Immigration and Migration

Redemptorist Father John Schmidt, pastor of St. Alphonsus in Brooklyn Center, was cautiously optimistic as he heard the news Feb. 12 that “Operation Metro Surge” was nearing an end.

As U.S. Border Czar Tom Homan announced on Feb. 12 plans for federal agents to leave the Twin Cities metro area, Catholic leaders in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis acknowledged the need for hope as they look to next steps in the local community.

Amid severe cuts in U.S. foreign aid, Catholic bishops an ocean apart are advocating for deeper bonds between the U.S. and the peoples of the African continent — with God-given human dignity as central to that summons.

A Haitian Catholic chaplain serving in the U.S. said he and fellow Haitian Catholics are welcoming a last-minute reprieve from threats of deportation — but its members are still weighing options as the Trump administration cracks down on immigration, while Haiti continues to spiral into chaos.

A Minneapolis priest told OSV News that despite signals of deescalation, tensions over immigration enforcement actions in that city will not see the situation get “better in a few days.”