How do we greet the stranger?

Members of Milwaukee's Latino community participate in a march for immigration rights in 2006. (Sam Lucero photo)

Several years ago, I had the privilege of attending and reporting on a U.S. citizenship ceremony at the Brown County Courthouse in Green Bay. At this ceremony, 35 people from around the world recited an oath of allegiance to the United States.

One of the most inspiring parts of the ceremony was listening to Judge William Griesbach, the chief U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, address the men and women in his courtroom.

“My hope is that all of you will not only enjoy the blessings and privileges that come with citizenship of this great country, but that you will also take seriously the obligations that all citizens have: to act responsibly toward one another and contribute the best you can to the general welfare of the nation,” said Judge Griesbach, who retired in 2019.

He also reminded the soon-to-be citizens that while they would renounce allegiance to their native country, they did not renounce their culture or customs.

“One of the things that has made this country great is that it has been and continues to be the beneficiary of so many rich and beautiful cultural traditions from around the world,” he said. “We are very much a nation of immigrants … and when we are at our best, we continue to learn from and respect one another and the diverse traditions and cultures so many of us have brought with us.”

Judge Griesbach’s words came to mind last week after reading President Trump’s xenophobic comments about Somali immigrants in Minnesota.

On Dec. 2, he called Somali immigrants “garbage” and said they should be sent back home.

“These are people who do nothing but complain,” he said. “They complain, and from where they came from, they got nothing. … When they come from hell and they complain and do nothing but bitch, we don’t want them in our country. Let them go back to where they came from and fix it.”

His comments echoed ones he made during a re-election campaign rally in Minneapolis  in 2020.

“As you know, for many years, leaders in Washington brought large numbers of refugees to your state from Somalia without considering the impact on schools and communities and taxpayers.”

Somali Americans living in Minnesota, which is home to the nation’s largest Somali population of around 100,000, were understandably upset about Trump’s latest comments and fearful about acts of violence against their community.

The contrast between Judge Griesbach’s message at the citizenship ceremony and Trump’s incendiary comments is stunning. It very much sums up the difference between a Gospel response to immigrants and refugees and a politically extreme response.

Pointing an accusatory finger at Somali refugees, blaming them for burdening Minnesota’s welfare system without facts to back up the claims, or without asking how their presence may actually benefit communities, is a shameful act. It borders on calumny, which the Catechism of the Catholic Church says “harms the reputation of others and gives occasion for false judgments” (CC 2477).

In response to the Trump’s racist comments, Bishop Daniel Garcia, who is chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’s Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation issued a statement Dec. 4 on behalf of the bishops. He criticized Trump’s “dehumanizing language.”

“Language that denigrates a person or community based on his or her ethnicity or country of origin is incompatible with this truth,” said Bishop Garcia. “I call on all — public officials, community leaders and individuals — to refrain from denigrating and dehumanizing language.” (Read the entire statement here.)

Today’s ultranationalist response to helping our neighbors seems to focus on painting them as burdens on society. The Gospel response, in Jesus’ words: “For I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” This resonates with Judge Griesbach’s words: “We are very much a nation of immigrants … and when we are at our best, we continue to learn from and respect one another.”