Pittsburgh bishop rebukes "cruel" immigration policies
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Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh Bishop Mark Eckman marches in Pittsburgh's 2025 Labor Day parade. Photo: Chrissy Suttles/Axios
Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh Bishop Mark Eckman joined bishops across the nation last week in denouncing policies they say are dehumanizing immigrants.
Why it matters: It's among Eckman's first public statements on a high-profile political flashpoint since the Vatican appointed him in June to lead the roughly 625,000-member diocese.
- The diocese spans six politically diverse Southwestern Pennsylvania counties.
The big picture: In an open letter marking the Nov. 13 feast day of Mother Frances Cabrini — the patron saint of immigrants — Eckman refrains from naming President Trump or any politician, but writes that "while church teaching recognizes the right of a nation to enforce its laws and control its border, it also uplifts and defends the rights and dignity of the human person, including the migrant."
- "They have become people who are often unjustly scapegoated for the social ills of our nation and dehumanized …," he adds.
- "Currently, immigrants face deportation, often without warning and sometimes without due process protections," he writes, calling current family separation tactics "cruel and inhumane."
- He notes the church "supports immigration reform that provides legal status and a path to citizenship to those who have lived in the US for a certain amount of time, contributed to the nation, and otherwise have been law abiding."
What they're saying: The diocese did not immediately respond to Axios' request for additional comment.
Catch up quick: Eckman published the letter a day after American Catholic bishops — in a rare special message and video approved by a near-unanimous vote — condemned the Trump administration's mass deportation tactics without directly naming the president, in line with Pope Leo XIV's support for immigrants.
- Eckman succeeds Bishop David Zubik, who retired this summer after nearly two decades and often invoked morality when speaking on issues like immigration and health care.
Context: Trump has intensified immigration enforcement since taking office, deploying more ICE and Border Patrol agents and directing billions for raids targeting undocumented immigrants in Democrat-run cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Charlotte.
State of play: ICE arrests in Southwestern Pennsylvania nearly tripled in the first half of the year under President Trump — and more than half involved people with no prior criminal record.
- ICE may be seeking more office space to expand its Pittsburgh presence.
The other side: White House border czar Tom Homan, a lifelong Catholic, blasted the church on Friday for opposing the Trump administration's mass deportations.
- "According to them, the message we should send to the world is if you cross the border illegally, which is a crime, don't worry about it," he said.
What we're watching: Eckman's playbook for stabilizing Pittsburgh's Catholic population after years of decline and drawing young adults back to church in a tense political era.