The midterm election’s “blue wave” has changed the political landscape in Washington, particularly when it comes to the hot topic of immigration. With Democrats in control of both houses of Congress beginning in January, Catholic immigration advocates have an opportunity to play offense on this crucial issue, rather than scrambling to block punitive policy initiatives.

In assessing what the Catholic community, including the U.S. bishops, should pursue, a long-term strategy is required—one that should extend beyond the presidential election in 2028. Any “overreach” in the near term could create a backlash at the ballot box in 2028 and jeopardize the church’s ultimate goal of humane and comprehensive immigration reform.

The election results were the product of several issues (most prominently the high cost of living), of which immigration was only one. To interpret the outcome as some sort of mandate on the passage of positive immigration reform would be a mistake. Nevertheless, the excesses of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the administration’s mass deportation campaign did seem to play a part in electing the new Congress, especially among Latino voters and other voters of color, who, according to early estimates, turned out in high numbers.

However, President Trump still maintains control over immigration policy and will certainly use his veto power to defeat any immigration legislation that runs counter to his mass deportation agenda. As such, Catholic immigration advocates should pursue immigration priorities that have at least some bipartisan support in Congress, if only to raise the profile of these issues for a future time when they can become law.

A sound immigration agenda the church could pursue for the new Congress would feature three priorities.

First, we need oversight and accountability for ICE. With the majority, the Democrats have the power of the gavel and the purse and can use them to ensure that ICE conducts enforcement in concert with legal norms. They can hold oversight hearings that require ICE to explain its enforcement actions, including the shootings of both U.S. citizens and immigrants. 

Second, issues of specific importance to the church can be highlighted, including limits on the pastoral access to detainees, the separation of families, the detention and deportation of pregnant women, children and the disabled, and the weakening of asylum protections at the border. The new Congress could require reforms to enforcement through the appropriations process, conditioning any new funding for the Department of Homeland Security on their implementation. A statement signed by 20 Catholic bishops in February provides a blueprint for possible reforms to immigration enforcement.

Finally, advocates of immigration reform can pursue the passage of legislation that has bipartisan support. Legislation that could, realistically, be passed by both chambers of Congress would help draw attention to important immigration issues, even if it were vetoed by the president. 

For example, the American Dream and Promise Act, introduced in the current Congress, provides a path to citizenship to undocumented youth who entered the country as children, known as Dreamers, and members of groups that had Temporary Protected Status before it was stripped away by the Trump administration, including Haitians and Afghans. These are groups who most Americans believe should not be sent back to their home countries.

The church could also push for passage of the Religious Workforce Protection Act, legislation that would facilitate the permanent status of foreign-born pastoral workers, including Catholic priests and religious, who have legally entered and worked in the United States.

For the long term, we need to lay the groundwork for humane immigration reform. Advocates may first need to spend time convincing Democrats to back positive immigration reform, as opponents have been successful over the past 10 years in pushing the debate in a more restrictionist direction. And any passage of a comprehensive immigration reform bill, including a path to citizenship for the undocumented, would certainly be met with a veto by President Trump (and the bill might be severely weakened during the legislative process at any rate). Passing a humane and fair immigration reform bill requires a president—either Democratic or Republican—who is willing to spend political capital on its passage. 

In the meantime, Catholic immigration advocates should pursue a more prudent path and join with labor and business leaders to push for congressional hearings that highlight how mass deportations have hurt the nation, both economically and socially, and reveal how the current legal immigration system is severely broken and needs repair. 

Advocates should also work to shape public opinion among the Catholic faithful. Catholic IMMpact (the Catholic Immigrant Prophetic Action Project), an initiative of the Catholic-based Center for Migration Studies of New York and Hope Border Institute, was launched to help (arch)dioceses educate Catholics and prepare them for the immigration reform debate that is to come. 

Catholic leaders should also hold internal discussions about what a successful immigration reform bill might look like and what concessions are inevitable. For example, advocates may face the decision of whether to accept a form of legal status for the undocumented that does not include a pathway to full citizenship. They should keep in mind that in past immigration reform debates, the “perfect” bill has been the enemy of the good. 

The Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign has revealed the ugly underbelly of the U.S. immigration system and how it can undermine human dignity and violate human rights. It has also taught us that the removal of hard-working immigrants and their families can harm the U.S. economy and weaken the social fabric of local communities. These lessons provide hope that out of the darkness of the current period of mass deportation a dawn of opportunity may emerge to pass humane immigration reform legislation, for which the church must be patient yet prepared. 

J. Kevin Appleby is a senior fellow for policy and communications for the Center for Migration Studies of New York, a member of the Scalabrini International Migration Network.