To Fix Our Immigration System, Promote the "Right to Stay"
Antônio Lemos
U.S. Catholic, 2025
As Pope Leo XIV begins his pontificate, many people expect him to continue Pope Francis’ focus on migrants’ rights, a cause he has already promoted in several public statements. In fact, even his choice of name—Leo—appears to signal a deeper commitment to this issue. His namesake, Pope Leo XIII, was the first pope to promote part of migrants’ rights that is often over-looked: the right not to migrate.
In the midst of massive deportations and growing attention to border crises in the United States, the church’s teaching not only affirms people’s right to migrate but also emphasizes the freedom people have to remain in their homeland. This “right to stay” refers to individual’s and families’ right to live securely and with dignity in their homelands, rather than being driven to leave by violence, poverty, or political instability. It places a moral obligation on the international community and local governments to address the root causes that force migration in the first place.
The migration crisis is not only a political or economic issue—it is a moral challenge that tests our commitment to human dignity and the common good. Catholic social teaching insists that true justice in migration policy must uphold both the right to migrate and the right to remain in one’s homeland. This means confronting the injustices—such as war, poverty, environmental degradation, and political oppression—that compel people to relocate in search for a better life.
A just response requires more than managing borders. It demands international solidarity, development policies that respect human dignity and foster the common good, and a renewed com