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J. Kevin Appleby

J. Kevin Appleby is the senior fellow for policy and communications at the Center for Migration Studies of New York and the former director of migration policy for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

By this Author

Migrants of different nationalities walk toward the U.S. in a caravan called "Viacrucis migrante" from Tapachula, Mexico, on March 25. (OSV News/Reuters/Jose Torres)

How Trump's deportation plan would harm the nation — and the church

Former President Donald Trump has again proposed a plan to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. The plan would exact numerous costs, economic and moral. And the Catholic Church would not be immune to its effects.

Migrants walk to a processing facility as directed by Border Patrol at the U.S.-Mexico border near Lukeville, Arizona, Dec. 25, 2023. (OSV News/Reuters/Rebecca Noble)

The US is at a crossroads on immigration. What should the Catholic Church do next?

During this election year, the issue of immigration has risen to be a top concern for many U.S. voters, writes Kevin Appleby. How should Catholic advocates, including bishops, react to the shifting political landscape?

Migrants, mostly from Venezuela, are seen from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, as they gather near the U.S. border wall Sept. 24, after crossing the Rio Grande with the intention of turning themselves in to U.S. Border Patrol agents to request asylum. (OSV News/Reuters/Jose Luis Gonzalez)

Ukraine vs. the US border: They are not alike

Comparing the Russian invasion of Ukraine to the entry of migrants into the U.S., some GOP senators have tied a harsh border plan to the passage of aid to Ukraine. It is deceptive messaging and dangerous policy.

This undated handout image provided by Greece's coast guard shows scores of people on the Adrianba, a battered fishing boat that capsized and sank off southern Greece June 13.

10 years after Lampedusa, how has Pope Francis influenced global migration?

Migration expert J. Kevin Appleby says the pope's voice has made a difference, helping to soften migration policies and strengthen immigration advocates in the past decade. 

A child in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, stands as police remove Venezuelan migrants from a camp on the banks of the Rio Grande Nov. 27, 2022. (CNS/Reuters/Jose Luis Gonzalez)

Twenty years ago, US and Mexican bishops called for immigration reform. It still hasn't happened.

Polarization and a lack of political will have prevented the U.S. from responding to the bishops' moral case for immigration reform, says J. Kevin Appleby.

Migrants released from U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Del Rio, Texas, wait in line to board a bus to Houston Sept. 24, 2021. (CNS/Reuters/Marco Bello)

Catholics need to watch our language about immigration

Here are some terms and phrases used in immigration debates that dehumanize our fellow human beings — and here are some alternatives that recognize immigrants as persons imbued with God-given dignity.

Migrant children from Central America take refuge from the rain in the back of a U.S. Border Patrol vehicle in Penitas, Texas, March 14, as they await to be transported after crossing the Rio Grande into the United States. (CNS/Reuters/Adrees Latif)

Biden's misstep on refugee cap reveals complexity of migration debate

Commentary: What happened between November, when Biden committed to 125,000 refugees, and now? Simply put, reality set in on the political and operational challenges of managing migration to the U.S.

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