The Migration and Refugee Services of the U.S. bishops’ conference commissioned the poll in October, which surveyed 1,000 self-identified Catholics. Sixty-nine percent of those said they supported a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, provided they register with the government.
“These results show that, like other Americans, Catholics want a solution to the challenge of illegal immigration and support undocumented immigrants becoming full members of our communities and nation,” said Johnny Young, executive director of Migration and Refugee Services.
In other findings, 64% of Catholics opposed the construction of a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico, while three out of four Catholics agree that the Church has a moral obligation to help provide for the humanitarian needs of immigrants, regardless of their legal status.
Todd Scribner, education coordinator for Migration and Refugee Services, stated that “the strong educational efforts of the bishops, through the Justice for Immigrants Campaign and their own teachings, have helped generate support in the Catholic community for comprehensive reform.”
