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The USCCB, Trump, Birthright Citizenship And Human Rights

The USCCB, Trump, Birthright Citizenship And Human Rights

Last updated on: February 28, 2026 at 12:12 pm by Henry Karlson

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The USCCB, Trump, Birthright Citizenship And Human Rights 2026-02-28T12:12:05-05:00 Henry Karlson

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Trump’s policies lead to death around the world. He has no problem attacking anyone, though he finds it easier in the US if he can easily remove the citizenship of anyone. Image: Matthias Laurenz Gräff: Trump Killing Machine / Wikimedia Commons

One thing I’ve noticed is that Trump, and his followers, engage all kinds of equivocations with their rhetoric, using them to justify the unjustifiable. They will say they are against one thing, like illegal immigrants, but then they will show their definition of illegal immigrant is based neither on law or on any moral basis, but on the basis of xenophobia and hate. And when they do this, they do not get properly called out by the media. Their narrative is treated as a justified opinion, when it isn’t.

Another equivocation we find coming from Trump, one which shows how perverted his use of words are, is when Trump claims himself to be the peace president. He does not mean real peace, that is, when harmony and reconciliation are brought to the world, but rather, an artificial or false peace based upon threats (and use) of violence to anyone who does not do as he wishes. This is why Trump is quick to attack other sovereign countries; he wants to destroy anyone who does not obey his whims, saying those who do not obey are the ones threatening to destroy peace in the world. It is as if Trump has not gone beyond the bully stage, with the bully taking their victim by the arm, forcing them to hit themselves, all the while saying, “stop hitting yourself.” Trump does not follow just war principles in his acts of war, such as we find when Trump worked with Israel to strike at Iran. His actions should be condemned because, even if there is a just cause (which is questionable), diplomacy had not been properly tried; it was not the last resort, and it certainly was not a defensive response. Similarly, there is no clear understanding of how things should end; he seems to want to take out members of the Iranian government and leave a power vacuum which will create even worse chaos in the region. Just war requires a legitimate and obtainable just end, but with Trump, there really is no consideration of an end, just or otherwise.

It seems clear to me that the overarching ideology Trump uses, one which divides the world into two categories, “friend” and “enemy,” is one which was promoted by Carl Schmidt, and without surprise, used to support Nazi Germany and its actions in the world. It allows Trump (and other followers) to suggest anyone who is not a friend is an enemy to be destroyed. We can see this in the way Trump tries to suggest that the United States government is only meant to protect and help American citizens; while there are more in the United States than citizens and “illegal immigrants,” Trump divides people into those two categories, with citizens standing for his “friends,” and non-citizens (all designated as illegal aliens) as “enemies.” This is why, when we hear Trump and his administration claim they are only going against “illegal immigrants,” we have to read it under their dichotomy, and realize what they mean is anyone who is not a citizen. This is why ICE has no problem taking into custody anyone who is not a citizen, whether or not they are legally in the United States, and why, when they do so, they try to have the American people think anyone taken it must be an “illegal alien.” The reality, of course, is different, but it does not matter to Trump. And if anyone thinks does not agree with this analysis, all they need to do is listen to what said in his 2026 State of the Union address: “The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.” His words here make it clear, he views anyone not already a citizen an “illegal alien,” and if they are an “illegal alien” they have no rights. Of course, that has never been true. The Constitution has always given rights to non-citizen, and beyond that, the foundation of the United States, as seen in the Declaration of Independence, points to universal rights which must be defended if a government is to be seen as having any legitimate authority:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

The Declaration of Independence makes it clear that government is instituted to protect the basic rights of everyone, helping them in defending their life, granting them liberty, and making sure they are free to pursue happiness without undue constraints. Citizenship has its place, but it comes second and should not be turned into a category where only citizens are seen to have fundamental human rights that are to be protected. Trump’s dichotomy goes against the foundational principles which led to the formation of the United States; his claim that the first duty of the government is to protect American citizens is wrong, as its first duty is to protect universal human rights, and not just the rights of citizens. Trump and his followers want us to believe that citizenship, and not human dignity, is what is important. Once we accept this, then the government can become tyrannical (which is what the Declaration of Independence said) because it denies the principles which lies behind its formation. It is, of course, even worse with Trump as he wants to control citizenship, finding ways to take it away from groups he does not like; that is, he is not really defending the rights of American citizens, because, if he were, he would not be seeking to override birthright citizenship. If Trump is successful, no one is safe, because there be confusion as to who is and is not a citizen. He will then declare anyone he does not like as his enemy, and as his enemy, claim they cannot be citizens, and if they are not citizens, he will say they no longer have any rights.

The United States Conferences of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) sees where this is going, which is why they are saying Trump’s attack to override birthright citizenship, within the American context, especially with the modern context in which Trump denies fundamental human rights of non-citizens, represents an attack on human dignity:

Birthright citizenship accords with the Church’s teachings concerning the State’s obligation to uphold and protect human dignity because it treats birth within a community as a sufficient and objective basis for political belonging

The USCCB, of course, affirms rights exist, not just because one is a citizen, but due to the fact that one is human. Everyone, not just citizens, must have those rights protected:

The Church teaches that equal human dignity is inherent in the mere fact of personhood and does not depend on citizenship, immigration status, or parentage.

Despite the equivocations Trump uses, despite all the protests coming from his followers, the USCCB is right. In the American context, if birthright citizenship is removed, no one will have their rights protected. Trump has already signaled this many times, but especially in the way he suggests government is only meant to protect and help citizens. Once birthright citizenship is removed, Trump will then go about determining who is or is not a citizen, and those who are his enemies will be told they are not. Then, those born Americans, will find themselves without a country, even as they will be told their very presence in the United States is illegal. What Trump and ICE have done to countless immigrants (and even to some citizens) will be greatly expanded; anyone who criticizes Trump or resists his agenda risk being told they are not citizens and being picked up by ICE. Then, they will either be deported to some place they will not likely be able to survive, or they will be locked up in various camps, where they will likely be forced to work to survive. After all, Trump seems to be preparing for this by having ICE buy warehouses throughout the United States, making sure he will have the space for the people who have had their citizenship stripped from them. They will be told they have no rights, which is why slavery will be back on the table (since they claim the Constitution is only for citizens).

Catholics (and other Christians) should know Trump’s vision of government, where rights are only had by citizens, and no one else, stand against basic Catholic principles concerning the point of government. Government is meant to work for and promote the common good, protecting human rights, not for a select few, but all, even those who are not citizens. Yes, there can be rights and responsibilities given to citizens over and above non-citizens, like the right to vote, but basic rights must be guaranteed to all, which is why the Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

Political authorities are obliged to respect the fundamental rights of the human person. They will dispense justice humanely by respecting the rights of everyone, especially of families and the disadvantaged. The political rights attached to citizenship can and should be granted according to the requirements of the common good. They cannot be suspended by public authorities without legitimate and proportionate reasons. Political rights are meant to be exercised for the common good of the nation and the human community (2237)

Citizenship is about political, not human rights, and political rights connect to who can govern, but those who govern must still work for everyone, and not just citizens:

The exercise of authority is meant to give outward expression to a just hierarchy of values in order to facilitate the exercise of freedom and responsibility by all. Those in authority should practice distributive justice wisely, taking account of the needs and contribution of each, with a view to harmony and peace. They should take care that the regulations and measures they adopt are not a source of temptation by setting personal interest against that of the community (2236)

Trump wants us to engage a false dichotomy, that which suggests there are two kinds of people, citizens or illegal immigrants, so that if one is not a citizen, they are an illegal immigrant. It is clear, this is what lies behind the way ICE rounds of non-citizens, even those with green cards, even those who are in the process of becoming a citizen. So long as they are not yet a citizen, they are seen as an outsider and an enemy to be fought against. Trump wants us to think the same. He wants us to believe only citizens have rights. The Constitution, and with it, the Declaration of Independence, both go against Trump and his ideology. Everyone has rights. Due process is for everyone. Once it can be denied to anyone, such as those who are not a citizen, it can be denied to everyone. Trump, it is clear, wants to make it easy to remove the citizenship of anyone. We should be very concerned if he is able to do so as he has already said what happens next: they have no rights, and if they have no rights, anything can be done to them, including torture, slavery, or putting them to death. From a secular standpoint, the errors and evil involved should be easy to discern, which is why it is shocking and sad to see so many Christian fall for it. For, what Trump promotes, the foundational principle he follows, goes against the ways of Christ. Christ is the prince of peace; he broke through the “friend” and ‘enemy” distinction, both in his actions, seeking to reconcile all humanity with God, but also in what he told us to do, by telling us to love everyone as ourselves. Christians must not accept the division Trump and his followers make for the world, for that division follows the way of sin, seeking to break up the unity Christ called us to have with everyone else. Christians are to love everyone, not just their “friends” and they are to look for a way to make their “enemies” into friends; even if they cannot do so, they should still know that everyone, even their enemies have rights, rights which must be protected.

* This Is Another Post From My Personal (Informal) Reflections And Speculations Series

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N.B.: While I read comments to moderate them, I rarely respond to them. If I don’t respond to your comment directly, don’t assume I am unthankful for it. I appreciate it. But I want readers to feel free to ask questions, and hopefully, dialogue with each other. I have shared what I wanted to say, though some responses will get a brief reply by me, or, if I find it interesting and something I can engage fully, as the foundation for another post. I have had many posts inspired or improved upon thanks to my readers.

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