This episode is about the suspension of the Refugee Admissions Program in the United States. I’m going to outline the news story as it has unfolded in 2025, and then see what Catholic Social Teaching has to say.

Here are references and resources:

1. Executive Order Presidential Suspension of the Refugee Admissions Program - 01/20/2025
2. News Item from Our Sunday Visitor News Trump Administration Terminates U.S. Bishops Refugee Resettlement Contract
3. Web page with news timeline provided by the International Rescue Committee Refugee Assistance Program Suspension Impact on Refugees
4. Solidarity Information from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website, including references to Scripture and Catholic Social Teaching.
5. Common Good and Community Quotations from Church teaching provided by the Office for Social Justice of the Archdiocese of St Paul and Minneapolis MN
6. Executive Order Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2026 - 10/31/2025
7. Online Interview with Criminologist Regarding Immigrants and Crime Data is clear that immigrants don’t increase crime in the United States, expert says
8. Online Article from the Wilson Center Net Positive: New Government Study Finds Refugees and Asylees Contributed $123.8 Billion to the US Economy From 2005-2019

How to contact the White House with a message for the President or the Vice President:

– online form with comment section https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

– write a letter to:

The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500

– call: Comments: 202-456-1111

How to contact your U.S. Senator or U.S. Congressperson:

Go to https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member , enter your home address, and it will pull up names and contact information for your senators and congressperson