Though an about-face by the Biden administration brought welcome news to advocates for refugee resettlement, the process raised concerns about the political calculus at work.

“The 1950s were a time of recovery, the beginning of prosperity in the West,” Cardinal Czerny told the congregation, among whom were Hungarian clergy and laity, and diplomats from other countries. “There was even hope of new freedom in the Communist world

Pope Francis on Thursday denounced “aggressive” nationalism that rejects migrants, and said Catholics should follow the Gospel-mandated call for a welcoming church that doesn’t distinguish between “natives and foreigners, residents and guests.”

The tough psychological situation confronting migrants started prior to the inauguration of President Joe Biden in January, but it has continued under his administration.

Refugees and displaced persons are not just the concern of "progressives," but a broad concern of Americans, including Catholics.

As the refugee crisis overwhelmed Europe, religious groups devised an alternative: private funding for resettlement. Two members of the Community of Sant’Egidio write that the Humanitarian Corridors model could work in the U.S.