"This generosity, this industriousness is in harmony with the Gospel, which invites us to do good to everyone, and in particular the last, the poorest, the most abandoned, the sick, people in danger," the pope continued.  

Many others within the Catholic Church are speaking out against the upcoming Trump administration’s promises of mass deportation.  

"From a Catholic perspective, [mass deportation] plans raise deep moral concerns about undermining human dignity and the right to seek asylum, harming family unity and the common good, and risking a police state," Kristin E. Heyer, a Boston College theology professor, writes for America magazine.  

Bishops in California reaffirmed their support for immigrants during the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, report Gina Christian and Kate Scanlon of OSV News. 

"We want to assure you that we, and our mother, the Church, stand with you in these days of anxiety. You are not alone," the bishops said, while also calling on policymakers to take action. "[P]olicies must reflect empathy and solicitude, with due regard for the rights of children and those fleeing violent and impoverished countries, while ceasing to provide respite for serious offenders." 

Welcome to Monday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I’m Dan Gordon, the Forum’s strategic communications VP. The great Forum Daily team also includes Jillian Clark, Soledad Gassó Parker, Clara Villatoro and Becka Wall. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected]. 

WORKERS AT RISK — As many as 3.3 million immigrants working legally on a temporary basis could lose their work authorization under the new administration, Ruth Simon and Michelle Hackman of The Wall Street Journal report. "[T]hese individuals play a key role in the success of a company like ours," said Nate Koetje, chief executive of an electrical contractor based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.   

DEFINITIONS — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is committing her state’s resources to mass deportation efforts, Sabine Martin of the Des Moines Register reports. Reynolds is among 26 Republican governors who signed a statement affirming their commitment to "efforts to deport dangerous criminals ...." Patricia Caro of El País identifies a key point: Definitions of "dangerous criminal" differ. In our most recent survey, two-thirds of Americans, including more than 60% of Republicans, say enforcement should prioritize "violent criminals" and people with final orders of removal, not all immigrants without authorization, Samuel Benson of the Deseret News reports. 

NORTHERN TRIANGLE — Central American countries are bracing for the arrival of deported migrants under the new administration, reports Megan Janetsky of the Associated Press. "Migrants and networks aiding deportees in those Northern Triangle countries worry their return could thrust them into even deeper economic and humanitarian crises, fueling migration down the line," Janetsky reports. 

RIGHT VS. PRIVILEGE — Citizenship is shifting toward more of a privilege than a right in countries around the world, Atossa Araxia Abrahamian writes in Bloomberg. Many are restricting new citizenship mainly to wealthy people, she writes: "In this century, citizenship is becoming more of a status symbol than a great unifier. It will be doled out sparingly, stingily, to the highest bidder."  

‘NOT ALONE’ — Thanks to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the Zorrilla sisters carried out their dream of opening a coffee shop in St. Francis, Wisconsin, a Milwaukee suburb. Now they are preparing for possible challenges under the incoming administration, reports Sophie Carson of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. But they still have hope. "We’ve managed to build a really great community," Janeth Zorrilla said. "We’re not alone." 

Thanks for reading, 

Dan