is situated in the realm of spiritual care for specific individuals, regardless of their administrative situation, an issue that the Church has historically defended as part of its pastoral mission.
Criticism of the System’s Functioning
In the interview, Sample acknowledged that the United States faces a complex immigration problem and maintained that the current system “is not working.” Referring to people who have been residing in the country for years and have put down roots in local communities, he defended the need to seek solutions that take their situation into account.
“We have a system that is not working,” he stated. “There has to be a more just, more humane way, simply a better way to address this issue.”
The immigration debate in the United States continues to be one of the most divisive issues in the political landscape, where concerns about border security, legality, social integration, and the protection of human dignity converge.
Between the Pastoral Dimension and Public Policy
The archbishop’s statements come in a context in which the Church in the United States has insisted on the need to combine respect for the law with the defense of human dignity.
While federal authorities maintain policies aimed at border control and the management of irregular migration flows, several bishops have called for reforms that allow for more stable and clear pathways for those already residing in the country.
In this framework, Sample has sought to emphasize the pastoral dimension and the guarantee of religious freedom within detention centers, without entering into specific legislative proposals.